Do you guys like honyaki?

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Closest thing I have to honyaki, Xerxes differentially hardened 125sc 210 kitchen laser

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dragjp said:
@OwlWoodworks how are your comet(s) doing? 🧐
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Matt Jacobs said:
I'm probably in the minority but I'm not a huge fan. It looks great when polished and new but it's lost with patina. To be completely honest, I also don't understand the pricing. I have heard that it can be a very high failure rate for some Eastern makers, but with Western makers it looks like they're putting clay on the spine and doing a standard heat treat. I don't hear a whole lot about failure so the extra cost seems to come from polishing which again I think is lost as soon as you start using it. There's other companies like Steelport who I would consider a hanyaki based on a very low HRC at the spine and high at the edge, but they're doing that on every knife and not charging any extra so I just don't completely understand it. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy one at a higher price. However, when I see one posted online and just finished, I absolutely marvel at their looks.
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I agree that most honyaki’s are not worth it if you’re actually using them. I certainly have never noticed a performance difference with a honyaki in culinary use, so if the hamon disappears with use there isn’t really a reason to have it. That I am aware of at least. I’ve had a few honyaki’s and I only keep the ones with a super bold hamon that persists through the patina. My Comet definitely fulfils that for me. Sorry for the lazy pic, saw this notification, got out of bed to take a pic, and back in bed now 😅 It has oodles of use and I actually find the patina has added more visual contrast to the hamon.


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OwlWoodworks said:
I agree that most honyaki’s are not worth it if you’re actually using them. I certainly have never noticed a performance difference with a honyaki in culinary use, so if the hamon disappears with use there isn’t really a reason to have it. That I am aware of at least. I’ve had a few honyaki’s and I only keep the ones with a super bold hamon that persists through the patina. My Comet definitely fulfils that for me. Sorry for the lazy pic, saw this notification, got out of bed to take a pic, and back in bed now 😅 It has oodles of use and I actually find the patina has added more visual contrast to the hamon.View attachment 318265
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Coincidentally I was using my Comet Honyaki petty this morning to slice up a few strawberries. Mine is W2 whereas your's is likely 26C3. The hamon doesn't differentially patina like the one above. I really like that effect, highlights the skill Trey had with his honyaki.
For me honyaki is bladesmith flexing. The best are amazing but many are mediocre to say the least. @Markcg showed an absolute diamond, single bevel Tamahagane Kato honyaki yanagiba on FB, with Ivan's nihonto polish. Rarely have I seen a kitchen knife so beautifully made. Almost brought a tear to the eye.
 
Very interesting discussion. When it comes to knives, I’m a complete noob, as my son would say, but I’ve collected visual arts for about twenty years, and taken cooking seriously for even longer. My deep dive into the world of knives over the past few months has been a revelation. “Artisan” is something of a backhanded compliment. It signifies the skill of the craftsman, while capping the artistic value of the craft. There is a stigma to the word, and I cringed a bit when I read Milan’s post describing himself as such. I’ve discussed my newfound passion for knife collecting with art snob friends, and while they readily acknowledge the beauty of the work, the party line is to compartmentalize the work as a craft because its functionality is incompatible with the “soul” of true art. A defining feature of art, they insist, is its fundamental uselessness.

I could not disagree more. Great knives can go beyond craft’s plateau, and become something sublime: art that serves a function. When I unwrapped Milan’s knife last month, and held it, I immediately knew it for what it is. It has soul. It tells a story. With each use, I’ve marveled at how the etches in the blade have evolved as if they were organic. There is an energy at play that bonds the bladesmith and the chef and is inspirational, which is a quality far more definitive of “true art” to me than uselessness.

Moreover, purely by chance, kitchen knives are at the epicenter of one of most important movements in our post-COVID world: the concept of “wellness”. So many of the most important novels of the past few years are grappling with the fallout of the greatest health crisis of our time, one which has reordered our priorities as we are shocked as a species into confronting the fragility of our mortality. Home cooking is a movement, and knives are the tool that best symbolizes the newfound awareness that we must take better care of ourselves. Like all momentous shifts in cultural identity, this is a natural Petrie dish for new art forms to develop, and I believe that knifemaking is at the cutting edge, if you excuse the pun, of something larger than itself.
 
milangravier said:
Now I am starting honyaki let say more seriously than before and of course I have made first ones in the oven.
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I can only imagine what how much time you would spend on a honyaki......

bermuda_chub said:
Like all momentous shifts in cultural identity, this is a natural Petrie dish for new art forms to develop, and I believe that knifemaking is at the cutting edge, if you excuse the pun, of something larger than itself.
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I've used this argument with wife knife as investment in health and cooking... needless to say she did not buy the argument that a Kamon = more health and me cooking. His website doesn't really help that cause either....
 
Corradobrit1 said:
Coincidentally I was using my Comet Honyaki petty this morning to slice up a few strawberries. Mine is W2 whereas your's is likely 26C3. The hamon doesn't differentially patina like the one above. I really like that effect, highlights the skill Trey had with his honyaki.
For me honyaki is bladesmith flexing. The best are amazing but many are mediocre to say the least. @Markcg showed an absolute diamond, single bevel Tamahagane Kato honyaki yanagiba on FB, with Ivan's nihonto polish. Rarely have I seen a kitchen knife so beautifully made. Almost brought a tear to the eye.
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Couldn't agree more. In a lot of cases honyaki's represent the peak of a bladesmiths talent which is why they fit perfectly in Mark's collection. That's because at this point Mark is no longer a "guy with knives" or a collector, he's essentially reached the point of being a museum currator. Which is where polished tamhagane honyaki knives belong. Not in the hands of simpletons and scrubs like me.
 
