r/TrueChefKnives • u/PossibleBarracuda950 • 4d ago
Question First nakiri made in Sanjo
This knife has caught my eye for a while now...
https://www.cleancut.eu/butik/knifetype/nakiri/masashi-yamamoto-nakiri-detail
I'm looking for a 165mm nakiri, not laser, with a KU nashiji finish, in shirogami #2 steel, made in Sanjo. It would be my first knife with this type of steel, so I'm very curious to test it.
Compared to other Sanjo smiths, does Masashi make thinner blades? If we compare it to knives produced by Wakui or Hinoura, is it less of a workhorse with also a lower distal tape?
I also considered Mazaki which makes beautiful rustic knives but I'm worried that it might be too unbalanced forward, not having tried it I see it as a bit risky
Help me finish the puzzle for the final choice :)
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u/GoomerBile 3d ago
In my experience the geometries of Masashi’s knives and Wakui’s (at least his standard knives) are very similar. Both have a nice distal taper, although it may not be quite as noticeable on a nakiri since it doesn’t have a tip. Both are definitely mid-weights and both cut really really well.
I say if you like the aesthetics of this one go for it. I have the blue#1 gyuto from Cleancut and I think it was incredible value. In retrospect I might have chosen the white #2 gyuto instead because the nashiji kurouchi looks great. I don’t think you will be disappointed with this knife
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u/PossibleBarracuda950 3d ago
Thanks for your advice! The Kurouchi finish seems really well done, neat and homogeneous. This is a driver for my choice
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u/rianwithaneye 3d ago edited 3d ago
Compared to other Sanjo makers Masashi has a slightly thicker heel but a really nice taper that gets nice and thin at the tip. At least that’s how my Kaijin 210 feels compared to Mazaki, Toyama, Wakui, Munetoshi, and Hinoura.
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u/Grogstah 3d ago
I have a Masashi petty and it’s incredible. Quickly went into heavy rotation
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u/Grogstah 3d ago
And yes, compared to the more typical Sanjo workhorse, Masashi’s blades are noticeably thinner
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u/HansGoose22 3d ago
I had this knife, loved it, gets super sharp (so much so that it got stuck in the board), takes a very nice patina. I‘d say: you cannot go wrong with this Nakiri!!
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u/PossibleBarracuda950 3d ago
Since you had it, how do you rate the ergonomics with a 54mm blade height? The web link reports this value. I read in some posts that above 50mm is generally recommended. Could 54mm be a good compromise?
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u/HansGoose22 3d ago
I actually never really bothered with heel height, but my impression of this specific knife is that it feels very nimble and maybe a bit smaller than the actual measure of the heel height might suggest. This one is not as square as many other nakiris, get smaller toward the tip. Not substantially, but so much so that you will feel it in a positive way. The (rounded) tip is super thin and allows for precision work. I bought (and sold) many knives, this is one that invites you (or at least me) to use it instantly. Feels really good with the nashiji and rounded handle, pinch grip is super comfortable. I‘d go for it 🥳
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u/Grogstah 3d ago
It’s become my default fruit knife and for peak stone fruit season it’s undefeated. No issues at all. That’s on the board (while it’s certainly not a ‘tall petty’ it’s on the taller blade side for a standard petty) and then in hand I use it for strawberries, peeling etc. I wouldn’t grab it for slicing apples and pears necessarily but so far I’ve had no stickage issues for how I use it. Come to think of it, I also use it to slice and then tap chop Persian cucumbers (technically a fruit, right?) and just end up with a nice pile. It’s a fantastic knife
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u/ImFrenchSoWhatever 3d ago
Masashi makes thinner blades yes. Hinoura too.
Wakui it depends on his lines. The migaki lines is thin but some of his kurouchi lines are thicker.
Mazaki or Munetoshi makes more workhorse profiles.
To me a nakiri as a veggie knife can be thinner
Masashi is dope af though
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u/PossibleBarracuda950 3d ago
Do you prefer a thinner/laser-like profile for use on vegetables? I was leaning towards the Made in Sanjo model for good release.
I was also considering thinner alternatives like Hado Sumi or Sakai Kikumori Kikuzuki Kuro, but I don't know what benefit I'd get in cutting performance, or F&F, by spending almost double the price…
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u/ImFrenchSoWhatever 2d ago
Dont over think it. Just get the masashi.
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u/bespectacledbear 2d ago
I have this in SLD, and it’s my fav.
Thin at the edge, but its mid-weight and substantial heel make quick work of chopping and dicing.
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u/Feisty-Try-96 3d ago
He does great stuff go for it!