I knew there would be somebody out there who loves it! I do like it a lot. But I have other Gyuto's that I love.

@@chefknivesenthusiastwhat’s your favorite Gyuto?

@charlesm7646 That really depends on the task(s) at hand. When I do a Private Chef gig I usually bring one of my show ponies (Nigara Troll Killer, Nigara Anmon, Yu Kurosaki Houou, Hatsukokoro Yorokobi), when I have to do bulk preps for an Event Catering I grab one of my workhorses (JNS Kaeru, Toyama Noborikoi, Kiyoshi Kato). If I do proteins, I grab one of my longer Gyuto's (360mm 270mm) for clean slicing. If I do lots of veggies, a rather thin Gyuto with a large flatspot. It's all about the right tool for the right job.

I've never seen Naruto Shippuden myself, but I'm pretty sure I'm my cat's slave! I pay for the bills of the VET, I clean his piss and poo, I feed him and I fight and cuddle with him when he wants to. So yeah, he's the real star of the show.

You damn right you need a vacation knife. And I will not argue with you that this one would be a great choice to bring with.

I have the 210 as one of my first gyutos and it is very good value for performance.

That's good to hear bud!

Glad you enjoyed it!

You probably are right about all these things. I'd just wax the handle. A little thinning would already make it a laser and yes...the blade finish look gorgeous already. Polishing would make it shine.

A concave/hollow grind can be good for certain tasks in the kitchen and less desired with other tasks. Every grind, whether it be a convex, hollow, (full) flat, walkschliff, c-grind, or s-grind, has its place and exists for a reason. And there is also personal preference, of course. What works for me might not work for others, and vice versa. But a hoĺow grind is called the 'lazy' grind amongst makers because it is done on the wheel. So yeah, I agree it can feel cheap.

I'm sorry, but I'm mostly focusing on the knives and their makers, on the use of the knives, cutting demos, and knife reviews on my channel. I personally don't feel the urge to make sharpening tutorials. All my sharpening skills are self-taught by watching youtube videos and trial and error. This means that there are already so many great sharpening tutorials out there. Check out Jon Broida, Murray Carter, Rangelrooij, Never a Dull Moment, and the list goes on.

If it's more of a D shaped handle (like on the Miyabi Artisan knives), it could work in my hands. But the faceted shape of an octagonal handle just works best for me.

Sharpening should be a relaxing activity and definitely not feel too strenuous, and I didn't want to get into any inappropriate attire related sharpening accident. 😉

@@chefknivesenthusiast ..no accidents, no rushed sharpening, no inappropriate attire, although that ship’s sailed. 😂

Touché 🤣

The cross-sectional geometry of your Yoshimi Kato is rather thin. On top of that, the steel is heat treated to a hardness of 62 HRC (or something like that). Many Japanese knives are way thinner and made of harder steel than their Western counterparts. Therefore, it is more fragile and delicate. Also, thin Japanese knives are made to use with different cutting techniques (push-cutting rather than rocking). You are not the first person to chip their first Japanese knife. Sharpening the edge at a wider angle does make the edge a little bit less fragile, but you will gain more by adjusting your level of skill and technique when it comes to cutting with your knife. Also, your cutting surface matters. If it is too hard (bamboo, glass, hard plastic), it will dull your knife faster or chip it faster. And of course, don't cut anything that you would not bite with your own teeth (bones, frozen stuff, etc.)

I think I chipped it on a very thin piece of a stray bone or cartilage that was left on the end of a chicken breast that was pulled off the carcass (from another knife). Was disappointed because I never even felt it. I’ve been using a pretty beefy Sg2 Shun Santoku for the past 10 years and the thing has held up like a beast. When I started looking into Japanese knives, I saw that Shun gets a lot of hate from some people out there so naturally I decided to see if I could upgrade my experience but perhaps that might not be the case? Skill & technique I don’t think plays too much into it - I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years now. Adjusting to the fragility of the knife however is in play here & I guess I have to make a decision if I’m willing to do that going forward. Thanks so much for the input - I trust your advice more than others out there as I can clearly see by your videos that you are indeed a skilled artisan & not just a Knife Enthusiast. Cheers 🌟

