Hinoura Ajikataya 240 mm shirogami#2.

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HappyamateurDK

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Hi all.

I'm out looking for a 240 mm wa gyuto.

I've found the Hinoura Ajikataya 240 and think it looks pretty nice..it also have a bit of weight that I like.

Anyone knows this knife ? Will it be a okay workhorse gyuto for a home cook?

I know the white#2 steel is pretty reactive..but is it too reactive or too brittle to work in a gyuto ?

Thanks in advance😊
 
I’m biased because I have one for sale on BST but I really like this knife. Typical reactivity on the iron-clad bevels but the KU finish limits the reactiveness of the rest of the blade. Very confident knife that moves through product well. Great value.
 
@ftermath said:
I’m biased because I have one for sale on BST but I really like this knife. Typical reactivity on the iron-clad bevels but the KI finish limits the reactiveness of the rest of the blade. Very confident knife that moves through product well. Great value.
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Thanks for your reply..😊 would you say it's too reactive to everyday cooking ?
 
I've owned 2 of them, one in 240 and another in 210. It's a pretty sturdy knife. I'd call it a light workhorse grind. The steel is really nice. On the harder side, and typical reactivity for carbon. Once you establish the initial patina, it's pretty easy to care for. I like that he has taller necks than many other knives, which I find more comfortable. I would not hesitate to recommend one, especially for the price. The only thing I have against it is that sometimes the spines are not aligned flat with the handles. But if you can find a good one off BST, all the better!
 
That’s a very relative concern. I’m a home cook and have no issues with fully reactive knives, including this one. In many cases I prefer iron cladding. There are trade offs for sure and stainless clad is certainly less fussy. The easiest answer I could give you is that you won’t know unless you try.
 
HappyamateurDK said:
Hi all.

I'm out looking for a 240 mm wa gyuto.

I've found the Hinoura Ajikataya 240 and think it looks pretty nice..it also have a bit of weight that I like.

Anyone knows this knife ? Will it be a okay workhorse gyuto for a home cook?

I know the white#2 steel is pretty reactive..but is it too reactive or too brittle to work in a gyuto ?

Thanks in advance😊
Click to expand...

i once had one. then it turned into a santoku somehow. dont know what happened really. probably as good as its gonna get in white2.

chopchop-jpg.65017
 
HappyamateurDK said:
Thanks for your reply..😊 would you say it's too reactive to everyday cooking ?
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I use a variety of reactive knives at home, every day, and have never had an issue.

Basically, when you sharpen and thin it, just make sure you have onions on the menu that day. Slice/chop/dice them up, then leave the onion juice on the blade for like 15 minutes. Wash the knife and dry it: instant patina, and reactivity is pretty much a thing of the past.
 
I have both the 210 and 240, though my 210 is the hammered one and the 240 isnt. I like both a lot but I think the 210 has a nicer (ie pointier) profile, and the 240 is a very hefty 240.

both needed a tiny bit of bevel work which improved them a lot.

both are a joy to sharpen and the kurouchi is really nice, the burnt chestnut handles arent quite as nice as the octagonal ones you find from Heiji but theyre nice enough and immensely practical, and the f&f is really really good for the price. overall the 210 is easily my favorite 210 Ive ever owned/touched by a mile, the 240 is a nice knife too, but I like the 210 so much I actually use it and that's saying something given that I almost exclusively buy/use 240s.

for me the white steel + iron cladding with chestnut handle is the easy, easy choice since I have a bunch of natural stones I like to polish with, but the stainless clad aogami super ones seem fine as well.
 
Thanks for all your input 😊 great to hear your experiences.

What about brittleness and microchipping ? Is the white#2 delicate and need babying ?
 
HappyamateurDK said:
Thanks for all your input 😊 great to hear your experiences.

What about brittleness and microchipping ? Is the white#2 delicate and need babying ?
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Not at all. The grind plays a part too. It's not super crazy thin at the edge like a Yoshikane
 
My Ajikataya 210 is my go to knife at home. Love that thing... likely my favorite knife. And while it is stiff and confident, I wouldn't call it a workhorse. The grind on mine is very thin behind the edge, and I have seen very miniscule chipping when cutting thru things like grilled meats with a bit of char on them. The grind on your knife may be thicker and not have this issue. But for me, I happily trade a tad of edge brittleness for the exceptional cutting ability that comes with that thin edge. This is, fundamentally, why I use japanese knives: pure cutting performance. If I wanna cut up crispy bacon or something, I just grab a different knife. My Hinoura also has probably the best performance:food release ratio of any knife I've ever used.
 
HappyamateurDK said:
Thanks for all your inputs..it was very helpful. I just pulled the trigger. And ordered the Hinoura 😊
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Congrats.

My experience echos what Up_Dog wrote. Lovely knife, super thin at the edge and a bit chippy at times, not a work horse but super fun to use. Mine had amazing food release. You'll love it if you don't use it as a total beater.
 
MrHiggins said:
Congrats.

My experience echos what Up_Dog wrote. Lovely knife, super thin at the edge and a bit chippy at times, not a work horse but super fun to use. Mine had amazing food release. You'll love it if you don't use it as a total beater.
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Sounds great 😊

What do you think of it when it comes to reactivity and edge retention? 😊
 
HappyamateurDK said:
Thanks 😊

My only worry is if I can handle the reactivity and the brittleness off the shirogami#2 😊 but time will tell.
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I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

For reactivity, use the knife, get a patina on it, done. Reactivity stops being a thing.

Shirogami 2 isn't all that brittle, Hinoura HTs really well, and doesn't make crazy thin edges in any case. I don't think that chipping will be a thing, unless you TRY.
 
HappyamateurDK said:
Thanks 😊

My only worry is if I can handle the reactivity and the brittleness off the shirogami#2 😊 but time will tell.
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Yeah, time will tell. It comes with a bead-blasted finish that significantly cuts down on the reactivity (which is why I sand it off - I love me a nice patina!)

Brittleness is more how you use it. I didn't think a particular knife of mine was brittle, but when my brother took out a square centimeter chip by twisting it in an underripe avocado pit, he disagreed with my assessment. I guess what I'm saying is: know the limitations of your knife.
 
MrHiggins said:
Yeah, time will tell. It comes with a bead-blasted finish that significantly cuts down on the reactivity (which is why I sand it off - I love me a nice patina!)

Brittleness is more how you use it. I didn't think a particular knife of mine was brittle, but when my brother took out a square centimeter chip by twisting it in an underripe avocado pit, he disagreed with my assessment. I guess what I'm saying is: know the limitations of your knife.
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Nice to know 😊

You could argue that the trick your brother pulled off with the avocado pit..could hurt almost any hardsteel j-knife 😊
 
I'm afraid I'm the absolute worst person on the forum to ask about edge retention. The standard Hinoura knives are White #2 and wear out like White #2 (and make them easy to sharpen).
 
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