Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

See what's happening with current or completed "Pass Arounds". Forum members occasionally send knives or sharpening stones around to a hand selected group of participants for short term use and feedback/reviews.
Bensbites
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Bensbites »

Kit Craft wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 10:58 am Ben, could you do a measurement halfway between the spine and the edge? I have a hard time visualizing these things without reference. Looks like there might be a tiny bit more meat there than I had initially though (a good thing in my mind) but again, sometimes photos play tricks on my brain.
Kit, I put my nerd hat on and over did it on data collection. I marked the blade every 5 mm starting at the spine. The height at the spine is 51 mm. Here is the width, 0 mm is the spine, 50 mm is just above the edge.

50 mm - 0.3 mm
45 mm - 0.7 mm
40 mm - 0.8 mm
35 mm - 1.3 mm
30 mm - 1.7 mm
25 mm - 1.9 mm
20 mm - 2.0 mm
15 mm - 2.1 mm
10 mm - 2.1 mm
5 mm - 2mm
0 mm - 2 mm

I am using an analog caliper, take everything with a grain of salt, but I am pretty good at this stuff.
slobound
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by slobound »

Bensbites wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 2:59 pm OK, i just went through the list of folks that joined in. I have the knife going down the east coast, then the middle of the USA, and finally up the west coast. The order looks like this:

Keith Marder
jbart
J david
GeorgeK
bbuth
gastro gnome
OgerBash
Altadan
nakneker
easilver
slobound

does this look good?

if I am missing anyone please email me. if someone wants to join later we can add them to the return journey from the west coast to Boston.

thank you,
Ben
Looks good to me!
-- Garrick
Seattle_Ben
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Seattle_Ben »

Anyone in here use the white steel version and care to compare contrast the two?
keithmarder
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by keithmarder »

Wow. Batting leadoff.
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Kit Craft
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Kit Craft »

Bensbites wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 9:41 pm
Kit Craft wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 10:58 am Ben, could you do a measurement halfway between the spine and the edge? I have a hard time visualizing these things without reference. Looks like there might be a tiny bit more meat there than I had initially though (a good thing in my mind) but again, sometimes photos play tricks on my brain.
Kit, I put my nerd hat on and over did it on data collection. I marked the blade every 5 mm starting at the spine. The height at the spine is 51 mm. Here is the width, 0 mm is the spine, 50 mm is just above the edge.

50 mm - 0.3 mm
45 mm - 0.7 mm
40 mm - 0.8 mm
35 mm - 1.3 mm
30 mm - 1.7 mm
25 mm - 1.9 mm
20 mm - 2.0 mm
15 mm - 2.1 mm
10 mm - 2.1 mm
5 mm - 2mm
0 mm - 2 mm

I am using an analog caliper, take everything with a grain of salt, but I am pretty good at this stuff.
Thank you. I use analog too. :)
Bensbites
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Bensbites »

Seattle_Ben wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:54 am Anyone in here use the white steel version and care to compare contrast the two?
SG2 is harder, and more corrosion resistance (it is a stainless steel. It will not be as easy to sharpen as white.

My white steel has been out on loan for a while, so this isn’t a side by side.

White steel is beefier, thicker spine and shoulders.
Bensbites
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Bensbites »

keithmarder wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:57 am Wow. Batting leadoff.
You are the closest to Boston. I am thinking it will go out early next week.
keithmarder
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by keithmarder »

Bensbites wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 9:14 am
keithmarder wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:57 am Wow. Batting leadoff.
You are the closest to Boston. I am thinking it will go out early next week.
Can't wait. Also, do you have a link for the sharpening guy you mentioned? Thanks
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Bensbites »

keithmarder wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 11:26 am
Bensbites wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 9:14 am
keithmarder wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:57 am Wow. Batting leadoff.
You are the closest to Boston. I am thinking it will go out early next week.
Can't wait. Also, do you have a link for the sharpening guy you mentioned? Thanks
No link, he is a small shop I met on this forum. You can email makeitsharper @ gmail.
Bensbites
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Bensbites »

Edit: new addition
Bensbites wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 2:59 pm
Keith Marder
jbart
J david
GeorgeK
bbuth
gastro gnome
OgerBash
Altadan
nakneker
easilver
slobound
Cutuu
keithmarder
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by keithmarder »

Bensbites wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 11:35 am
keithmarder wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 11:26 am
Bensbites wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 9:14 am

You are the closest to Boston. I am thinking it will go out early next week.
Can't wait. Also, do you have a link for the sharpening guy you mentioned? Thanks
No link, he is a small shop I met on this forum. You can email makeitsharper @ gmail.
Thanks
Chefspence
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Chefspence »

jbart65 wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 9:05 am Looks somewhat similar to my Shibata AS, but the Makoto has a lower tip. Will be interesting to compare.
That’s what I was thinking. Should be a great comparison. Eager to hear
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Bensbites »

Interesting observations so far, first off I am really enjoying this knife! Thin, light, tall enough...

