Happy weekend everyone, back with another NKD, I suppose this will go on for a few more days as I’m getting literally like one knife everyday.

This is my first honyaki from Togashi, and I’ve heard nothing but great things about his work, especially when it comes to the hamon.

The Sanbonsugi pattern on this one is a little different from what I usually see, which is actually one of the reasons I like it so much. A friend of mine picked it out at the Hitohira store

Definitely one of those knives I could see myself taking out just to admire on a daily basis. The hamon has so much character in person, and the more I look at it, the more details I seem to notice. Probably will try to acid etch the surface hoping to bring out some bandings in the future.

The Toyama drop at JNS today was absolutely crazy — everything sold out in what felt like seconds!
Who managed to grab one? And which model did you get?
Curious to hear how many of you actually managed to snag one before everything was gone. 😅

Super exciting October for me so far! Ashi came in on Wednesday and the Nakiris showed up yesterday. Tested them all out last night after work.

First up:
Konosuke Swedish Stainless 240mm gyuto
Blacksmith: Ashi Hamono
Construction: Mono Steel
Weight: 135g
Purchased from CKTG latest restock shortly after receiving the restock email. Super excited I was able to grab it for under $300 shipped. That price also includes their finish sharpening service.
Initial thoughts…. AMazing cutter! My first Ashi and my first Japanese mono steel. It’s SUPER light compared to my other 240s so I will need a bit of time to adjust to it. Definitely will be using this these next few weeks to put it through the works. Funny story, that same night they restocked online I almost purchased a Konosuke GS+ 240 from someone in BST, and then almost purchased someone else’s Ashi from the group as well! Goes to show that sometimes patience pays off and don’t have FOMO.

2nd up:
Kyohei Shindo Blue 2 165mm nakiri
Weight: 176g
My first BST purchase! Purchased a nakiri bundle mainly for this guy lol. Other member bought it from Chef’s Edge, it’s pretty darn close to BNIB. Few minor scratches but otherwise brand new. I had been searching for this guy for a little while now, and I was finally able to snag one for a good price. First Shindo was a Santoku because it restocked first haha. Everyone knows how it cuts I won’t go into that. I like and I don’t like the ebony handle. Like it cause it’s better than the cheapy one with plastic ferrule, don’t like it cause it adds more weight and the balance is a little behind where I pinch now. May change it out later but for now it’s nice.

Last but not least:
Shiro Kamo AS 165mm nakiri
Weight: 144g
2nd nakiri in the bundle mentioned above. Super relieved for that. Other member bought it from Clean Cut and learned how to sharpen with this guy. It looked more scratched in the pictures than in person so I’m relieved a bit. I’m kind of torn on this guy. It has the profile that I really like for a nakiri, but just doesn’t perform like I’d like it to. Super flat blade, blade heavy, AS stainless clad, handle can take some water on it, and so sharp it kept getting stuck in my larchwood. It just didn’t perform well when I was tap chopping onions or trying to fast dice them. I originally was thinking that I was going to use it to learn how to sharpen since it looked pretty scratched (just bought everything I need to start), but it’s razor sharp now and the scratches aren’t bad so I don’t want to make them worse. Then I was thinking if I liked it i’d just keep it. Now since I wasn’t a fan of it, I may re-bundle it and sell it with my AS Shiro Kamo petty. I have 5 nakiri’s now (working on selling another one), and I don’t know how to thin blades yet, so this isn’t needed. I’m going to give it another shot and take my time on product to see how it feels going slower with it before I decide what i’m going to do with it.

Just realized how long this post was, not sure if anyone will even read the entire thing haha. Anyhow, that’s my 2 cents!

My first time making a chuka

200x100mm Chinese style cleaver

329 grams

52100/ iron clad @63-64hrc

Ironwood handle w/ stainless cap

***Not Available***

Can check more of my stuff out over on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donathan.hamono?dlrf=MWN2dnZtMGdycG4zdg==

First day with the Shindo Nakiri figured i’d see how well I could tap with it. Home cook working on getting more consistent and faster with my cuts! Saved it off my Instagram story reason why it’s zoomed out.

