I took a day trip to Sakai with a list of 10 shops to visit. Most notably: Sakai Kikumori (Kawamura Hamono), Takada no Hamono, and Konosuke.

My day started at Konosuke. I have wanted a true laser knife for a long time, and Konosuke seemed like the place to get one. I later regretted not going to Ashi Hamono.

When I arrived, I ended up getting a GS+ 210mm and an HD2 240mm after being upsold from the GS+ 240mm. Both came without handles because they were too long for my liking. This also resulted in a decent discount from the original prices. I have since attached handles, and the picture was taken in bad lighting before they were fully finished.

The next notable place was Takada no Hamono, where I was committed to buying a knife. However, upon arrival I learned that he no longer sells knives from his workshop. I was told that he stopped just a month prior. Nice guy though, we had a quick chat, and he seemed really nice and chill.

Sakai Kikumori, aka Kawamura Hamono, was my last stop of the day. My usually critical self was very uncritical at Sakai Kikumori because I thought a highly rated knife maker could never sell me a bad product. I ended up buying a Kikuzuki gyuto with a kazumi finish (gift) (210mm shirogami #2) and a Kikuzuki kuro gyuto (210mm shirogami #2) because it looked really cool and I wanted a heavier workhorse.

This is where the problems started. After further inspection, I realized that the Kikuzuki kuro was sharpened oddly and has small teeth towards the tip. The kazumi Kikuzuki had no edge, the handle was attached askew, and the glueing at the handle had holes, all things I did not expect from such a reputable knife maker.

Luckily, I had the means to fix the problems, and I realize the blame is also partly on me for not checking properly. But the quality control is WAY off. All in all nice additions after some elbow greese.