The out of the box edge was pretty darn good. Ever so slight hesitation on pepper skins, not a ton of bite, these are personal preferences and reletive descriptions.

I touched up the edge on my Aizu, this felt good on the bite and sharpness. I wanted to improve the hanging paper towel test results, so I stropped on cardboard with Mother’s Metal polish. The knife now gives acceptable results cutting paper towels and shaving hair.

This SG2 blade was great when making chicken soup. Carrots, celery, and onion were just fun.

This morning my daughter asked for thinly sliced apples for her school snack. I couldn’t get the makoto to slice paper thin; my metric for satisfaction is thin enough to see the kanji through the apple slice. I could not do it with this knife. The only other knife i have been unable to thinly slice with was the CCK. I picked up my AEB-L semi-custom cleaver and pulled off thinly sliced apple within 10 seconds. Is this due to thickness behind the edge? I don’t want to change anything about this blade during the passaround.

Thanks
Ben
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Lepus »

I don't think thickness behind the edge is going to stop a knife that thin from slicing apples well. Maybe sticking would be an issue. Were the slices cracking? Was it skating off the side?

Honestly this sort of problem usually has more to do with the knife getting initial purchase through the apple skin, which is to say sharpness. SG2 has a lot of vanadium in it, four to five times more than aogami super, and is a PM steel that forms as many carbides as possible. Steel polish and a natural stone are going to struggle with it. I think you want to resharpen with diamonds, CBN, or at least a ceramic stone.
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Bensbites »

Lepus wrote: Wed Jun 13, 2018 10:10 am I don't think thickness behind the edge is going to stop a knife that thin from slicing apples well. Maybe sticking would be an issue. Were the slices cracking? Was it skating off the side?

Honestly this sort of problem usually has more to do with the knife getting initial purchase through the apple skin, which is to say sharpness. SG2 has a lot of vanadium in it, four to five times more than aogami super, and is a PM steel that forms as many carbides as possible. Steel polish and a natural stone are going to struggle with it. I think you want to resharpen with diamonds, CBN, or at least a ceramic stone.
Thanks.
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Cutuu »

Yeah been what lepus said,because honestly if that knife can't cut apple slices with the best of them I would be extremely didsapointed with it. Things like that should be one of it's strengths I would think. It's probably gliding through carrots,celery, despite the edge, based on it's grind.
Bensbites
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Bensbites »

Cutuu wrote: Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:11 pm Yeah been what lepus said,because honestly if that knife can't cut apple slices with the best of them I would be extremely didsapointed with it. Things like that should be one of it's strengths I would think. It's probably gliding through carrots,celery, despite the edge, based on it's grind.
It could be any number I’d things, including me. The knife cuts well, but I was struggling with paper thin slices. I was very happy with the knife’s performance on carrots, onions, and celery for chicken soup.
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Kit Craft
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Kit Craft »

Yeah, I agree that it sounds like it might need a sharpening. I have had a few knives act similarly ootb but it cleared up after a full progression. I don't think it is going to prove to be anything damning.
cwillett
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by cwillett »

I have the 210mm version (first impression post coming soon) and the edge isn't what I would call great. It was pretty functional, but using Steve G's rating scale I'd put it around a 4 or 5. After using it for a couple of days I put it on a Kitayama 8k followed by 1 micron diamond paste loaded balsa strop followed by a 0.5 micron diamond spray loaded nanocloth strop. That did the trick and was at least an order of magnitude better. My wife, who is used to sharp knives, cut herself on the knife just by gently brushing her finger against it.

I'd definitely do some sharpening of it before sending it out on the pass around. Great cutter now.
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Re: Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

Post by Bensbites »

cwillett wrote: Wed Jun 13, 2018 4:00 pm I have the 210mm version (first impression post coming soon) and the edge isn't what I would call great. It was pretty functional, but using Steve G's rating scale I'd put it around a 4 or 5. After using it for a couple of days I put it on a Kitayama 8k followed by 1 micron diamond paste loaded balsa strop followed by a 0.5 micron diamond spray loaded nanocloth strop. That did the trick and was at least an order of magnitude better. My wife, who is used to sharp knives, cut herself on the knife just by gently brushing her finger against it.

I'd definitely do some sharpening of it before sending it out on the pass around. Great cutter now.

Ok, I will give it a full progression just to be sure.
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