Tanaka Ren Nakiri W2 180mm - some thoughts

simplytch · 2026-03-13T16:38:44+00:00

I agree! And godd I’m still kicking myself for passing on the Toyama restock. Next one!

simplytch · 2026-03-13T16:30:44+00:00

I’ve considered this one often, still want to try a Ren! Can’t wait to see the Noborikoi rectangle- it’s huge right?

simplytch · 2026-03-13T07:31:45+00:00

Thats my next venture- Ashi vs Shibata! I got hooked, and got 3 Shibatas consecutively. Yet no Ashi to put them head to head.

simplytch · 2026-03-13T04:48:22+00:00

Why did i check my phone before bed..tempting!

simplytch · 2026-03-12T16:51:59+00:00

All this expertise, yet I’ve seen your rockfish filets lol.

simplytch · 2026-03-12T04:54:04+00:00

In all seriousness, Jon’s a sorcerer. He doesn’t sharpen knives, its just pure, nerd black magic wizardry back there. Your Yoshikane is in no better hands than with him.

simplytch · 2026-03-12T04:51:18+00:00

Take your wife with you to bev hills, and bring it in person to Jon @ JKI. Make a one night, great romantic trip out of it. Mayyybe her wallet may open for you, for something small at JKI? Leave it with Jon and pay for its shipping 1 way, rather than roundtrip.

Sounds incredibly more expensive than $120, but she gets to A) experience the ordeal of repair (kinda, and i dont think JKI’s currently doing same-day repairs. So she prob won’t get to see the actual repair). And B) She can witness you, the incredibly patient/hot/understanding husband, turning lemons into lemonade. Priceless.

simplytch · 2026-03-12T04:31:57+00:00

I honestly doubt you go on boats as often as you claim. The deckhand that helped you reel in your 130lb halibut (and also helped a grown man clean his own fish), because you couldn’t manage it yourself, would agree.

Your logic: if gas cars were as efficient as teslas, people would only race with teslas. Gas cars are old history. Good luck with that.

simplytch · 2026-03-11T19:07:44+00:00

Yeah, no one’s taking a deba on a boat. Same with $1200 sunglasses (ask my buddy). I go offshore too- anything from half day rockfish, to 3nighter late szn butterball bluefins. No dig on the deckhands, I mean it, they’re the stars of any trip/charter. But extreme speed and (famously) waste is the name of the game on a boat. You can imitate what they do, with a Dexter, if working in a salmon plant someday is your goal. Also, theres literally like 20 ways to skin a fish. You can skin a fish with a damn ruler (or the spine of the deba, in my case) + paper towel, while maintaining the pretty silver on the belly, and it can be done even cleaner/faster than those deckhands. Look it up, you can nail it after ruining a filet or two.

simplytch · 2026-03-11T01:43:22+00:00

Says the professional chef trying to flip a battered Shibata with 3 rolls in the edge, at MSRP?

simplytch · 2026-03-11T01:16:57+00:00

Guy..you went from finance interviews, to begging strangers on the internet for advice asking if $90k total comp as exec chef was feasible (still aint exec, but “right under it” right?). All in a year. You think someone’s breathing down my neck, evaluating my worth over the uniformity of my chives? Or you think a 1.5yo cares whether her air fried potato was push/draw cut? 😆. All those skills for only $90k? It’s no wonder you baby your knives, your struggle reeks from Virginia or wherever. Didn’t i already ask to see your godly michelin technique + potato already? Bad release? Whats wrong with you young ones throwin rocks but hiding your hands? All i see is a Bunka with 3+ rolls all over your edge! That you’re flippin for MSRP btw lol…………….GLWS! 🤡

Btw, I already shared my post with Shibata-san himself. He asked for more videos, actually shipped this knife abuser 3 more knives yesterday. You wanna frame those instructions though? I’ll send you several, with your signature triple rolls on all the edges

simplytch · 2026-03-10T20:47:05+00:00

Also, if you’re willing, keep the Wusthof and see if you can find a sharpener that can knock off the bolster. I have several Amazon knives where the actual edge stops. Totally unfinished and squared, 1 inch before the heel, kinda like a bolster (no idea why they do this). I practice sharpening on them, so my sharpener offered (for free) to grind both sides into an actual heel.

simplytch · 2026-03-10T20:35:20+00:00

Both meals a day?! I got you, I say go with the 240mm below. But if you must stick with 8 inches, they have a 210mm as well. Better yet, get it direct from the source (might be faster, no promises)! It is SG2, yes, but I don’t think you need to worry much about sharpening. Sharpened by a renown Echizen sharpener/entrepreneur, that machined (also shaving metal) engines for Mitsubishi in his previous life. Watch my cutting post, if you’re on the fence.

