Marko Tsourkan Knives

[Robstreperous]

Got mine today and worked it out on 2 carrots. Best way I can describe it is a nimble beast. Beautifully finished. This knife is hefty yet easily controlled. It conveys a sense of power while working. The bog oak handle is gorgeous like staring into a pool of rippling waves.

I'll be able to give it a workout tomorrow but initial impression is this is a very, very good knife.

[jacko9]

Good to hear and will appreciate your feedback after a good workout!

[Kalaeb]

Got mine today and worked it out on 2 carrots. Best way I can describe it is a nimble beast. Beautifully finished. This knife is hefty yet easily controlled. It conveys a sense of power while working. The bog oak handle is gorgeous like staring into a pool of rippling waves.

I'll be able to give it a workout tomorrow but initial impression is this is a very, very good knife.

Good to hear. Anxious to hear more after a good workout.

[supersharp]

Got mine today and worked it out on 2 carrots. Best way I can describe it is a nimble beast. Beautifully finished. This knife is hefty yet easily controlled. It conveys a sense of power while working. The bog oak handle is gorgeous like staring into a pool of rippling waves.

I'll be able to give it a workout tomorrow but initial impression is this is a very, very good knife.

How does it compare to your Doi and Kashima?

[Robstreperous]

It's a completely different kind of animal from the Kahima. The Kashima is light and thin and kind of screams "slice with me." Marko's knife is taller, has more of sweep to the front and it's heftier. So far it sort of says to me, "I am strong and powerful. Be strong with me and I will reward you." I really need to spend more time with the Doi. So far most of what I've done with it has been on proteins.

The Doi and Kashima are forward weighted. Marko's knife is weighted more toward the rear. I'm going to say right at the pinch grip for now. I'm still learning this blade and may actually move my grip back a bit working with it. Still learning....

Played with it a little more on carrots and leeks and celery last night. The tip is responsive. It devoured the leeks. Thin round slices with no pushback from ribs in them. I've had some heftier knifes wedge on me with leeks before. Got a pretty decent rock going with it. Diced the celery without really even thinking too much. But what's really impressed me the most with Marko's kninfe so far is how it handled these big thick carrots I needed to dice.

Heftier blades have usually meant wedging for me on these big guys. There was none present. Completely different from the Kashima in this application. The Kashima dropped through carrots and would almost finish before I knew it had started. But she begs you to slice with her. She can chop but you can tell she's not into it.

Marko's knife sort of wants to push cut but it's happy doing a full on chop as well. I guided it and I applied pressure but it was doing the work. I kept expecting it to wedge but it didn't. [Looking forward to seeing what happens with sweet potatoes. I have a feeling it's going to be right up there in Anryu territory.]

I'm not sure this will make sense but so far -- at least on carrots -- the Kashima cuts more easily but the Tsourkan cuts easily and had a lot more control. I'm still adjusting on the Kashima to the lack of any real flat spot and I"m still working to eliminate accordion cuts. Marko's knife also only has a minimal true flat spot but it translates power so well I had no accordion cuts at all.

I'm a pretty happy guy right now. I've got power and speet in my lineup....


Fuller review later on after I've actually worked with the knife a bit more but initial impression is a very strong thumbs up. I have a hunch this is exactly the knife I've been hunting for to fill in that power hitter who can still steal bases and play the field gap in my collection.

[Kit Craft]

It's a completely different kind of animal from the Kahima. The Kashima is light and thin and kind of screams "slice with me." Marko's knife is taller, has more of sweep to the front and it's heftier. So far it sort of says to me, "I am strong and powerful. Be strong with me and I will reward you." I really need to spend more time with the Doi. So far most of what I've done with it has been on proteins.

The Doi and Kashima are forward weighted. Marko's knife is weighted more toward the rear. I'm going to say right at the pinch grip for now. I'm still learning this blade and may actually move my grip back a bit working with it. Still learning....

Played with it a little more on carrots and leeks and celery last night. The tip is responsive. It devoured the leeks. Thin round slices with no pushback from ribs in them. I've had some heftier knifes wedge on me with leeks before. Got a pretty decent rock going with it. Diced the celery without really even thinking too much. But what's really impressed me the most with Marko's kninfe so far is how it handled these big thick carrots I needed to dice.

Heftier blades have usually meant wedging for me on these big guys. There was none present. Completely different from the Kashima in this application. The Kashima dropped through carrots and would almost finish before I knew it had started. But she begs you to slice with her. She can chop but you can tell she's not into it.

Marko's knife sort of wants to push cut but it's happy doing a full on chop as well. I guided it and I applied pressure but it was doing the work. I kept expecting it to wedge but it didn't. [Looking forward to seeing what happens with sweet potatoes. I have a feeling it's going to be right up there in Anryu territory.]