Takeshi Saji Maki-e Sujihiki - VG10W - Rainbow Dama

Koshinoitto (Kappabashi) Yanagiba - Aogami

Tojiro Shippu Gyuto - VG10

Takeshi Saji Gyuto - VG10W Rainbow Dama

Unknown Shop (Kappabashi) Deba - Tsuchime Kurouchi Carbon Steel

Unknown Shop (Kappabashi) Deba - Kurouchi Carbon Steel

Tojiro Shippu Paring Knife - VG10

Unknown Shop (Sakai) Petty Knife - VG10

Tojiro Shippu Petty Knife - VG10

Tojiro Atelier Classic - Nickel Damascus Steel

Tojiro Shippu Nakiri - VG10

Unknown Shop (Kappabashi) Deba - Aogami

Unknown Shop (Sakai) Nakiri - VG10

Takeshi Saji Kiritsuke - VG10W Rainbow Dama

I think that’s all of them— although I’m looking to get my hands on a custom Bob Kramer sometime soon. First time posting but I’ve been eyeing the forum for a while. I hope you guys enjoy looking at them as much as I do!

I bought a number of my knives in Japan, but I can’t recall a few of the stores.

Yoshikane SKD Nashiji Sujihiki 240mm

Blade: 240mm

Steel: SKD with Stainless Clad and Nashiji finish

HRC: 63

Handle : Octagonal Walnut with a Buffalo Horn Ferrule

Weight: 193g

New job at a restaurant in the city, mostly Butchering beef, poultry, lamb sattle, a bit of awful, and tones of fish. Needed a nice slicer for the fish portioning. Yoshikane was an easy choice!

2 posts in one day loll. This one isn’t for grabs but I still wanted to share it. This blade was for a friend of mine who is also a chef. The only things she requested were a red handle and a blade made of stainless. This is the result, a 210mm Gyuto made from AEBL steel with a mono padduck wood handle.

My quick grab carbon Gyuto continues to be my Mazaki. Love the feeling of how it cuts across a wide range of things.

Mazaki White #2 Kurouchi 210 mm Gyuto

Hey guys! Today I reset the patina on my Kagekiyo B1 with Flitz and noticed some tiny micro-pits that just won’t disappear. They look almost like very shallow little holes, but I can’t feel them with my fingernail. First time this has ever happened to me and it honestly surprised me quite a bit.

The knife has always been treated properly - never left wet for long, dried immediately after use, then usually wiped with camellia oil. There were also absolutely no visible signs of rust and nothing came off on the paper towel. Still, exactly on the kasumi part of the finish, and nowhere else, there are these tiny spots. They’re pretty hard to see and only show under a certain angle, but it still feels strange. The knife had a really dense, dark, visible patina before and it actually looked great - I was just experimenting with it.

Is this normal? Could it just be from oxidation under the patina, or did I do something wrong?

Luckily there’s nothing like this on the exposed core steel at the cutting edge, and the knife is still laser sharp. I assume once a new patina develops these spots probably won’t even be visible anymore, but it’s still a little worrying.

P.S. My next expensive knife is definitely going to be Ginsan or SG2 hahaha. It’s ridiculous how annoyed you can get over ruining a beautiful finish. I absolutely treat this knife like a working tool and it’s still the best knife I’ve ever used, but yeah... imperfections still bother me a little :)

To mark the arrival of the custom-ordered *shinogi gyuto* I’ve been waiting for, I’d like to showcase my *Pungchundo* collection.
By combining the level of craftsmanship seen in Japanese artisans with the durability of modern steel, this brand is likely unrivaled in Korea.
-> magnacut petty, M390 nakiri, magnacut gyuto, M390 k-tip gyuto, M390 shinogi gyuto, 10v gyuto, M390 sujihiki.
Thanks for whatching! :)

Anyone going wanna pick something up for me? 🤣

Got this banged up 150mm petty as an 'do-upper' from a member on here, as i fancied a little project. It was dirt cheap and I'm going to have fun messing around with it. Before it hits a belt, does anyone recognise it and/or know the steel? All I know from the previous owner is that it came from the Japanese Knife Company here in the UK. I presume the kanji translates to 'little rusty shitbox'. 😂

Hello TCK,

I’ve reached the point in my collection where I’m only adding pieces that are either special or fill a functional gap.

This one ticks both boxes for me. I’m building a daily driver collection of two to three knives that’s going to replace a bunch of kitchen daily’s for me and my fiancé that coincides with a new kitchen extension at home. The main criteria is stainless, and filling one of those spots is a petty. Instinct would have naturally drawn me more to a 150mm as I’ve owned a few in the past however I wanted something I could use off the board, and I generally always peel vegetables with a knife so as soon as I picked up a 120mm I was sold on that size. Secondary to that, Kagekiyo, because why the hell not.

