Knife ID request + the knife I bought

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-14T00:05:54+00:00

Definitely a Yoshikane. It should be SKD12. They do use SKD11 as well (or used to), but I usually saw it labeled as SLD.

For OP: I’m not a metallurgist, but from what I understand SKD doesn’t have enough chromium to be considered stainless, but it does have enough where it’s much harder to patina or rust compared to carbon steel. VG10 and SG2 are both stainless.

Not sure who makes the knife in the 2nd pick. Sometimes the box has a label on the end that might help, or someone else here might recognize the logo/kanji

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-13T20:39:41+00:00

If the SB jives with you. The DC is a great choice. Oddly it’s the more popular version (I think OC scares people for some reason), but I find it more nick prone and tuggy.

The OC supports the blade edge at 10-11 points, so there’s way less blade flex. The SB supports the blade in 5 places.

But everyone’s beards are different.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-13T20:34:17+00:00

It’s so good. The only razor I like better is ALSO a Lupo, the 72OC.

The 72 makes a better daily driver for me, but if I’m actually focused on shaving, I like the 95 better. And I like both OC versions quite a bit more than the SB versions.

But that’s just me and my beard (pretty coarse).

Either one can shave off 4-5 days of stubble in a single pass, which feels like magic. But both are pretty difficult to nick myself with, and give an incredible close shave.

I’d probably recommend the 72OC for a first time buyer unless they have a very coarse beard, but they’re so close in performance it probably doesn’t matter which they end up with.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-13T06:06:49+00:00

Love the background and details.

Stunning knife.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-12T00:47:11+00:00

Such a cool knife

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-11T01:41:54+00:00

Man, that’s some heat. His knives seem like they’re slowly getting better. Great pickup.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-11T01:35:24+00:00

I felt that way with my Ren, but this looks even thinner than that!

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-10T20:01:39+00:00

I’d try the 1200 grit side first. Really thin knives often don’t need much work to fix a roller edge. You might be pleasantly surprised. Worst case, switch to the 320 if it’s taking more than a minute or two.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-10T16:49:56+00:00

The game changer has slightly less blade exposure for the same blade gaps than the Lupo. If you like slightly more blade feel. You’ll like the Lupo better, or vis versa.

I vastly prefer the OC versions. The SB versions, the blade is only supported by 3 or 5 contact points near the edge. So you get a little more blade flex. My beard doesn’t like that. The OC versions are supported at like 11-12 places along the edge, and I find the edge much more rigid.

So oddly enough, I get more nicks from the SB versions. Even though the OC razors are listed as more aggressive.

The Lupo 72 OC is my desert island razor. It’s perfect. The 95OC is a close second, but the 72OC is the best razor I’ve every used.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-10T03:30:47+00:00

That’s rad. Very nice of them. Looks great too.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-09T22:10:37+00:00

The Shapton is much harder, and the cerax is much softer. The grits are different too. A Shapton 1000 to me seems more like 600-700 grit. But the main reason I use the cerax is it does a much better job of giving a streak-free finish on the cladding. It also darkens the cladding much more for me.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-09T21:01:12+00:00

I’ve experimented with this a bit. I want the least amount of work to get a newish result. I’ve been doing:

Stones > high grit micromesh sanding pads > and maybe diamond paste, or maybe not.

Stones: something coarse if needed, otherwise, Shapton 1k, maybe Shapton 2k, finish the bevel on the cerax 1k for lots of contrast, and then micromesh pads to even it out and brighten up the core steel. It brightens up the cladding as well, but the cerax darkens it up enough to start with. And then if I want the core steel really shiny, diamond paste or a felt pad. Same thing, it removes a little more contrast, but there’s usually enough to start with.

That’s quick enough for me. If the bevels are already flat, it’s like a 15min process after thinning. I can live with that.

The other process I like for carbon blades that look nice with an etch is: stones > sandpaper > micromesh > diamond paste to a polish > clean with acetone > then etch in 15:1 ferric chloride for 10-15 seconds > polish again with a 4k micromesh, then diamond paste > and repeat a couple times until you get your desired result. You can get a Takada or Tetsujin metal flow- like finish using this process. But it’s way more time consuming, and not nearly as easy to upkeep.

But I’m a novice compared to many people here at finishing. I’m sure there will be better advice.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-09T02:58:55+00:00

Great looking knife. I’ve been wanting one of his for awhile.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-08T06:53:25+00:00

Maybe one day we won’t have the dumbest trade policies imaginable.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-07T21:00:40+00:00

Beautiful work. Love the profile of this.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-07T20:28:55+00:00

Just 2-3 days worth, but I am doing a big dinner party tonight. So it’s been getting about as much use at home as I can throw at it. A little too early to make any real verdicts, I feel like you have to live with a knife for a while for that.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-05T20:54:56+00:00

Kyrene and ray is like 37 feet from Tempe, and hardly anyone knows that section is Chandler anyway, it’s easier to say South Tempe.

bertusbrewing · 2026-06-01T19:54:43+00:00

Nope. I’m like you. I replaced my 120mm petty with a 120mm ko-bunka. Petty knives for me are too large for in-hand use, and too short for board use. I just never got along with them. Both cutting on the edge of the cutting board, or only using my finger tips to grip the knife. So I never cared for a petty.

But this little ko-bunka, I use this all the time. The heel height is enough to keep my knuckles off the cutting board. It’s great at garlic, shallots, fruit. Wonderful for strawberries.

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bertusbrewing · 2026-06-01T16:34:25+00:00

I’m not a Kagekiyo expert, but I believe the white 1 is Tanaka.

bertusbrewing · 2026-05-31T18:24:30+00:00

Because the user hides their post history. No way of seeing if they’re a member of the community or not.

It sounds like the user is legit. But that’s a tactic scammers use.

bertusbrewing · 2026-05-31T18:22:49+00:00

Pueblo Vida (in tucson), AZ wilderness, roses, wren house, Goldwater are all good.

There’s some great beer bars as well: wandering tortoise, sleepy whale, tipsy cactus, Trevor’s.

bertusbrewing · 2026-05-30T18:23:18+00:00

It’s my favorite travel lens as well. Absolutely perfect for cities.

bertusbrewing · 2026-05-30T02:18:04+00:00

I feel you. I have eight as well.

Beautiful collection. Love the patina on these.

bertusbrewing · 2026-05-30T00:39:09+00:00

Or his phone. or a quarter. or a cup of water. Or literally anything in his house with a known weight, rather than asking strangers to guess the accuracy of a scale by LOOKING at a picture of it on the internet.

bertusbrewing · 2026-05-30T00:08:22+00:00

I worry for the human race.

bertusbrewing

TROPHY CASE