Thread: My kit of Japanese knives ... WIP

Sounds good; look forward to hearing more.

Is the handle bare? Is so it's worth putting a couple of coats of finish on it (one of Neil's tips).

Originally Posted by rsser

Sounds good; look forward to hearing more.

Is the handle bare? Is so it's worth putting a couple of coats of finish on it (one of Neil's tips).

The handle itself isn't bare (although I have no idea what they've used) for some reason the end of the handle is bare wood though...

If I understand you correctly, that's normal with a JP handle.

Originally Posted by rsser

If I understand you correctly, that's normal with a JP handle.

Ah, ok. Not used to JP handles. I'm actually not 100% certain it's got something on the handle. It was very smooth out of the box and certainly seemed to have some sort of finish, but the grain is mildly raised now...

Not experienced with woodwork and finishes sorry.

Well, given the price it may well be bare. Mine hasn't arrived yet; should be soon.

You can leave it and let it develop the patina of use. It will end up grey-brown. Or pick up a small can of something from a hardware/paint shop. I like oil finishes. For this I'd use something with a high resin content eg. Feast Watson Scandinavian Oil, but any quality finish will do. You may have to leave it a day between coats. Minwax Wipe-on poly should also be a good option.

PS they've marked the value at $20 to minimise any customs duty. Kind of them. Most won't do it.

Originally Posted by rsser

PS they've marked the value at $20 to minimise any customs duty. Kind of them. Most won't do it.

Very nice of them indeed. Cheers

Originally Posted by Gnickrapon

First impressions ... it's lighter than I expected.

That's a good sign. Steel that stays sharp doesn't need weight to do the job. Compared to western knives, most Japanese knives are lighter. Their Deba is the exception.

Originally Posted by Gnickrapon

The handle is very smooth so I'll be interested to see how that holds up through use.

Ah, the 'overly' magnolia handle. That will be raw wood. Give it a drink of oil before it gets too much use, as Ern has suggested. I tend to use pharmaceutical paraffin (can be found in medical section of supermarket) as it is less likely to go rancid and it is food and allergy safe. Just don't swig too much of it! If the grain is raised sand it back with a fine sandpaper, or if you don't have that fine steel wool. Just take care not to scratch the ferrule.

Originally Posted by Gnickrapon

The Nashiji finish looks far better in real life.

Love to see a picy of that, if and when convenient.

Originally Posted by Gnickrapon

The receipt that came with it was quite odd though. $35 for postage which was expected but the value of the knife is marked as $20US???

As Ern said, some OS distributors 'declare' a low price on goods to minimise import duties for the recipient.

Originally Posted by Gnickrapon

This thing, in my opinion anyway, is very sharp out of the box.

Enjoy that as long as you can. I delay resharpening any new knife from a maker for as long as possible knowing that I'm unlikely to get it as sharp again myself.

Neil

Originally Posted by NeilS

Ah, the 'overly' magnolia handle. That will be raw wood. Give it a drink of oil before it gets too much use, as Ern has suggested. I tend to use pharmaceutical paraffin (can be found in medical section of supermarket) as it is less likely to go rancid and it is food and allergy safe. Just don't swig too much of it! If the grain is raised sand it back with a fine sandpaper, or if you don't have that fine steel wool. Just take care not to scratch the ferrule.
Neil

Just a quick dunk then wipe off the excess?

Yes; saturate esp the end grain, maybe let sit for 5 mins and wipe off. Over to Neil really on this goo.

Mine's in. The handle but not the end grain looks to have a light coat of lacquer.

Handle finish is adequate. The collar/handle match is a bit out. The x-section is oval, not a D as with some others so southpaws should be happy.

Blade finish: inspired by a somewhat pocked Nashi. Spread and depth of dimples are irregular. There remains some coarse grind marks on the blade but not on the blade path. There is a very short polished secondary bevel.

The instructions recommend regular sharpening: at least every 3 months

Pics below.

Santoku.jpgSantoku2.jpg

Application: it cuts through floppy newspaper readily. Carrot like a hot knife through butter. If the nashiji finish is meant to release veg slices, it didn't with the carrot and it will be clear from the photos that it doesn't run down far enough to work.

The instructions show a user cutting a pumpkin by pressing down on the blade top. Given the experience posted above I'd be wary of doing this.

Apart from being somewhat broader the blade dimensions are similar to those of my Gyuto.

The instructions also say that you should use a cut then pull stroke on soft veggies. The Nozaki book recommends this for most JP knives.

I took the opportunity to compare the Gyuto's sharpness with this new edge and it was in the ball-park.

I'd agree with all of that. Have you found it to be very reactive? I didn't know what to expect when I sliced some onions, but an extremely mild pateena has formed.

I had a chuckle at the piece of folded up Hawaiian newspaper in the box with the knife.

After washing it before use the water remained heavily beaded up on the blade. Something to do with the 'bluing' perhaps. Onion chopping needed for dinner; will see.

Yes, the Huckleberry Vintage Fishing Supply is based in Hawaii.

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/toitkshpe120.html

Got one of these guys coming from an ebay seller for $38 shipped.