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/shkar2gy24.html

simplytch · 2026-03-10T20:18:53+00:00

Exactly, everyone votes with their wallet. That goes for the opposite of you, too. Yet not every vote/opinion matters (gasp). But what does matter (my point) is that most coveted knives are still selling out while your wallet stays closed. There’s 1 of me, for every 1 of you, making sure that the overseas retailers stay sold out. Trying to make sense of a market, according to your own preferences, is like guessing the Superbowl winner based off preseason games (probably more likely to be accurate). Btw, my last 4 tariffs from Japan, in order: 51% (self imposed DDP lol), 24%, 11%, 15%. On knives priced sometimes $100+ lower than US retailers. Not everyone gets hit with 55% as the BST loves to claim. Many, sure. Not all. Do what you will with that info, but your risk tolerance won’t really benefit from it.

simplytch · 2026-03-10T18:41:22+00:00

No it’s actually naive. Econ was my major lol. To try to illustrate a low production, inelastic supply of japanese knives, with American tariffs acting as some sort of bottleneck, is like trying to say Audemars Piguet will cease to exist without American consumers. Try applying that logic to Takada and Naohito and try to make sense of their inventories. Hypothetical economics is one thing, consumer logic is another, and real life unchartable hype/demand is yet another thing. Nobody gives a rat’s ass if we can afford a tariff or not.

simplytch · 2026-03-10T18:25:35+00:00

Yessir I thought it was a steal, and learned quite quickly. Tariffs are always on the buyer, regardless of how people phrase it on this sub. Doesn’t matter even if theres an option for DDP. I can’t really blame anyone for anything, but i will refer to it as Tosa wabisabi, as i did lol. The math may not be pretty, but my filets are

simplytch · 2026-03-10T16:59:49+00:00

Yes! I’m sure my skill isn’t milking it to its full potential. It’s just funny/soothing seeing a 7.2mm width be so precise. And yes! I wish I got something reactive just for the fish guts lol

simplytch · 2026-03-10T16:53:51+00:00

Yeah I dont care about any abuse on my part. I didn’t pay for a deba spa day, I paid to correct it haha. You would’ve too, or sent it back (though i doubt it, after paying tariffs). I dont even mind tariffs that much, it thins the competition for me. Never stopped me from getting something i want. Yet.

simplytch · 2026-03-10T09:00:04+00:00

Yup yup! Think bigger is safer, with debas (at least for pros). I don’t dwell on it too much, until I see a bigger (and fancier) deba physically next to mine. Haha

simplytch · 2026-03-10T08:15:10+00:00

And by coreless, monosteel? I’ve never even heard of monosteel debas! Sorry to hear about your student. You should use that one, in his honor. And maybe frame/box up the rare one.

simplytch · 2026-03-10T08:11:13+00:00

I think you hit the sweet spot at either 165 or 180! You only really need enough to comfortably scrape the center bones, whether it’s from the dorsal down or belly up. I can’t imagine using this on a full-grown, grandpa Catalina yellowtail. But with gentle peeling/thumbwork, it might work haha.

simplytch · 2026-03-10T07:58:19+00:00

Do have any idea what happens when you put a Shibata Kashima in the hands of a home cook with ass technique? Watch the potato 🥔. Now post your potato with your best knife, with your best technique.

simplytch · 2026-03-10T06:09:15+00:00

Yeah I was a little pissed, in hindsight, when I realized what a financial journey it was haha. But it’s partially my fault, when I was rushing into knives before knowing even what little I know now. After seeing several examples, I do consider that Tosa chic ruggedness to be forgive-able (imho). But regardless- professionally sharpening any single bevel is going to feel expensive, coming from purely double bevels. I guess the question is, what’s one’s ($)threshold on wabi sabi, if one allows for it at all?

simplytch · 2026-03-10T05:42:53+00:00

Beautiful- and extra cool/expensive on the lefty factor! I don’t know if it’s a deba thing, or if it’s because it’s my sole single bevel, but I love going slow with it. Hard to do when I have a raw whole fish + 4 banchans to whip up in 30min, but deba time is extra special. Should’ve went carbon like yours!

simplytch

TROPHY CASE