I'm not sure this will make sense but so far -- at least on carrots -- the Kashima cuts more easily but the Tsourkan cuts easily and had a lot more control. I'm still adjusting on the Kashima to the lack of any real flat spot and I"m still working to eliminate accordion cuts. Marko's knife also only has a minimal true flat spot but it translates power so well I had no accordion cuts at all.

I'm a pretty happy guy right now. I've got power and speet in my lineup....


Fuller review later on after I've actually worked with the knife a bit more but initial impression is a very strong thumbs up. I have a hunch this is exactly the knife I've been hunting for to fill in that power hitter who can still steal bases and play the field gap in my collection.

Thanks a lot, Rob. I really like the way you word things. It brings the description to life, for me, almost personifying it. It is very helpful to me and my ability to imagine how the knife works. That is why, even though I am a smaller knife guy, I still think I want a Kashima and will likely pull the trigger the next time one shows up (if it does not have some freaky handle...). Though, I do have a few 240s in the works already...

[Cutuu]

Kit the kashima is extremely nimble and has a similar feeling of a smaller knife (perhaps 210 not 180), despite the extra blade length.

[Robstreperous]

^^^ I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment.

Let me put it this way. I wear my heart on my sleeve for my Kashima. I love it and it's one of my favorite knives. Even though it's an entirely different style knife the Tsourkan I feel may be right up there with it.

The Kashima is that pitching wedge you just feel you can't miss with. I think the Tsourkan's more like that 3 wood or driver you pull out when you're trying to drive to the green.

[Kit Craft]

Kit the kashima is extremely nimble and has a similar feeling of a smaller knife (perhaps 210 not 180), despite the extra blade length.

I get where you are coming from. I do have larger knives that feel like smaller ones and the opposite is true as well. Should have just pulled the trigger on the first run. However, I was waiting for that 220...

[ChefKnivesToGo]

^^^ I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment.

Let me put it this way. I wear my heart on my sleeve for my Kashima. I love it and it's one of my favorite knives. Even though it's an entirely different style knife the Tsourkan I feel may be right up there with it.

The Kashima is that pitching wedge you just feel you can't miss with. I think the Tsourkan's more like that 3 wood or driver you pull out when you're trying to drive to the green.

I love the pitching wedge analogy...

[Kit Craft]

^^^ I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment.

Let me put it this way. I wear my heart on my sleeve for my Kashima. I love it and it's one of my favorite knives. Even though it's an entirely different style knife the Tsourkan I feel may be right up there with it.

The Kashima is that pitching wedge you just feel you can't miss with. I think the Tsourkan's more like that 3 wood or driver you pull out when you're trying to drive to the green.

I love the pitching wedge analogy...

I don't golf so it goes over my head. I mean, I think I get the general idea. Problem with analogies is people typically use things like cars, golf, guns, swords etc and I don't get into any of that. Compare it to a vintage broadcast transmitter and I am good. Well, actually a receiver would be better.

[DarkStar]

Doh. Took a couple weeks off and completely missed this.

Sweet line up. Maybe next batch.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Doh. Took a couple weeks off and completely missed this.

Sweet line up. Maybe next batch.

This batch took well over a year. Hopefully we’ll get more sooner on the next batch.

[Robstreperous]

They're worth waiting for.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

We have some new knives from Marko that are about to ship to us.

Here is the list.

[Robstreperous]

I don't seem to be able to get Google Sheets to open for me.

That said, eager to see what you two have cooked up Mark.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Sorry I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ll post the knives here when I dig up his email.

Also, he’s coming with some different stuff to the party.

[Robstreperous]

Also, he’s coming with some different stuff to the party.

Oh man.... I'm dying to meet the guy. I only live about 15 miles from him (as the crow flies at least -- most of that over water ) and there is no way short of affordable supersonic travel I can get to Chicago that weekend.

Please say hi for me ...... He has a big fan on Long Island.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Petty 175mm A2 D-style Right Hand Buckeye Burl 360
Petty 175mm A2 Octagonal Either Hand Cal. Redwood 360
Suji 260mm AEB-L D-style Left Hand Buckeye Burl 518
Gyuto 240mm 52100 D-style Right Hand Amboyna 527
Gyuto 250mm 52100 D-style Right Hand Cal. Redwood 530
Gyuto 240mm AEB-L D-style Right Hand Curly Maple 472
Suji 260mm AEB-L Octagonal Either Hand Curly Koa 558
Gyuto 245mm AEB-L D-style Right Hand Ancient Bog Oak 511
Gyuto 225mm AEB-L D-style Right Hand Ancient Bog Oak 475
Gyuto 230mm 52100 D-style Right Hand Ancient Bog Oak 484
Petty 155mm 52100 D-style Right Hand Moroccan Thuya 329

[Kit Craft]

Getting an itchy trigger finger here...