Hosted Makoto Sakura SG2 Gyuto 240mm passaround

[cwillett]

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

It probably just needs a higher grit stone and some strops rather than a fresh edge. The cutting performance with the honed edge is pretty impressive.

[Bensbites]

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

It probably just needs a higher grit stone and some strops rather than a fresh edge. The cutting performance with the honed edge is pretty impressive.

The sharpening session before the Apple test used a sharpie to ensure I had the correct angle. The sharpie marks were removed on a aizu then mother’s metal polish on cardboard. Currently if I hold a single paper towel pinched in my left hand, I can clean cut about six inches down.

[Bensbites]

Slight adjustment in my technique, BAM, see through apple. I didn’t not resharpen the knife since my previous testing.

[Bensbites]

Current list. FYI Grandma is in the hospital again, I will pack up this knife today and send it off to Keith. Things might be fine, but I want to get the show on the road and avoid the chance of this falling too far down the priority list.


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

[matchplay18]

Passaround great idea. Excuse my ignorance but how long do you keep the knife to try it out.

[Bensbites]

Passaround great idea. Excuse my ignorance but how long do you keep the knife to try it out.

Generally the knife visits for about seven days. This gives most people workday food prep and weekend food prep. Those terms are used loosely with a crowd that doesn’t nessesarily work 9-5.

[matchplay18]

Thanks for the reply great idea a passaround. I certainly would have made a few different choices

[keithmarder]

The knife is supposed to get to me on Monday.

[Bensbites]

The knife is supposed to get to me on Monday.

Woo hoo. Let’s see if you like it as much as I did!

[keithmarder]

Hi all,'

The knife arrived today and I had a quick sesh this evening. I like this knife a lot. It is one smooth operator. It felt great in the hand and cut through all my vegetable prep in a flash.

[keithmarder]

I am loving this knife. This is my first try with this steel and a 240mm. Loving how laser-like it is and it has handled every task with ease. Today it destroyed some cabbage for cole slaw. It is definitely one that would fit in many collections.

[Bbuth7575]

This is what I wanted to hear. When I get it I'll be comparing it alongside my Kurosaki R2 hammered 210 and my Kamo R2 240. They absolutely slay product. It'd be nice to add another killer to the work rotation.

[jbart65]

Knife Is now in my possession.

[jbart65]

The first thing I did when I got the Makoto was cut an onion. Ouch. An attempt to flick thru resulted in some crushing. First time I experienced that with a J knife.

I checked the edge on paper. Cut seemingly fine. But on food it struggled. Gave it the Carter finger test and it did seem ... off.

I find that pm steels respond best to synthetics. Pulled out my Kohetsu 2000 and Cerax 6000. I didn’t want to remove much metal and tried not to raise a burr.

A few minutes on each stone and now the knife performs much like any J knife. The tip is not quite where I want it and I know I am leaving some performance on the table. But it cuts quite thin. See the photo of the radishes.



Afterward I did my usual tests. Onions, carrots, peppers, tatas , radishes, apples (peeling out of hand, slicing and chopping).

The Makoto aced the apple test, confirming my view that is a precise knife. It handles easily and is well suited for delicate tasks. Did well on everything else except carrots. It struggled to cut large, whole carrots lengthwise, a not uncommon problem with many knives. The nice polish on the blade also caused some stickage.

I find that Takefu Village knives often have an issue with tall carrots because of how the grind can thicken suddenly at mid blade. My Koishi also hit slight resistance, but the dang thing is so sharp and such a high level performer that it blew right thru.

I turned to my flag bearer, a Tanaka Sekiso, as well as the Yahiko Ice and a Shibata AS. Lengthwise carrots were no contest.

The Makoto profile, by the way, is classic Masakage or Takefu. It’s thinner than the Koishi coming out of the spine, but the profile is almost a replica. I would not be surprised if Mr Kurosaki helped on that line at some point.

Look at my trace. The inner lines that deviate slightly are the Makoto. These two knives curve almost exactly the same.




Here’s the Makoto, top, Koishi, middle, and Kanehiro ginsan.



All in all, it’s a very nice knife. Not the easiest pm steel i’ve sharpened, but not hard. The Makoto is nicely balanced and thin, but retains some solidity. It’s got a nice stock handle, though it will get dirty easy. The profile is pure pusher. About 1.5 inches of true flat spot in the back. It will accordion cut without some adjustment in chopping motion. A very smooth pusher and decent rocker, on the other hand.

I am admittedly not a big fan of pm steels because of their tinny feel on a board. Some of them are fantastic. The Kurosaki and Kamo are at the top of the list. The Makoto is not quite at that level, but it’s an excellent value at $220 for the 240. A good choice for pros who want stainless and edge retention as well as home cooks who want the same without breaking the budget.

[Jeff B]

...The Makoto profile, by the way, is classic Masakage or Takefu. It’s thinner than the Koishi coming out of the spine, but the profile is almost a replica. I would not be surprised if Mr Kurosaki helped on that line at some point...

Both Makoto and Yu apprenticed under Hiroshi Kato. I have no doubts that Makoto worked on the Koishi. If you lay a Makoto W#2 over a Yu Kurosaki AS the profiles are nearly Identical except the Makoto has more of that Kato-esc backswept choil at the heel like on the Koishi. Something I'm sure he picked up from Kato-san. And Yu made the Shimo line for Masakage of course.

[jbart65]

This one is going out today or Friday morn to J David. More to follow.

[J david]

I'll be looking for it.

[salemj]

...The Makoto profile, by the way, is classic Masakage or Takefu. It’s thinner than the Koishi coming out of the spine, but the profile is almost a replica. I would not be surprised if Mr Kurosaki helped on that line at some point...

Both Makoto and Yu apprenticed under Hiroshi Kato. I have no doubts that Makoto worked on the Koishi. If you lay a Makoto W#2 over a Yu Kurosaki AS the profiles are nearly Identical except the Makoto has more of that Kato-esc backswept choil at the heel like on the Koishi. Something I'm sure he picked up from Kato-san. And Yu made the Shimo line for Masakage of course.

All good points I agree with, but it may be more simple: they probably just shared a stamp, no? As Mark is fond of saying, the stamps for patterns are widely used and expensive, so it makes sense that any group would want to share them (and the investment) whenever possible.

[Jeff B]

...The Makoto profile, by the way, is classic Masakage or Takefu. It’s thinner than the Koishi coming out of the spine, but the profile is almost a replica. I would not be surprised if Mr Kurosaki helped on that line at some point...

Both Makoto and Yu apprenticed under Hiroshi Kato. I have no doubts that Makoto worked on the Koishi. If you lay a Makoto W#2 over a Yu Kurosaki AS the profiles are nearly Identical except the Makoto has more of that Kato-esc backswept choil at the heel like on the Koishi. Something I'm sure he picked up from Kato-san. And Yu made the Shimo line for Masakage of course.

All good points I agree with, but it may be more simple: they probably just shared a stamp, no? As Mark is fond of saying, the stamps for patterns are widely used and expensive, so it makes sense that any group would want to share them (and the investment) whenever possible.

I'm sure that's very possible Joe.

[J david]

Makoto is safely in my posession.