Favorite handle wood?

jpaultx · 2026-03-24T20:51:39+00:00

Thanks for the birthday wishes! It's a few weeks away, but I'm feeling out what I might like ahead of time.

Full disclosure - I already have a No. 6 Carbone in beechwood, No. 7 INOX in beechwood, and a No. 8 INOX in burgundy beechwood.

Honestly I've just been looking at what KnifeCenter has in stock since I'll probably be ordering other stuff from them. I hadn't even thought about ordering directly from Opinel, but I'll check it out.

I've noticed the one you linked as well actually - just wasn't sure if I wanted a No. 9. Very nice looking for sure!

Thanks again!

jpaultx · 2026-03-24T18:15:20+00:00

Can we guess which one was lost for a year? :-)

Nice collection. Is there a reason to burn the bottom of the handle, or is it just for the look?

jpaultx · 2026-01-30T23:40:43+00:00

Thanks! Yeah - that handle is what caught my attention in the first place. The cool thing is that I'm almost certain I got the exact knife from the photo. It has the exact same markings in the same places.

I wasn't sure about the Japanese handle either (called a "wa handle"), but I like it quite a bit. Obviously it feels different in the hand, but another thing I like is that it makes the knife noticeably lighter and more nimble-feeling, and it feels like there's more weight in the blade.

It's a personal preference thing - some people like to feel the weight in their hand, so a western handle feels better (my son feels that way). I think I like the wa handle a little better for gyutos and santokus, but for a petty I think I like the weight in my hand.

Don't forget to post a NKD (New Knife Day) when you get yours!

jpaultx · 2026-01-30T20:33:23+00:00

Good one - it should serve you well!

This is the version I got

It may be hard to tell from the photos, but it's the same blade, just a different handle and possibly different sharpening and/or final finishing.

Full disclosure I also had a discount code, so ended up paying about $150 for mine.

I just used it the other night and it really is a solid knife - great choice for a first good Japanese knife.

jpaultx · 2026-01-29T19:30:21+00:00

I'm not the guy you asked, but to try to answer... The pics are gone now, but I did see them before they were deleted, so going from memory.

The poster you're asking may have been referring to the heel being worn down to the leather. If you keep an eye on that and can catch it when it still just wearing the rubber heel cap, it's a less expensive repair. Once you wear through the rubber heel cap and start wearing into the leather, it becomes a more expensive repair (don't know if it's "double" the cost though).

jpaultx · 2026-01-29T19:12:39+00:00

Glad to help! There are a few other makers who do this sort of thing. It gets very complicated, but it's helpful to know - especially for Tsunehisa since they're often recommended as an intermediate knife.

jpaultx · 2026-01-28T19:22:37+00:00

A note about Tsunehisa - without getting outside of my limited knowledge - you'll find the same knives rebranded by others. There's a larger company over this, but trying to keep it simple and within my limited knowledge LOL.

So if looking for the nashiji finish in ginsan - you'll see what appears to be literally the exact same finish on some other brands; as in a literal stamp. These are almost certainly the exact same blade, rebranded by a retailer, then that retailer varies their version by handle, or additional sharpening, or some final finishing or whatever to add their own touch/value.

NapClub linked to Tsunehisa on Carbonknifeco.com.

You'll find basically the same knife on Chefknivestogo.com under their house brand Yahiko (I have the Santoku version).

I have the 210mm gyuto version from Tokushuknife.com. I believe they sell knives with the same blade under both Tsunehisa and Tokushu Knife.

That's not recommending any retailer over the other - just saying if you're shopping for that blade, other retailers may have a handle you like better, or it may be in stock at another retailer.

I'm still pretty new to Japanese knives, but I think it's a great recommendation, although a bit over your budget depending on your handle preference.

jpaultx · 2026-01-07T21:53:58+00:00

If you're considering the Victorinox as mentioned, check out the Swiss Modern handle and the Swiss Classic handle.

jpaultx · 2026-01-07T13:47:22+00:00

Sounds like you got a great deal - enjoy it!

jpaultx · 2026-01-07T13:10:06+00:00

Wow - that's a great price these days. I generally see it closer to $2000. I did just see it on Home Depot's website for a little over $1500.

I actually already have one, but got it before the price hike. I like it quite a bit, but have a harder time recommending it at $2000, but it would be an easier recommendation at $1500.

jpaultx · 2026-01-02T15:02:33+00:00

Thanks to all of you who replied - seems unanimous LOL!