OwlWoodworks said:
Couldn't agree more. In a lot of cases honyaki's represent the peak of a bladesmiths talent which is why they fit perfectly in Mark's collection. That's because at this point Mark is no longer a "guy with knives" or a collector, he's essentially reached the point of being a museum currator. Which is where polished tamhagane honyaki knives belong. Not in the hands of simpletons and scrubs like me.
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Mark has reached Zweber and Omega level connoisseurship. I know which collection I would want to inherit.
 
Corradobrit1 said:
Coincidentally I was using my Comet Honyaki petty this morning to slice up a few strawberries. Mine is W2 whereas your's is likely 26C3. The hamon doesn't differentially patina like the one above. I really like that effect, highlights the skill Trey had with his honyaki.
For me honyaki is bladesmith flexing. The best are amazing but many are mediocre to say the least. @Markcg showed an absolute diamond, single bevel Tamahagane Kato honyaki yanagiba on FB, with Ivan's nihonto polish. Rarely have I seen a kitchen knife so beautifully made. Almost brought a tear to the eye.
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I thought I hit peak when I got a TF Denka gyuto. Then I realised that sanmai is Japanese for lazy hack to get a rigid cutting with a softer spine. Haha

I lust over the Steelport differential heat treat but I just saw a YouTube video ranting that 52100 is a rather pedestrian steel.
 
Corradobrit1 said:
Coincidentally I was using my Comet Honyaki petty this morning to slice up a few strawberries. Mine is W2 whereas your's is likely 26C3. The hamon doesn't differentially patina like the one above. I really like that effect, highlights the skill Trey had with his honyaki.
For me honyaki is bladesmith flexing. The best are amazing but many are mediocre to say the least. @Markcg showed an absolute diamond, single bevel Tamahagane Kato honyaki yanagiba on FB, with Ivan's nihonto polish. Rarely have I seen a kitchen knife so beautifully made. Almost brought a tear to the eye.
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Hello, I'm enjoying this discussion. Do you have the link to this knife owned by Markcg?
 
bermuda_chub said:
Very interesting discussion. When it comes to knives, I’m a complete noob, as my son would say, but I’ve collected visual arts for about twenty years, and taken cooking seriously for even longer. My deep dive into the world of knives over the past few months has been a revelation. “Artisan” is something of a backhanded compliment. It signifies the skill of the craftsman, while capping the artistic value of the craft. There is a stigma to the word, and I cringed a bit when I read Milan’s post describing himself as such. I’ve discussed my newfound passion for knife collecting with art snob friends, and while they readily acknowledge the beauty of the work, the party line is to compartmentalize the work as a craft because its functionality is incompatible with the “soul” of true art. A defining feature of art, they insist, is its fundamental uselessness.

I could not disagree more. Great knives can go beyond craft’s plateau, and become something sublime: art that serves a function. When I unwrapped Milan’s knife last month, and held it, I immediately knew it for what it is. It has soul. It tells a story. With each use, I’ve marveled at how the etches in the blade have evolved as if they were organic. There is an energy at play that bonds the bladesmith and the chef and is inspirational, which is a quality far more definitive of “true art” to me than uselessness.

Moreover, purely by chance, kitchen knives are at the epicenter of one of most important movements in our post-COVID world: the concept of “wellness”. So many of the most important novels of the past few years are grappling with the fallout of the greatest health crisis of our time, one which has reordered our priorities as we are shocked as a species into confronting the fragility of our mortality. Home cooking is a movement, and knives are the tool that best symbolizes the newfound awareness that we must take better care of ourselves. Like all momentous shifts in cultural identity, this is a natural Petrie dish for new art forms to develop, and I believe that knifemaking is at the cutting edge, if you excuse the pun, of something larger than itself.
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Artisan / Artist is not an easy one. Is artisan doing only utilitarian and artist only useless but beautiful ? Well not anymore or maybe never. Still I feel I am more an artisan than an artist because my object is not aim to express my self mostly. I can express. But not sure I get all room to express and I would say I would feel maybe more artist as soon as my craft would be there mostly to express myself or express something I want to talk or show to people. Again that's very weak definition of art and artisan maybe but I would say it is where i am.
 
I'm not really worried about getting into the finer points of the discussion (though it's fun reading y'all's thoughts!).

I'll just say I think honyaki are super cool and when done well, it just speaks to the skill of the craftsperson which adds non-tangible value for my appreciation. About half of my knives are honyaki at this point (including one of yours @Enso Forge !)
 
DoYoon Kim said:
wait! my honyaki's don't come with a signature!!!!
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gmorris said:
You must his early work before his maker's mark. Both mine have it.
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If I do the final polish it gets it. If Julien is doing it there's none. We'll make arrangements to change that in the future.
gmorris said:
I like looking at it and using it more than trying to photograph it, that's for sure. Just got my first Honyaki yesterday...Msicard 270mm sheffcut suji. It's just a work of art.
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I'm glad you like it!
 
Ikonaka said:
I'm not really worried about getting into the finer points of the discussion (though it's fun reading y'all's thoughts!).

I'll just say I think honyaki are super cool and when done well, it just speaks to the skill of the craftsperson which adds non-tangible value for my appreciation. About half of my knives are honyaki at this point (including one of yours @Enso Forge !)
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That’s awesome to hear!
 
I find there's a form of purity in the Honyaki, the Hamon reminds me of the "thread of life" and unfortunately / fortunately it runs out of steam like its owner.
I have some beautiful knives, but my Nakiri Honyaki by Evan Antzenberger has something extra :)

N.B : I would love to own the @OwlWoodworks comet one day 😁
 
Thread title always gives me a smile.

“Do you guys like beer?”
bacon?
power tools?
V-8s?
movies with nudity?

… movies with beer, bacon, nudity and the occasional zone 5 afterburner … and honyaki!?
 
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