@@charlesm7646 Jumping from a beefy knife with a workhorse cross-sectional geometry to a thin knife will require a little time of getting used to. That is what I mostly mean with skill and technique. Driving a Hummer or a Lamborghini requires a different kind of driving technique, and handling plus they shine on totally different terrains. If you don't use the pinch grip and push-cut technique with your Yoshimi Kato, start doing that. It wil make a difference. If you already do use the pinch grip and push-cut technique, adjust the amount of force you use. A sturdy/beefy knife can take a pounding and some abuse, your Yoshimi Kato does not deal with excessive force that well. It needs to be handled more delicate and refined. And by the way, if you did not watch this video yet, I would suggest you do. It contains all the information about Japanese knives that I wish I knew 15 years ago: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f5ySZ89oqJmchXk.htmlsi=GcRDiZh_STVTqy0H

The Masakage Yuki is a great option for a bang for your buck first Japanese knife. Also, consider a Shiro Kamo, Anryu, JNS Kaeru, Takamura...all fantastic introductions to the Japanese knife world (same price range). Improving the bite on an edge could be done by sharpening the edge on a 1000 grit, 2000 grit, or 3000 grit stone. In this case. I shouldn't have put this knife on a 12000 grit if I wanted a toothy edge. The edge became too polished. Super sharp, but lost its bite. Usually, a 3000 grit - 6000 grit finish on an edge (depending on the steel) is the sweetspot for a sharp yet still toothy edge. So, if you don't know how to sharpen knives, you will have to bring it to a professional indeed. I'm working on a very informative video for newcomers like you. It will go live this Friday or Saturday. I highly recommend you watch it before buying your first Japanese knife (it will be titled: " Watch this before buying a Japanese kitchen knife!"). So stay tuned.

@chefknivesenthusiast I'll totally check it out! One last question(sorry) but I I asked for some advice on a subreddit and someone had said they felt I would be better off Essentially learning on cheaper knives like kiwis before actually springing for a japanese knife. Do you feel there is an amount of "learning" one must do before grabbing a Japanese knife? Or is a decent knife like those you listed plenty fine to learn with?

@@comradeanthony4120 This is one of the topics that I cover in the video I'm working on right now. Sure, if you don't want to risk anything...buy a cheapo knife. Especially when it comes to learning how to sharpen a knife. Start on cheap knives and don't worry about messing them up. But when it comes to cutting with a knife. By all means, buy yourself a great Japanese starter knife. Just make sure you know the basics/do's and don'ts for using, caring and maintaining it. At the end of the day, it all comes down to skill and technique. Choose a Japanese knife that matches your level of skill, technique and know how.

'Better' is usually very subjective. What knife works best for you might not be a great fit for me. The Masakage Yuki is made with Shirogami#2 steel, which is a very pure steel and hardened to 62/63 HRC. Due to the purity and hardness of the steel, it is very easy to sharpen, gets scary sharp, and holds a sharp edge for a long time. Shun knives are usually made of VG10 stainless steel, which is heat treated to 60/61 HRC. Less pure steel, less hard, takes a bit more effort to sharpen, won't get as scary sharp as shirogami#2, and the edge retention will not be as good either. Also, the construction is different. Shun has a more Western, full-tang handle construction with a bolster. That makes it a more heavy knife in general, but it also gives it a more back heavy balance point. The Yuki is made the Japanese way, with a hidden tang construction. Much lighter weight in general and with a front heavy balance point. It is first and foremost up to the level of skill and technique of the user, and the tasks needed to be done in the kitchen that will determine which knive is 'better'.

@@chefknivesenthusiast Thank you for the thorough reply.

Nog heel eventjes...

I actually produce(d) all the music in my videos myself.

"A plus if it's something I can buy without waiting a year" hits me right in the feels. Because that is exactly the problem with laser type gyuto's. At least with the ones I have. The profile and geometry you describe make me think of the Shibata Kotetsu. Laser thin. Long flatspot from the heel. Slight curve towards the tip. I have the 210mm in R2/SG2, but I know it exists in Aogami Super with stainless clad. Better yet, we have one in stock at the showroom of Meesterslijpers. But it is not on the website. Only available in store. So, if you have the opportunity, you can come pick it up at the Showroom in Badhoevedorp (the Netherlands). A Kei Kobayashi could be another contestant when it comes to the profile and geometry, but I don't think he makes them with carbon steel and stainless cladding. R2/SG2 strikes again. A Masamoto KS is also great, just not exactly a laser (but close) and I have it in carbon mono steel. I don't think they make them with cladding. Just carbon or Swedish stainless mono steel blades. Anyway, in my opinion, the Shibata Kotetsu is the one you're really looking for. Can't guarantee you'll be able to snag one within a year.