And here we are, Kagekiyo Ginsan Sakura Wa-Petty 120mm forged by the legendary Nakagawa and sharpened by Wakae-San, an up and coming in house sharpener at Baba Hamono.

On first impressions the wa handle felt too large but after using it for some time it provides balance and control where the full knife does the work and it feels like an extension of your arm. It’s literally the perfect size for what I need a petty for and the blade, wow. The contrast of the kasumi against the sakura handle is really classy.

October has been good to me this year and I’m filling two spots in my collection. This being the first one and there’s a very special second post coming next week that coincides with my birthday. As a bit of teaser it’s another Kagekiyo..

Stay tuned

Mike

I'm a relatively new home cook looking to buy a good knife that will last for years and be easy to sharpen and maintain. I started with a Victorinox, and now I'd like to try Japanese steel.

I've found some good knives that are AUS-10, and I'm wondering how best to maintain it at around 60 HRC. Can I use the steel honing disc on my HORL 3 Cruise with a leather strop, or will I need to start using ceramic to hone it?

I'd also love to hear from anyone who has gone from German steel to AUS-10.

I’m really enjoying these sculptural handles.

6.5” Santoku
Hand Forged 80CRV2 Steel.
Stabilized Spalted Wood Handle.
(Locally sourced and processed in-house)
Micarta Bolster

Handle length - 5”
Blade - 6.5”
Widest - 2.5” at heel.
Overall Length - 10.5”
Waxed + Oiled Finish
Texture and Etch Detail.

Super fine.
Ultra Thin.

@oxwrought_forge

I saw this knife/utensil rest at a restaurant in Kobe last week and thought it was nice and practical. I imagine the chef or a friend made it because I haven't been able to find anything like it online.

Is anyone familiar?

Has anyone got some suggestions for making one myself?

I think the knives are resting on twine. Maybe using leather would be a nice way to do it to protect the knife edges. And I'm still trying to work out how the angled piece goes through/attaches to the base. Maybe not cutting into the base and using a piece that just goes all the way around could work. I guess this is more of a woodworking question but I figured everyone here is pretty thoughtful about how to store their knives.

Looking for opinions on this knife, got it first hand for 91k yen in Japan. Sorry for the bad pic got a quick snapshot in the store and its now tucked in my luggage

Hi TCK,

I would like to thank you all for indirectly helping me with my choice of first japanese knife.

Got into sharpening when a friend was complaining about the state of my no name soft German style knives.

I had said to my self when I get a decent edge on my knives, that I wanted a good japense knife. This all coincided around my birthday and my family wanted to offer me a knife. After many weeks/months of checking every knife available in Europe. I decided on an Ashi stainless Gyuto 210mm. What convinced me where the comments here saying that it's an amazing knife and even that some of you guys where saying that's it's the best knife in there collection.

So I got the knife yesterday, but it arrived chipped, and I wanted to check with you guys if this is considered 'normal'. What i have read is that the ootb edge can be so so, but the chipped edge wasn't on my bingo card.

Is it normale that a stainless Ashi can chip?

So I will need to take it to the stones and I would like to know you guys favourite finishing stone for a stainless Ashi?

Looking for a custom carbon steel chef’s knife. I see boatloads of Damascus, weird shapes, fossilized handles, etc.. I just want a great workhorse of a knife. I like Hohenmoorers, but they are a bit pricy - guessing due to tariffs.

I bought a Tamahagane mini katana blade from Pierluigi Ponzio, an Italian swordsmith that has mastered the art of that steel.

Got a custom made handle with white copper accents to balance the blades weight.

And got a custom made saya from a carpenter that became a sushi chef (crazy right)

Tamahagane it’s not supposed to be good in a kitchen environment but this guy has broken down a couple of bluefins already.

TnH Singetu Kiritsuke Gyuto 240mm white #2
Baba Hamono Kagekiyo Akaro 240mm white #1
Konosuke BY white #1 225mm
Jiro Yo 240mm sujihiki Tagayasan Handle #733
Shigafusa** **Kurouchi Santoku 165mm
Tetsujin Silver #3 Santoku 180mm Taihei Ebony
Ikeda x Kasahara Petty White #2 160mm

Some specials, the knives that are the pride of my collection.

Mix of Aogami Super, Ginsan..VG10..