This is just a follow up revision of the previous post. Removed some of the more expensive knives due to too many workers finishing our new home. I really hope the haters don’t hate so much. Enjoy your evening guys.

Wanted to share this quick one-minute video from my visit a couple of months ago.

He isn’t selling knives directly from the workshop anymore as he’s focusing on catching up with his backlog. That said, he’s enjoying the slower pace and is still more than happy to meet visitors. If you’re in Sakai, don’t hesitate to stop by and say hello.

He also has merchandise available, including tote bags, T-shirts, hoodies, magnets, and more, so be sure to grab something to support him if you visit!

Hi guys! This is my very first NKD post on Reddit😁Will post more of my knifes soon.

This week I finally received my Baba Hamono Kagekiyo White #2 240mm Gyuto fitted with a stunning red/black Akro handle.

I had been in contact with Baba Cutlery for a while, and I got lucky they were kind enough to sell this knife directly to me. Considering how difficult these are to find in the EU, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity. I am absolutly in love with this knife.

The knife is forged by Yoshikazu Tanaka and ground by Nishida-san.  

I would love to see some aged (Kagekiyo) White#2 patina pictures 😁

Hey,

this subreddit knows BYs inside and out, and there have been plenty of NKDs, but this one feels especially meaningful to me — and I’m sure it marks a new era for Konosuke as well. I wanted this knife for a long time, and it finally happened. It looks even better in person than I expected.

Take a look at the brand-new BY logo — I absolutely love it!

Dimensions are 222 mm x 53.7 mm, and it weighs 200 g. It has a very nice convex grind, a little more pronounced on the right side of the blade, and it looks flawless to my eyes. Fit and finish is superb.

This may be a bit controversial, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this is a step toward phasing out the FM line and continuing with their new mindset of undisclosed sharpeners, etc.

The knife looks amazing in person, and I did my best to capture that in the photo. I also found the bag itself to be something I’ve never seen before, so I wanted to share it here. I was also gifted a nice leather saya keychain.

The only thing I am a bit bothered by is the matchi gap finish, I mean its their signature move right? And its not perfect.

I’ll remove the lacquer next and put it through a proper test. Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading!

Specs

• Maker: Naoki Mazaki
• Origin: Sanjo, Japan
• Profile: Gyuto
• Steel: Shirogami #2 / White #2 with soft iron cladding
• Blade length: 247 mm
• Blade height at heel: 55 mm
• Weight: 201 g
• Spine: 4.49 mm at heel / 1.55 mm mid-blade / 0.55 mm near the tip
• Finish: Migaki / Kasumi
• Handle: Blond ebony

I have only used this Naoki Mazaki W2 Gyuto 240 for two days so far, so this is very much a first impression rather than a detailed performance review. It will need considerably more board time before I can properly judge its cutting performance in detail.

First of all, a big thank you to u/Independent_Spend386, who kindly sold me this Mazaki here on Reddit. A highly recommended seller – keep an eye out for their future listings. Absolutely brilliant!

This is my second Mazaki, as I already own one of his nakiris. Along with Wakui, Mazaki is the only maker represented twice in my collection—which probably says quite a lot about how much I appreciate his work.

I deliberately went for the migaki version because I wanted the beautiful kanji to stand out properly. Mazaki’s kurouchi finish looks absolutely legendary and I love its rustic appearance, but the cleaner migaki finish was the right choice for me on this one.

This is a Sanjo-made gyuto in Shirogami #2 / White #2 with soft iron cladding. Its blade length is 247 mm, blade height at the heel is 55 mm, and it weighs 201 g. It has a migaki/kasumi finish and a blond ebony handle. The measured numbers are specific to this knife; handmade Mazakis can vary noticeably from one example to another. White #2 with soft-iron cladding is Mazaki’s characteristic construction for this line.

The fit and finish are excellent. The spine and choil are very well rounded and comfortable, with no sharp edges. The transition into the handle is clean, and the blond ebony handle both looks beautiful and feels great in hand. Overall, it feels carefully finished rather than rough around the edges; the pictures should give a good impression of that.

Geometry-wise, it has the typical Sanjo taper, but this appears to be a relatively lean Mazaki. Spine measurements are 4.49 mm at the heel, 1.55 mm in the middle, and only 0.55 mm near the front. It gets almost criminally thin toward the tip. That makes it look like an excellent precision cutter, but the very thin tip deserves a bit of extra care.

The W2 core and soft iron cladding are very reactive. The patina visible in the photos started forming after cutting just one onion, so it is definitely a knife that will quickly show its use.

