Alright,
before I say anything about the knife, please allow me to express my appreciation for this forum's culture in general, and to Gastro gnome in particular for allowing us to get our hands on one of his very own. Before joining this forum I have never in my life heard of a "passaround." Such a novel idea, and I think that if there is anything good to be found in the culture of consumerism, this sort of cooperation has got to be it!
Gastro, thank you!
Initial Impressions: what a plain, simple, no-frills, clean blade this is. And also, what a dim handle it has…
At first I was a little averse to the handle, but seeing it lie on the cutting board after use, or hanging on the magnet, I realized how truly Japanese this simple aesthetic was.
This knife is simple, and clean. Though my taste leans more towards damascus patterns and other frills, I find the simplicity of the Sukenari very, very pleasing.
Hearing that it was taken to task on a butternut squash before being sent over to me, and indeed the edge did not ease through any tired ol’ cherry tomatoes I set before it,
I decided to give it some love on a 6k. It’s true what they say about the ginsan – it really is easy on the stones
The Skuenari took to chopping apples for my son, both peeled and unpeeled, quite nicely, though I suspect putting her through a full progression would have let out for real.
My 2yr old son doesn’t care for chopped apple (I love it), so I went on to gut the thing and peel it, all with this nimble 240 gyuto. Too easy.
Tomatoes for the evening pasta sauce were no match either. In fact, they were a real pleasure to move through. The blade glides through, and doesn’t leave too many signs for having been there. The tomato just sits there, all sliced up, as if nothing happened.
Horizontal cuts on the red onion could have been easier, though the tip did well on the vertical incisions. As far as Jknives on onions go, my Tanaka has an easier time, but excepting her, this Sukenari surpasses anything else I've so far held.
Speaking more directly about the knife itself, I found it overall quite pleasing.
It's got the simple clean aesthetics.
It's got a very light handle, and on a 240 it balances forward from the pinch grip, easily lending the knife more chopping power and confidence.
The blade itself is hefty in quite a few of the right places. I think the correct term around here is "workhorse" n'est pas?
Being designed as it is, AND being made with stainless steel means (big+) this knife is a real no-hassle sorta pleasure.
Had I known of it sooner I would have seriously considered it. Hmmm... I might even consider it as a "gift for the wife"
“If we conquer our passions it is more from their weakness than from our strength.”
― François de La Rochefoucauld
I have not tried alot of Ginsan knives but I'm always impressed with this steel when I do. As far as the Sukenari is concerned, I found it to be one if the best all-rounder middleweights I've had the opportunity to try. The grind is a nice mix of performance and food release, not a standout for any particular task, but not a slouch either. If it were mine, I'd probably tweak the geometry a little to get a bit more performance, but I certianly would not go crazy with it. 
