Kuwabara Group Buy Passaround

[Nmiller21k]

12 pounds Of boneless pork
And a batch of pico to make

[Nmiller21k]

Will get this out Monday after I touch it up
Have a busy weekend at work

[Nmiller21k]

Got this on the mail
Will write it up Wednesday

[Bob Z]

So circling back around to this, I did have a few further thoughts and I have time to get them to paper.

One, balance. I mentioned I liked it and that I think many people will. Jeffry mentioned some about the weight and profile that I agree with. This knife feels a lot like a 240mm in hand. It isn't that remarkably heavy, but it is tip heavy because the tip just has a lot of material left on it and that much weight so far forward pulls balance up. It would take a full regrind to get that tip into flying through onions status.

Two, the craftsmanship and related character. The knife's fit and finish is rough, but not actually too sloppy. You can see it in the pictures, you can feel it in hand. The choil in particular is incredibly rough, but interestingly enough Mr Kuwabara was kind enough not to cut my fingers with a ninety degree angle and ground the choil in on both sides, Fujiyama style, using something exponentially coarser than what the Fujiyama sharpener used. All of it is definitely done by someone who has some things figured out and made a knife efficiently. It actually reminds me of a Munetoshi in that regard, though my Munetoshis have all come with much thinner edges and grinds, so in that regard the Kuwabara would be kind of like an Ikea desk: some assembly required. I don't know if the Kuwabara has any actual flaws except for the thickness of the grind, just things done in an expedient way. I do have to wonder if the smith has any higher cost lines that get a little more work. I don't think I'd actually like them much more if at all because the knife's rustic form and what I can see it doing once tuned up are what I like most about it right now, but I would think that someone who has done something so tidily would also have the ability to go well beyond this knife.

Finally, my initial thoughts have been a bit curt because I didn't know how to describe part of the knife without getting weirdly existential. I still don't, but I can't really discuss the knife without it, so here's the weirdest, most existential thing I've written about a knife since I compared an Anryu and a Kurosaki. The Kuwabara is perceptibly restrained and serious, to the point of being dreary. If this knife was a person it would be an actuary who organizes their work ties as a "hobby". They read Lovecraft, not ironically. They have grey drapes, sheets, and floors. They eat underseasoned oatmeal for breakfast, a ham sandwich for work (never lunching out, that would be inefficient and expensive), and dry, unsauced baked salmon with new potatoes and green beans for dinner. They prefer straight lines and an even number of chairs at every table. But. The Kuwabara has the underpinnings of a really cool knife just like Kuwabara the Actuary has the underpinnings of a really cool person. They have a sharp dry wit that sometimes slips out. They have great reflexes and nimble hands. They have a keen eye for patterns in fashion and great hair. They need to move to California for a job with a start up, open up to a life coach, and go on a three month Hunter S. Thompson style trip through Mexico while only one step ahead of the policía. I actually had to put the knife down sometimes because using it was as depressing as meeting the person in my analogy. And thankfully, I or whoever buys this knife have the option of forcefully signing the thing up for Tinder and pushing it out of an airplane in its underwear. If that knife comes back to me I'm going to thin it out and polish it into something incredible because the roots are there, it just needs to wake up.

Wow its like Jsgillis86 body snatched Lepus for this review! I cant wait to get this knife now!

[Bob Z]

Got the knife yesterday in time to make shish ka bobs for two. Easy soft stuff cept for some carrot coins i was trying like our local sushi restaurant uses on the Chicken Yakitori. The edge was nice that Nick put on or touched up.

But the knife has a low shoulder and not much taper and push cutting thick carrots wasn't going to happen, but with a little coaxing it would slice them.
This knife is just a brut! But as my knife journey goes on, this is the second heavier knife I have received on a pass around and im starting to appreciate a heavier knife vs the lasers I thought i always preferred. This might have something to do with reading the cleaver threads and playing with my cleaver a bit.

More in few days!

[Bob Z]

Ok not much to add that Lepus didnt add already but...
For those of you like me (on 3-4th passaround) it was an enlightening experience for a few good reasons..

This was the heaviest knife (6.75oz) for the length I had ever used. It has a low shoulder with a blade road that matched its actual grind for a change. I got it from Nick who put a nice edge on it that lasted longer than i thought with a bit of stropping for a week.

For a long time I thought I was a laser guy but after using my cleaver a bit encouraged by the cleaver thread, and a previous pass-around on the Matsubara 210 it slowly became safe to use a heavier knife. It seemed to cut through stuff easier although a bit heavier.

My other revelation was that i only had one white #2, a Tojiro hairline 180 gyuto which i learned to sharpen on.
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/toitkshgy18.html

The Kubawara had a nice edge and kept it for longer than my Tojiro making me realize that W#2 could be much better than i thought.

After cutting lots of soft stuff..Cukes, tomatoes, celery trying to find out what it did best, it became apparent it sliced lettuce and cabbage best. Cutting veggies it wedges alot but not as much if you can slice.

For this knife a good thinning surely would make it better.

[easilver]

Received today in good condition. Used it for some light work to make a salad. I like the thick spine on this and the rustic kurouchi. Thinning it would help with wedging but it would also raise the bevel, so it wouldn't release as well.

I'm just spit-balling here, but I wonder if a better taper--vertically and distal--would make this a much better knife. Make it a little taller, taper so it has a thin tip and is thin behind the edge, then do the kurouchi. The shoulder would be more subtle, but you'd still get the release. Would such a bold taper still wedge? The Matsubara tall nakiri is kinda like this, but it has a tall grind.

Looking forward to using her a bit more. Thanks Lepus.

[Michaelrax]

Im looking to buy a Grendel barrel within the next 3-4 weeks so this might work out great. I know you say you dont have an ETA, but what have you seen in the past for these group buys?

Also, what bolts would be compatible with this barrel?

[Bob Z]

What happened to this passaround? Easilver got it on 6/11 and there has been nothing since??? Grendel barrel is an ar15 part from last post?

[Lepus]

The knife is in Igalor’s hands. It seems like people haven’t found the knife that compelling to discuss, which is fine. I’ll be in contact with you all shortly to see if any of you want to buy it.

[jbart65]

Hell, I discussed it!

Love the separation on this one, Rob. The knife maker has a lot of promise, but I think he needs to spend some time with other smiths and perhaps refine his own ideas. There was an on-an-island quality to the Kuwabara.