Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by Cutuu »

Chefspence wrote: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:19 pm Gentlemen, I’m sorry, but I just started a divorce and am still working my butt off. Promise I’ll get it out tomorrow.

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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by keithmarder »

The knife made it to me today
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by Chefspence »

keithmarder wrote: Wed Aug 15, 2018 7:43 pm The knife made it to me today
Good. I always worry when I send out a knife :)

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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by keithmarder »

Please let me know where the knife goes next
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by J david »

Jeffry is up next up. Address sent.
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by MisoSatisfried »

Has the cladding on this been reactive for you all or does it seem to be stainless?
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by jbart65 »

I got this over the weekend. Just finishing up the Makoto tall nakiri passaround and will start using this knife on Tuesday. I'll aim to ship out on Fri or Sat.
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by J david »

Take your time.
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by Altadan »

I've been wondering where to ask this, but I might as well ask here;

This thick, busty grind was the first food-release champ I've ever experienced. I'm really eying a 210, but at the same time I'm also wondering - what other knives resemble this one? Specifically, are there any similar "food-launchers" that come in a reactive-cladding?
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keithmarder
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by keithmarder »

jbart65 wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 8:42 am I got this over the weekend. Just finishing up the Makoto tall nakiri passaround and will start using this knife on Tuesday. I'll aim to ship out on Fri or Sat.
We follow each other on these things. I was in Pass Around overload
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by jbart65 »

Yes, I've noticed, Keith. Better too many knives than too few!

In my view, it really takes several months to understand a knife well, but I can learn all I need in 3-4 days of extensive prep. Having it a few days longer than that doesn't help much more.

I owned the B#2 240 and 210 by the same smith. Be interesting to see how the Hammered stacks up. It also looks like my Koishi, though it's heavier and not as refined. Another basis for comparison ...

Dan, the blue versions by the same smith had regular release properties.

Aside from Takedas, I can't say that any of the gadzillion knives I've tried have superimpressed me on release. Most have been average to very good. Only the Takeda was great, but I have problems with his style of grind.

The Takayuki ginsan was pretty darned good, bty, but it also cost $500.
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Altadan
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by Altadan »

jbart65 wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:54 pm
Dan, the blue versions by the same smith had regular release properties.

Aside from Takedas, I can't say that any of the gadzillion knives I've tried have superimpressed me on release. Most have been average to very good. Only the Takeda was great, but I have problems with his style of grind.

The Takayuki ginsan was pretty darned good, bty, but it also cost $500.
So where would you place this one? "very good" or alongside Takeda's legendary food release?

p.s
The Yoshimistsu 180 Tall Nakiri was also a pleasing experience in that regard.
p.p.s
I trust this tangent will not hi-jack the thread - just some food-release-related-talk ;)
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by jbart65 »

Gave the Hammered a good workout last night. The food release is good, sure. I sliced a garden cuke and almost every slice stayed in place. Only a few took a short hike. Ditto for bell peppers. Alas, stickage was per usual with radishes. Red onions were about what I expected, too.

Nothing beats a Takeda on release, at least nothing I've tried. But there is a trade-off.

Back to the Hammered. As mentioned, I owned the Yahiko Shimo B#2 240 and 210 made by the same smith. The 240 was somewhat like the Sekiso but not quite as good. The 210 was the better of the two, a very impressive knife with a superb tip.

Does it beat the master? No. But it held its own.

The 240 Hammered has much of the same precision as the Shimo 210. The tip is outstanding. My first impression is that it's a great all-round cutter and an improvement upon the Yahiko Shimo 240, itself quite a lot of knife for the money.

The Hammered is flatter than the 240 Shimo and seems a bit more nimble despite weighing more. Also sharpens easier. I just ran it over a Suehiro Cerax 6K for 2-3 minutes and it was back to acutely sharp.

I compared it to my Koishi 240. The profiles of the two knives are kissing cousins despite quite different origins. The length and profile of the two knives are close to exact. Wouldn't surprise me if the maker of the Hammered is looking at the more experienced competition.

The Koishi is more refined, though. The kurouchi is smoother and more modern looking, with smaller dimples. The Hammered has a faded kurouchi with bigger pebbles that give off a more rustic appearance.

The Koishi also has a more seamless transition from spine to edge. Mine has a whisper of an "S" grind, too.

The Hammered has a more abrupt transition in the grind at mid-blade. As such it gave off a hint of wedging on a large carrot that made a telltale cracking sound. Hardly affected performance, mind you, but it didn't handle ingredients with quite the same elan as the Koishi.

Look forward to using it the new few nights. Reactivity isn't so bad and it's a lot of knife for the money.
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by jbart65 »

I'm done with this one. Kept it a bit longer than planned due to holiday travel.

Gotta say, I am impressed. I'd put it in the top echelon of the many knives I've used based on pure performance. I used two knives from the same smith before. I think he upped his game on the Hammered.

What I like: Flattish profile chops and pushes quite well, but it can rock a bit too.

The tip is thin and agile enough for detailed work, but at no point did it seem fragile. Reminded me a lot of my Sekiso, but the Hammered arguably has a slightly better tip.

A big surprise to me was how the knife handled fresh mozzarella, one of the hardest ingredients for a knife to slice thinly and evenly. The Hammered did as well as any nonlaser I've tried.

Fit and finish are pretty good and the Hammered is not especially reactive for an iron-clad knife, but you won't buy this as a work of art. It's a performer. The knife seems both robust and precise, a combination too many other knives sadly seem to lack.
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Altadan
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by Altadan »

Glad to hear you too were impressed.
I'll show my green hand here by asking - how on earth can you make use of a tip - as good as it is - on a 250 (heavy) blade like that??
On another note, I was under the impression the hammered was stainless clad... :roll:

Now that I've got a budget properly set-up, there is a dedicated - nascent - knife fund. When that thing reaches maturity, I'm look to get me a 210 from this line.
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jbart65
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by jbart65 »

Perhaps the knife is truly stainless clad, Dan, though the listings are sometimes wrong. I didn't notice any issues with the kurouchi, but discoloration seems to form higher above the edge than any other stainless clad knife I have used. Maybe the cladding simply doesn't go as low as it does on other knives.

In any case ... the tip. I dunno. I used the tip to rapid shave radishes into paper-thin slices. A few other ingredients including cukes and red onion got similar treatment. Also: I sometimes hold the knife by the spine, at the top third of the knife, to do things like core tomatoes.

One of my tests also involves using a 240 like a paring knife to peel an apple out of hand. That's just something I do to test an edge and how unwieldy a knife is. The Hammered performed well in that test, too.
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by J david »

Jeffry, I echo your thoughts on the knife exactly. While I'm not a pro, I felt like this is a pro's knife. Great all round performance with a bit of a menacing look. Lots of bang for the buck.

What did you think of the edge retention?
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by jbart65 »

Hard to say for sure, David, but retention seemed better than average for W#2. And it springs back to life quickly.

All packed for shipping. Let me know where it goes next.
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by cjmeik »

This one arrived in my possession in good condition.
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Re: Yahiko White #2 Hammered 240

Post by cjmeik »

This one is one its way home. Thanks very much, David for your continued passaround generosity!
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