haha. i hear you. got to keep it real. yeah, the Black is VERY stable in use, and certainly one of the best looking knives out there.

Lol

bandit2R1: Can't blame you at all… they're both gorgeous!!

I actually like the look of the Birchwood better and am considering getting them :D Deciding between the Kai Shun Nagare and the Birchwood. I prefer the more asian style grip of the latter, but am uncertain which will feel more natural during use.

Hey guys, I have the opportunity to buy a back at the same price as the Birchwood, should I grab the black in that instance? Probably get more bang for buck right?

hahah. wait until i'm using them!

it's good to be back

thanks Bruce! just doing my best.

thanks Dane. just doing my best

Glad it was helpful!

haha. love it. glad you tried it on your own. say bye to dull knives forever.

i love that utility. it's my top pick for 2018 for utility.

Hello! Are you happy with those? I’m considering the 130mm black version just for fruits (not professional, just enthusiast) but even considering the birch wood version. I think the difference would be close to zero

@@leo_mas_922 yes I am. I spent close to $300 each for the birchwood ones and around $250 for the 5.5 in. Black santokú

will do

Get a real Japanese knife. With the money you spent you could've got a handmade knife

hmmmm.... single review or should i compare it something similar priced?

@@Burrfection shun premier?

@@Burrfection comparing it to something in the same price area would be awesome👍👍👍

I second that ! Miyabi Artisan VS Shun Premier I own the entire range of Miyabi Artisan and 2 Miyabi Birchwood. I actually prefer the meatier handle and overall balance of the Artisan over the Birchwood. Cheers, Claus from Copenhagen in Denmark

thanks for the view!

You should read about these two steels @ zknives.com if you haven't already. I agree a purchase this expensive requires an informed and patient decision. Also, Cliff Stamp, has some interesting things to say about zdp-189( don't go to acute on the edge, the carbides will tear out, plus don't be cheap on sharpening it. make sure to remove any edge that has been weakened. Dulling the knife on a brick is theatrical and makes it dull but also removes weakened metal that will tear out, fold or roll on you after a sharpening.) . I edc an endura 4 zdp-189 or a 440c economy blade. Interesting to note (IMPORTANT too) the ZDP is definitely less stain resistant. Its not like a carbon steel (i.e. white 1,2, blue 1,2) but it'll discolor and rust if you leave it wet. zdp cost 7.5x as much and has its place (working edge for incredibly ridiculous amounts of cutting time; 63 vs 66 hardness is crazzzzzzy different., 440c has its place too I can leave in the sink/wet or with lemon juice ( do not! leave lemon juice on the zdp) on it and nothing happens, swipe on a king 300 and it gets toothy sharp quick enough. not to mention its easy and affordable to replace. dont get caught up on prices, get the tool to match the job. most importantly have fun

All that info is much appreciated! I have been looking into the steels and I’m pretty set on sg2 , carbon or something better. Bought a set of zwilling pros awhile back and they’re nice but don’t hold an edge for too long and they scratch like crazy. What do y’all think about the miyabi artisan sg2 , shun Fuji , and shun blue series? Personally the artisans seem like a steal and the Fuji’s seem overpriced.

JT Caruana fan thanks for that info!

No problem. Just one last thought on steels, bd1n. For the price there is no ROI (return on investment/value) like it. Not even on sale at CandM, Nexus bd1n 8" $60, 63 Rockwell and more stain resistant than SG2. Periodically it'll go for 20% off. It's definitely something to consider. I have a Miyabi Mizu 8" and 9.5". Very Beautiful, made in Japan, pretty pin, perfect fit and finish but I don't use them. I'm going to sell them on Ebay eventually. Currently for me they are too artistic. I'm more into workhorses, something different, Aogami 2, heavy, rustic and unfinished; I love it to pieces. (If you're considering this type, look at HonMamon. They are on Ebay and Amazon. Unbelievable professionalism, communication, packaging and shipping, really to another level. Plus wait for ebay to have a 15 or 20 % off coupon and you'll get it for a steal, literally a steal. To be noted though the fit and finish isn't there and they're "heavy" (compared to mizu or black) and thick at the spine. Just sand paper the spine or hit it on your whetstone, really no reason to get too excited about it. Also they aren't shipped out razor sharp, they have a "working edge", but literally its a joke compared to what you could put on that steel with a lil time and even a 1000 grit stone. Set the bevel as you please from the get go, something I greatly appreciate. $80 for 240mm Aogami 2 (.80)= $64 best case scenario if you're patient. Spend some time trying to get another Aogami 2 240mm Gyuto for anything close to that. I've never liked the Shun lineup because of their prices as you've mentioned. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I have a Miyabi 600MCD (flawed fit and finish, zdp-189 blade is flawless)from their factory store on ebay right now if you're interested. Might be gone tomorrow got $180 offered, I'd like to get a lil more. Anyway I digress. After I sell it, I'll post the Mizu SG2 8". Keep in mind the coupons that happen once in awhile.

yeah, i'll find out soon. will be testing it across the range of stones i have and will see how they hold up. SG2 is very easy to sharpen. but yeah.... 66HRC is something to drool about.