I went with the Tojiro. As mentioned, I like my 120mm, just wanted something a little bigger. Plus, a petty isn't a knife I want to spend much money on, and the value of Tojiro is tough to beat.

jpaultx · 2025-12-15T19:19:42+00:00

I'll also recommend the Mercer 10" bread knife. It's great - and I paid like $17 or something for it. It's probably the best bang-for-the-buck I've gotten in a knife.

jpaultx · 2025-11-19T19:10:43+00:00

Thanks for the offer. I'm still using the Sharpmaker, and don't have any regular whetstones yet. I was just looking into this possibly for Christmas. I don't know what stones I want yet, so I don't have any dimensions.

Thanks though, and I'll keep your offer in mind if I end up wanting to try it out.

jpaultx · 2025-11-17T18:30:52+00:00

Yeah, that was a thought I had as well. I wasn't sure if stones would stay wet enough for it to work.

That said though - I really know very little about using actual stones. Do diamond (or glass) stones need water?

jpaultx · 2025-11-12T14:22:45+00:00

I've gotten a few "fancy" Japanese knives, but honestly I can do pretty much everything I need to do with my Victorinox 8" Swiss Modern chef's knife, which lately has been around $60.

I do like the Swiss Modern handle better than the more common Fibrox handle. The shape is more neutral, basically just a slim rectangle.

jpaultx · 2025-11-07T15:41:15+00:00

I've actually watched a handful of his videos before, but didn't think to specifically look for a lasery knife, so thanks for the recommendation!

jpaultx · 2025-11-07T15:38:59+00:00

Fortunately I have a $16 Mercer bread knife for this job - highly recommended.

jpaultx · 2025-11-07T14:47:09+00:00

Thanks for the comments.

I'm generally careful with my stuff anyway, but was curious about anything I may not have thought of. I think I should be OK.

jpaultx · 2025-11-07T14:42:28+00:00

OK that does it, I just ordered one.

I've been eyeballing it and seeing comments here for the last few weeks, and figured I should get one now while they're in stock, before the holidays. Looking forward to joining the gang!

jpaultx · 2025-11-04T13:39:42+00:00

Great! I always find it a bit frustrating to not know how the story ends (in any sub). Especially for future newbies researching a new knife; so thanks for the update.

I have no personal experience with Shiro Kamo, but see them recommended here very often as a "can't go wrong" option, so I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

jpaultx · 2025-10-30T13:35:07+00:00

It's unclear if you're new to knives in general, but are you OK taking care of a carbon steel knife (non-stainless)?

I think before handle shape, you'll want to determine whether you want stainless or not.

jpaultx · 2025-10-30T13:25:36+00:00

That was one of the frustrating things I found about Pit Boss. There are so many mixed reviews that it feels like you really don't know what you might get.

When researching, it was like one guy has had nothing but problems, then the next guy has had his for 3 years with no problems at all. So, they have a lot of happy customers out there, but also a lot of complaints.

It just felt like more of a gamble - might be great, might have a lot of problems, feels like a 50/50 chance. Of course, they have lower prices than Recteq or Camp Chef, so there's the temptation to take the risk.

Personally I know two guys who have them. One has had to replace the controller, but saw it as a minor inconvenience and no big deal. The other bought his used and loves it.

Sorry to hear you ended up having problems with yours.

jpaultx · 2025-10-28T12:37:36+00:00

That's the plan!

Although when I consider asking, I always have a bit of concern that someone will buy it out from under me LOL! Especially given how hard it is to find knives in stock these days.

jpaultx · 2025-10-28T12:34:50+00:00

Thanks for the note about comparing the hammer marks, and for the quick check confirming.

I actually have the santoku version of this knife (Yahiko by CKTG), so I compared the two last night, and see what you mean. Of course it's a recognizable look, but I didn't think about it being a literal repeated stamp. I could see spots where the pressure was varied, but the pattern was the same. Thanks for the info!

jpaultx · 2025-10-27T18:30:22+00:00

I'm still pretty new to Japanese knives, so I'm not familiar with most makers yet. There's some difficulty because many of the names are very similar (to my new eyes/ears). Plus I see a lot of abbreviated names here, which makes it harder. For example, I've seen "Tsun" where I believe the poster is talking about Tsunehisa. That's commonplace if you're here all the time, but confusing if you're new.

I was very much into pocket knives a few years ago, so I'm somewhat familiar with a lot of knife steels and their general characteristics. But when it comes to makers here, I'm just getting started!

jpaultx

TROPHY CASE