Shiro Kamo R2, 240mm

[jbart65]

Holiday interruptus ... knife is boxed and heading to Rob. I'll pm USPS info later.

[TomCutlery]

I am done with this wonderful knife. I'll be shipping out Sunday or Monday. Review later this week. Thanks again to the generosity of Nick. I have to get me a Kamo. While I love the R2, I'll probably go for one of his other knives.

I picked up the 210 Kamo R2 in the closeout section because the profile seemed similar to the Yahiko KU/Nashiji but taller (I like ~50mm at the heel), wasn't sure I would like 53mm but turns out I do. Knowing how you like the Yahiko I'm not surprised you like it.

[Robstreperous]

Wow. My cup runneth over. Should come in right around the same time as my new Shibata andcTim's Ghost Cloud Ko Bocho.

Love being busy!

[jbart65]

It's a terrific knife, Tom. The height suits it, just as the height on the Yahiko suits that knife. I might pick up the AS version eventually. R2 is great stainless, but the more I use it, the less I like how it feels on the board. Feels fine, really, just not as nice as aogami, shirogami or ginsan.

Rob, the Kamo is at about 90% sharpness. I only stropped with one micron paste on balsa a few times. R2 keeps a working edge a long while.

[Robstreperous]

^^^^. Oh goody! Two new JNats at the higher end coming from Ken! It's XMas in July!

[Robstreperous]

Kamo arrived yesterday and all is well. This is a beautiful knife and the 90% edge popped hair off my forearm with no complaints from me. I'm also immediately struck by the heft of this knife. If feels powerful and commanding in my hand yet well balanced and maneuverable. I think I'm going to enjoy this one immensely.

That said I'm becoming extremely frustrtrated with these R2 knives. This is my second crack at one. I have a strong desire to see how they'll perform on the stones and... they never seem to be dull enough to warrant much work.

Thanks for sending this out into wild Nick. Were I in your shoes I'm not sure I'd be able to part with it for this long.

[Nmiller21k]

Kamo arrived yesterday and all is well. This is a beautiful knife and the 90% edge popped hair off my forearm with no complaints from me. I'm also immediately struck by the heft of this knife. If feels powerful and commanding in my hand yet well balanced and maneuverable. I think I'm going to enjoy this one immensely.

That said I'm becoming extremely frustrtrated with these R2 knives. This is my second crack at one. I have a strong desire to see how they'll perform on the stones and... they never seem to be dull enough to warrant much work.

Thanks for sending this out into wild Nick. Were I in your shoes I'm not sure I'd be able to part with it for this long.

This usually sees work on my "fridays" where I'm not on the line and just in back doing massive prep.
The Kanehiro is the other one during the week usually and I LOVE that one to death.

[Robstreperous]

Knife is now Northward bound to Mr. Tim Johnson. Beautiful knife with the damascus pattern yet what a worker and a performer.

Nick, I want to thank you sincerely for this opportunity. My initial impressions were born out. This was a light knife and maneuverable yet I had full command of this knife and it went on the board on edge where I wanted as if it were guiding itself without conscious effort on my part. Nice. Never had a single accordion cut the whole time I used it. And the edge holding? I really, really, really wanted to sharpen this blade. In the end, I couldn't do more than some light polishing. It just didn't need any more.

I decided to add some remarks to JMcnell's excellent review from February rather than start my own. What I'll say here in regard to that specific thread: Whether or not a knife does indeed have a soul this one tickled mine. Thanks you again.

---Rob

[Chefspence]

Ugh, hurry up and get here already!!!

[timos]

I have the knife...it is really sweet. I love the profile. The knife has an absolute killer edge. I can send it on later this week.

[jbart65]

… it was when I was cutting butternut squash that I finally realized there is no such thing as a perfect knife.

The Kamo R2 sure comes darn close, though.

No need for another review thread. I’ll just piggyback onto the comments of others. More prose to Rob’s poetry, if you don’t mind.

***

I don’t work as a pro cook, but if I did this is probably the knife I would use. It’s perhaps the best one-and-done knife I’ve come across.

It’s all here. A generous flat spot for chopping. A gradually inclining mid-blade for pushing. A tall profile and nice upsweep at the tip for European-style rocking. You want a distal taper you got one.

Did I mention the tip? Svelte and sturdy. Most Japanese knives fall short of that ideal. The Kamo tip is highly maneuverable and quite precise.

What helps is the light weight. The Kamo is tall and long, but it’s not heavy.

Oh, and the good looks! How could I forget that. The Damascus isn’t all that subtle, but it is sophisticated. The handle is comfortable and well done.

As the informercials also say, that’s not all! The knife is fully stainless, but it takes a great edge easily enough for powdered steel. And as an Ent would say, the keen edge lasts a loooonngggg time. Food separation is fine and dandy, too.

The entire package is beautiful and intelligently crafted.

Now about that squash …

When cutting and chopping the thick-walled butternut, I did have to use a bit more force than I normally do. The Kamo is forward balanced, but it’s too light to do much of the work on the most challenging product.

No lightweight, mind you, but it’s not going run roughshod over dense ingredients like a Gihei, Anryu or TF.

For a moment - or a fraction of a moment - I wished the Kamo had a bit more weight. But that would upset what is already an exquisitely balanced knife.

Perfect? Uh-uh. No knife is. Yet the Kamo came the closest of all the knives I’ve tried to doing everything the famed Masamoto KS does - and then some.

The difference is, they cost a lot less, are actually available to buy, look nicer and require far less maintenance.

Great for pros, but what about home cooks?

Sure … if you like PM steel. I don’t mind R2, but I do prefer carbon or ginsan. If I pick up a Kamo it’s likely to be his similarly profiled AS gyuto. The slam of carbon on wood just seems more substantial than the slightly hollower sound of R2.

Compliments to the chef, Nick, for letting us take a crack at this stupendously good gyuto.

[timos]

I feel similar to you Jeff, great all around knife. I really dont need a knife this size though, I prefer a 200-220mm blade and also prefer a simple carbon steel or aebl. BUT boy is this steel nice. And I was able to confirm this is the Kobelco steel that is also available to us domestic guys being rebranded by Takefu with the Super Gold 2 name.

[timos]

This is on it's way to Spence

[Chefspence]

Ya buddy! Good thing I work back in the kitchen. I'm gonna murder some cabbage with this guy.

[timos]

it murders pretty good id say

[Ut_ron]

Tim you make me smile.

[Chefspence]

Received today. Nice looking Damascus. Never had one so illuminated. Usually the Damascus is very faint. So far, I really like the feel of it. And the height.one thing I noticed too is that you can see the wear on the Damascus where it's been held in the pinch grip

[Chefspence]

Here's a pic comparing my Gihei b2 and the Kamo profile and flat spots. If you can see or figure it out. Very crude, the Kamo looks much taller, though not really. Kamo is definitely lighter, a bit thinner at the edge and holds the thinness higher up the blade road. The Gihei is quite a bit flatter, but the kamo still has plenty.

[gastro gnome]

That's a great picture Chespence. It really helps me envision the Kamo knives in comparison to my Gihei.

Someone should do overlay drawings like this for top 10 selling knives so people can see the profile variation. Mark?

[jmcnelly85]

My two favorite profiles, go figure.