Despite weighing 201 g, it feels rather light and agile in hand—especially after using a JNS x Wakui V2 240. The 55 mm blade height provides plenty of knuckle clearance. Based on these first two days, it seems much more at home with push cuts and chopping than with rock chopping, but I will reserve a final judgment on performance until it has seen more use.

I have clearly developed a soft spot for Sanjo knives. I like that the production often feels more transparent: you generally know who forged and ground the blade, so there is a stronger connection to the people behind the knife. Besides Mazaki, I now have knives by Masashi, Munetoshi, Wakui, Watanabe Pro and Yoshikane. There are still a few makers missing, but no need to rush that part.

Thank's for reading.

Finally snagged a Tetsujin! Myojin grinds looks amazeballs.

From left to right:

Top:

- Takada No Hamono - Singetu Reika - Shirogami #2 (by Y. Tanaka) - 205mm

- Y. Tanaka x JNS (Unknown sharpener) - Aogami #1 - 195mm

- Hatsukokoro Shinkiro (Nihei) - Aogami Super - 220mm

- Suzuki Uchi Hamono - Shirogami #2 - 218mm - Single Bevel

- Moritaka - Aogami #2 - 240mm

Bottom:

- Hitohira FJ ( probably Fujitake) - VG10 monosteel 205mm

- Motokyuuichi (Hatsukokoro Kurosagi) - Aogami Super - 205mm

- Motokyuuichi - Aogami #2 stainless clad - 210mm

- Matsubara - Shirogami #1 - 205mm

- Yoshida - Suj-2 - 215mm

I'm officially part of the 10+ Gyuto club. A ridiculous amount to the average person, but nothing compared to some of you. I'm quite happy with the diversity. I think it's a nice mix of more hyped, classic, and lesser-known makers.

I think it's pretty obvious I have a type: iron-clad 210mm gyutos, preferably Shirogami. My optimal size is probably in the 220–225mm range, but sadly these aren't too common. Love me some kurouchi too, the more rustic, the better.

If I had to choose some favorites:

Finish and aesthetics go to the Takada. The amazing performance is a nice bonus too.

The JNS is the most ridiculous laser I've ever seen. It makes a Shibata look thick. So if you like lasers, this is the one.

The Aogami #2 Motokyuuichi just works for me. I can't explain it, but this knife is perfect. The profile, size, and performance are exactly how I'd want them.

One of my recent favorites is the Suzuki. It's just a very unique knife. It's incredibly fun to use and has the best food release I've experienced on any knife. Aesthetically, I love it too.

I could say something positive about all of these knives, but I don't want to make this too long. I have write-ups for most of them on my profile. Feel free to ask if you want to know anything or see a choil shot. :)

I'm sure more gyutos will join the collection in the future. At the moment, though, I'm looking for something a little different, mostly a forever yanagiba or sujihiki.

2.5 hours peeling and cleaning tenderloin

156 6oz petite filets
14 pounds clean tail and tip trim
8 pounds clean chain tender trim

Super slicey and comfy. Things a beast at work

Hello TCK!

I just received this lovely Kagekiyo black dyed damascus gyuto.
Bought it from a fellow redditor u/ruffy263, great guy and a smooth deal.

I haven't tried it out yet but will soon.

Have a great day!

#5 Knife details

Blacksmith: Y. Tanaka

Sharpener: Sho Nashida

Steel: Blue 1

Finish: Black dyed Damascus

Handle: Black urushi octagonal handle

Blade type: Gyuto 240mm

Weight: 154gr

Just missed Tanaka Tuesday, but made it for Wide Bevel Wednesday. This is a JKI Tangetsu Blue 1 Damascus 240mm, heavily rumored to be a Tanaka x Kyuzo. Grind looks it as well. I’ve been wanting to pick up one of Yauchi/Kyuzo’s gyutos, but there’s so many variations. Super happy to find this one, and can’t wait to start using it. Happy Hump Day!

Specs
Length: 232mm
Height: 51mm
Thickness at heel: 2.5mm
Weight: 165g

From top to bottom:

1: 210mm Gyuto
white #2 steel
Ebony Handle with Buffalo Horn
Shigehiro
Purchased at Traditional Crafts Museum and Knife Shop

2: 180mm Deba
White #2 steel
Magnolia and Buffalo Horn
Purchased from Eric Chevallier at De Sakai

3: 235mm Yanagiba
white #2 steel
Buffalo horn
Japanese magnolia
I lost my notes and I cannot find who the maker was. any help would be appreciated. Purchased at Traditional Crafts Museum and Knife Shop

4: 177mm gyuto purchased at Shigeharu in Kyoto

5: 130mm Petty purchased at Shigeharu in Kyoto

6: 150mm Petty
Oak Handle
Yamawaki Cutlery manufacturing co
purchased at Traditional Crafts Museum and Knife Shop

7: 130mm Petty purchased at Traditional Crafts Museum blue steel #2
Red rosewood
Fujii Cutlery Manufacturing co
purchased at Traditional Crafts Museum and Knife Shop

The food release on this beast is insane. Also, for its size, incredibly nimble. I might have to relearn sharpening on stones because I don’t think this will be easy to sharpen on my TSPROF fixed system like the others.

