Thread: My kit of Japanese knives ... WIP

Originally Posted by NeilS

Impressive selection of Jp knives there Stu.

Some ideal 1st knives there, with the Hatorri damascus VG10s.

Having graduated to some higher performance (and higher care) knives, the Misono Swedish steel knife is a great choice for a heavier duty knife. Not tempered quite so high and therefore will take some heavier treatment.

And, the Hiromoto with that superior Aogami Super Blue steel edge and practical SS cladding is an excellent knife that will take the keenest of possible edges that will last and last if you don't mistreat it, and also at a very reasonable price.

The little hiromoto is a G3, not the AS unfortunately. Having said that, I really rate the G3 steel. The other one is a HC, which they stopped making a few years ago. From memory I think the steel is SK4. Astounding performance for the pittance I paid for it. I must get my hands on an AS at some stage though...

Others pls feel free to show us your Jp knives with comments on design, steel and uses. Heck, sharpening as well

Ok, here are our knives.

We picked up the three on the bottom from a blacksmith called Shigeharu at his shop front near Tojiro castle in Kyoto. His English was next to nothing and our Japanese worse (I only attended the classes at school)... Although I did know some of the names of the knives from reading this forum we mostly got by on 'vegetable', or 'meat'. All I know of the steel is that they're stainless clad with harder, brittle steel in the middle.

Last, and definitely least, the knife on the top was from Japan workworker website in the States....a dedicated knife to cut large lumps of meat. El cheapo...but is nice for doing just what it's meant to. Not stainless but used only reasonably infrequently and kept oiled the rest of the time. Not that humidity is a huge problem in Alice....

I have to confess that I haven't sharpened the knives since we got them (early this year)...but I kinda had more important things to attend to: birth of our first child and our wedding.

/Users/broonie/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Previews/2011/10/22/20111022-184425/IMG_8026.JPG

bugger, photo didn't work

Ok...this is better...

Hi again rsser,
I had thought of trying to send in a pic of splitting a hair , but the particular knife I used now lies somewhere on Stewart Island off the south coast of NZ. I lost it while on a hunting trip there. The knife was a Puma Skinner and was bought about 40 years ago. The way to do this is to take a hair and rub it lightly between finger and thumb to find out which way the minute teeth on the hair lie. Then you lightly apply the blade with the teeth aiming down and the knife rising upward. Not against your finger, but the hair standing proud of finger and thumb. Am sure your sharp jappos will also split a hair.Is easy to do with coarse hair.
Richard B.

Originally Posted by desert oak

We picked up the three on the bottom from a blacksmith called Shigeharu at his shop front near Tojiro castle in Kyoto. His English was next to nothing and our Japanese worse (I only attended the classes at school)... Although I did know some of the names of the knives from reading this forum we mostly got by on 'vegetable', or 'meat'. All I know of the steel is that they're stainless clad with harder, brittle steel in the middle.

Desert Oak, you have got three great knives there that few westerners ever get to see, let alone use.

The Shigeharu knife making family goes back some 750 years (to Kamakura period) in the Kyoto area. They are one of the great Kyohamono (Kyoto blade making) dynasties and the last of the knife makers in Kyoto. You have have to go to that little shop if you want one of those knives, otherwise forget it.

Hope you have some waterstones for when you need to resharpen your knives.

In my opinion, if a knife will no longer cleanly slice paper (no tearing) then they need to be resharpened. Greaseproof paper is a good test, tissue paper is even better....

Hi rsser,
I am accepting your challenge to forward a pic of the splitting of a hair with a sharp knife....the knife in question is a green river boner and cost I think $27.00. I took it from our knife drawer to my workshop and sharpened it on a soft stone for 3 minutes, then onto a hard stone for 3 minutes, and then stropped it on my hand for 10 mins.I then pulled a course hair from my partners head and with the first try, I split her hair about 15mm long. The attached pics should tell the story.

I forgot to add that my Kiwi rugby team the ALL BLACKS have now won the WORLD CUP... wooohooo

Onya Richard.

Get back to us with how long that edge lasts.

Thanks for the info Neil. We knew Shigeharu's family had been making knives for generations, we just didn't know for how long.

They are a privilege to use: very balanced and still slicing better than our wustof knives despite a lack of sharpening (since February...I know, I know...shame).

That said, they are now definitely in need of sharpening.

I've got some king waterstones (300, 800, 1200, 6000) that I've used for chisels and plane blades and we also picked up a natural waterstone from a market in Japan. I was hesitant that the natural stone could be too coarse but took few swipes over the weekend with the el cheapo knife and it doesn't seem to be. That said, I might just go with the 1200 then 6000 king stones to begin with.

We were drooling over Shigeharu's knives in his shop but fortunately (or unfortunately, depending how you look at it?) only walked away with four knives (including a petty for the mother-in-law - who proceeded to put a chip in the edge within one month of receiving it despite instructions of what not to do....................).

That's a great good luck story DO.

Let us know how you go with the Kings.

Not had much experience with them. Your knife edges are hard steel. Start with the waterstones flat of course and watch out for dishing. I'd expect that to happen fairly quickly.

Neil can tell you more.

And just to respond to your last comment, yes, I despair of the 'knife nous' among others in my household.

I've tried to explain the game to them but no luck.

I see them use Western knives badly but can't get through to them.

So while I maintain theirs mine are set aside. They accept that as the price of 'no-nags' ;-}

Hi rsser,
I am not expecting the edge on this knife to last more than 2 days with normal use, however I will not have to put it near a stone for at least another year...just a touch up on a steel at each use will suffice. I have found that even without any use, an edge will dull with oxidation..ie...leaving it in a sheath for a period of time will dull the edge. I have noted that even a week of non use will be enough to take the edge off any knife.
Richard B.