Harder does NOT always mean "better". You'll see some of the best knives in the world such as Misono, Masamoto, Nenox, Glestain, MAC, etc, etc, etc are NOT super hard. In fact, in most of those cases, they harden it, and then retemper it LOWER. And remember geometry, reliability, tradition, etc. Yes, it is a pain to sharpen, and it "feels" really weird when cutting.

better late than never, but thanks for sharing

Thank you!

nice, i'll try honing is and see how it turns out

haha.... working on those suggested steels. have to match up the right knives, or the trolls will come out of their caves again.

HR Hamada, you get around don’t you?😉

been working on it. they are a bit tougher to get a hold of

haha. don't regret it. just get it when you are ready or find the right knife

The fusion is a great knife line. You don't need to kick yourself over making a wise decision. Over time you might want to look at the Artisan or the Mizu

I love almost all things Miyabi, but the Miyabi birchwood honing steel is a complete waste of money, only for people that need to have a "matching set on their counter". A honing steel is just a waste of time and money on SG2

not sure about bd1n chipping more, but they are a bit tougher to sharpen than SG2. IF you can afford a good SG2, i would go with that, over similarly priced bd1n knife. the Yaxell Dragon is nice, but prices have increased A LOT in 2018 since i reviewed it. the Artisan is really nice. same great SG2 core as the Birchwood. the handle is very comfortable

1 harder is NOT "better". The design and craftsmanship of a knife is far more important than rockwell hardness. It is only anecdotal, but I absolutely WOULD say that BD1N feels "tougher" than SG2 and I've tried it with various brands, too. Nexus, Chefworks Air, Yaxell Dragon, Richmond. I'm actually purposely abusing a BD1N knife right now because I'm considering replacing german steel as my "beater" knives with BD1N on a daily basis, instead of just whatever is in the roll at the time. What I call "abuse" though is generally even more careful than what a home cook calls "very good care", but so far all of the ones mentioned above have performed like troopers. But steel is not only hardness vs chippiness. it is also "feedback", responsiveness, ease of use, ease of sharpening. SG2 is easier to sharpen than BD1N. SG2 also "feels" MUCH sharper than BD1N. At this point I believe that it takes a finer edge. If I'm doing finesse work, I am NOT going to reach for a BD1N knife. But at this point I feel pretty confident in using it over german steel as a workhorse. SG2 "feel" is more like Aogami Super to me. BD1N "feels" "dull" like german steel and unfortunately that might be where my "perception" of "toughness" is coming from. I don't know yet, I'm investigating.

@@Burrfection i have a shun SG2 I'm going to test it out in the commercial kitchen i work in so i hope it holds up very well after 4 weeks of use!

The damascus is primarily just cosmetics, if you're interested in less expensive alternatives to the Birchwood, look at Miyabi Artian or Mizu (same blade, differnt handles) only 3 layers so less expensive Also check out the Tojiro SG2

Hydrac loco23 look up his video on how to sharpen yanagiba (sushi knife). It’s single edged knife.

i hear you. i love the Birchwood

yeah, its' annoying.... but not the end of the world. the Kramer is much worse.

will give it a try

lol

will make it happen

Awesome!!!

2. my tojiro knife recommended sharpening once or twice a month in its instruction book. don't know if 1 month of daily use would necessarily be bad on a victorinox maybe edge could survive a bit longer with it if you honed it or if you have slightly higher angles while sharpening, some of my softer knives seem to get more noticeably dull after cutting meat so maybe something like that could influence it as well. 1. I think you could go on a bit longer while sharpening to get rid of burr, or maybe you apply too much pressure causing the burr to flip sides instead of going away. noticed how some of my knives had burr even though they where pretty sharp.

i JUST got some in bur.re/miyabi

Charlie. Many people claim shirogami is the steel that takes the highest edge of all. I tend to agree, but it is delicate and it rusts easily. You might want to force a patina if you have issues with being on the move and not conciously always remebering to dry thouroughly. A forced patina will give some protection. super Aogami is my favorite steel. Doesn't get as sharp as hirogami, but it is tougher and is a little less corrosion prone, although I'd still force a patina if drying is any issue for you and you don't mind the look. Of all the steels I've tried SG2 is the steel that feels the closest to Super Aogami (for me) in terms of responsiveness and feedback and it's completely rust free. > And you don't need to get a million and one lyers like an Ypsilon or a Super Gou. Tojiro and Miyabi make some great but not expensive 3 layer SG2 knives I'd also be very wary of claims on fleabay that an item is as described. And really how are you going to find out if it's aogami, shirogami or any other steel. we're not metalurgists. That's why I recommend only buying from known retailers if you are buying items that are either commonly counterfitted or are relatively unknown and hard to research

Give it to me straight, is black the one to have? I plan on getting it, however, reading all these comment got me wondering wether tor not the birchwood is the more reasonable decision… Price wise, I found them at the exact same price point, so that’s not a decision factor

@@calinvama1999 I've noticed that the birchwood blade chips on the edge. I didn't like that and compared with the black series i believe that the black series blade is better and stronger.

... less sharp* ...