+Home Chef SOTC Family Picture

It’s been a while since I finished making a knife so I tried to keep it simple and clean. Love how it turned out!

AEB-L stainless blade with distal taper and moderately convex grind.

Dyed Burl handle with black G10 bolster.

Lucky enough to own these two by Simon. Simon is active on instagram and is very nice.

Top:
215 x 51 mm Gyuto 135cr3 clad in wrought iron with a nickel twist

Bottom:
175 x 50 mm ko-Gyuto 135cr3 clad in dirty wrought.

Choil shots are followed by the full specs for each knife.

Just wanted to share my experience with this maker and also looking to see what can be done. I ordered two custom knives from fvaz 07/09/24. After waiting a few months I reached out to get an update on my order, to which he replied they would ship soon. This back a forth of me asking where my order was and him saying they would be delivered by the end of the month continued. I then decided to make a post here asking if anyone had similar experiences as I was starting to think I was being scammed. He reached out to me on here through chat and explained that he was having issues with shipping. He then asked me to remove the post saying it would hurt his business, I complied. He again stated my knives would be delivered by the end of that month. After not receiving my knives again I reached out requesting a refund he never truly replied to that just kept giving me the same reassurances that they would ship soon. Forward to today the last email I received from him was on 2/15/26. I have made multiple emails and messaged him on here as well with no reply. It has been over two years since placing my order. I am now almost 100% certain I was scammed. With him being based in Brazil I don’t know what I can do as far as forcing a refund or legal action. I stupidly paid in full through remitly as this was my first custom order and thought paying in full was the norm. Any guidance would be welcome. If anything I hope this helps other people avoid being ripped off.

Got this a while back, but putting it to use for the first time.

Tinker Sabertooth 270 x Grade 6-7 Westholme Wagyu

Hey TCK,

Looking to get some insight on what to do with my new Tinker Tank that arrived with a bent tip.

I opened the main parcel box expecting to see another smaller box within, like all my other knife purchases so far. However, the knife was just sitting on some filler material and the blade was wrapped in newspaper, and had an small edge guard (small plastic piece, not a full blade guard) that didn’t fully cover tip to heel. When I unwrapped the knife, I saw that the tip was noticeably bent. I was disappointed because these knives are pretty limited and quite expensive. I reached out to the business I purchased it from and the options I was given were either take it to a sharpener or send back for a refund.

I don’t want to return it outright since it’s a knife I’ve wanted and is hard to find, but also concerned about taking it to a sharpener to get it repaired right out of the box. I feel like having to sharpen it right way removes the BNIB status and I would need to disclose it’s been sharpened. I fully understand this is a tool, and I intend to use it as such, but this community also understands that something like this is also very much a collectible item. It’s brand new and already needs to be fixed. Pretty disappointing for something that cost nearly $700 USD.

Looking for some insights on what to do as this is new for me. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

Pics included, though it’s a bit hard to capture.

If I did anything wrong about posting my knife please let me know and I will re-correct it.

Some may hate but I want to make my own patina

Baba Hamono Kagekiyo 270mm Yanagiba white 2
Baba Hamono Kagekiyo 210mm Gyuto blue 2

I recently picked up these two knives at Baba Hamono. I was told they are both Nakagawa x Nishida. I am new to Japanese knives and trying to learn the signature qualities to different craftsman’s blades. Visually what would indicate that Nishida was the sharpener? Or that Nakagawa was the blacksmith?

Konosuke yanigaba b1 270mm

I have some knives that perform incredibly well, but some of them are pretty slippery. This for me is quite a predicament especially if during work busy times.

For context i work in the meat section, so meat juices and fats are usually on the board, and by accident it gets caught to the knives on top. I try my best to clean the board as i can, but board discipline can only do so much.

Sometimes it's an urushi handle (one i got from Baba Kagekiyo), sometimes it's a stab wood handle, or even a coated wood handle. What do you think is a probable solution for this situation?

Not about the handle in the picture btw, that's a friend's handle. I just took a pic of it because I'm a fan lol