@@chefknivesenthusiast Thank you so much for replying! I’m in Norway so a little far away for a quick pickup. But you know what. Not only are the Shibata Kotetsu and the Kei Kobayashi already on the top of my list, I have both of them available in stock a 15 minute drive away. How awesome is that!? 330 usd for the Shibata and 410 for the Kobayashi. Both 240. You have confirmed my candidates 🙏 I am having a hard time choosing between the two, and was hoping your recommendation would push me towards one of them, and it did give me a nudge towards the Shibata. But I have never tried a k-tip before. I imagine it is more precise. Any cons to the k-tip? I’m not an aggressive cutter and I don’t rock cut. If you could own only one of them, which one would you choose?

@@chefknivesenthusiast I haven’t found a 240mm laser with carbon core in stock unfortunately, but I don’t mind R2/SG2.

@sharamkh I have both, so luckily I don't have to choose. 😁 I love them both. It's hard to choose. But the Kotetsu is slightly my favorite. Considering your cutting skill / technique (thank God you're not a rocker buying a laser 😅), it doesn't matter which one you choose for the cutting feel. Fit and finish on both knives are on point. The k-tip adds a little bit of extra functionality when it comes to scoring ingredients or doing fine precision work with the tip on the cutting board. It is a bit more fragile than a normal tip, so watch out while cleaning it in a small sized sink . I also like the look of a k-tip slightly better. Another awesome laser I have is the Yu Kurosaki Houou 240mm Gyuto vg10. But as far as I know, he does not make them anymore.

@@chefknivesenthusiast Haha! Good answer! Thank you! 😁 I’ll go for the Kotetsu. It’s also a little cheaper, which is always a bonus 💸

Hahaha, I did so too, my friend. Monkey see, monkey do. Watched all the Jon Broida vids, Murray Carter, Nauto, heck... every sharpening video I could find. Hence , I was able to get a blade screamingly sharp for quite a while. BUT... Since there are already so many decent to upright amazing sharpening tutorials out there, I personally don't feel the need to make them myself. Plus, sharpening a blade is like a meditative moment for me. It's ME (and my blades) time. I don't want no flies on the wall when I'm sharpening. It kind of feels like a private thing to me. I did make two sharpening video's with Onno de Weerd (on single bevel knives), the owner of Karasu-Knives in Amsterdam. Have you seen those two? He has tons of knowledge to share in those vids.

@@chefknivesenthusiast Skimmed through it since I know how to sharpen my single bevelled blades pretty well already. Yes, I like my sharpening meditation too, but generally am too lazy when it involves more than 5 knives or a minor reprofiling/thinning/polishing. Once I start hitting over 1.5 hours I automatically get lazy and just stop the session and get the knife sharp and kick the rest of the to-dos to the next time. Lol\ Edit: Regarding "screaming sharp" - I guess that definition is relative, but I can pass the paper towel test at 600 grit or so nowadays... Really the only thing is to deburr very effectively and any knife will cut well enough. Higher grits are only there because you don't want to tear through the food (in the case of kitchen knives).

I didn't borrow a Mazaki blade from Kevin. I think he has one or two, but I'm not sure. I still have two Yoshikane knives, two Hatsukokoro's and a Teruyasu Fujiwara from him to make video's with.

Looking forward to it!

I don't take knives all the way up to 12000 grit very often. Very rarely actually. But somehow it just felt right to give this Shirogami#2 steel the full Spa treatment. Since it is not my knife and everything.

@@chefknivesenthusiast It's a good deal for both of you :)

@protopigeon It was definitely a fun, relaxing, and satisfying sharpening session. And Kevin most probably doesn't mind having his knife return screamingly sharp. So yeah. Win-win situation.

I was born in Jakarta. But have lived in The Netherlands since I was 2 and have the Dutch nationality.

Even though I obviously didn't want to mock the BLM movement, I do get your point. I have "Get Healthy Or Fry Trying" stickered up my Tuk Tuk. I just like to play with words like that. And let's be honest, sharp knives do matter when your'e a Chef. People can take any words coming out of your mouth and twist it, place it out of context. I think most people will understand that when I say "Sharp Knives Matter", it makes sense in the context of my video and my whole channel for that matter. So yeah, again, I do get your point. My point is. It is your brain that connected those dots, because my intention with those words was just stating the fact that sharp knives matter to me and many people in the knife community. Zero % had to do with race or the BLM movement.

@@chefknivesenthusiast it's just a common word play at this point. And since knives rhymes with lives it seems more intentional. But I'm not here to be right or anything. Good luck.