Decent VG10 santoku for less than 35$ ?

D

Dantabak

Joined
Oct 11, 2021
Messages
15
Hi,

I was looking for a budget VG10 steel santoku for everyday home use.
First I was looking at the Tojiro DP Santoku 170mm That has great reviews and advertised for ~70$
But then I came across the Tojiro DP VG10 Santoku 170mm 2 Rivet - Bolsterless. That should be made out of the same steel and by the same company without the fancy handle only for ~35$ !!
vKG3Ayw1Y9wc.jpg

Is there something I should be aware of when I choose the knife without the bolster ? What is its purpose anyway ? Is the bolster just for the looks or does it have functional purpose ?
Is it really possible to get a decent VG10 santoku for that price ? Because it looks like great value

Thanks!
 
Why would you need a full tang for a slicer? You don't need to baton it unless you buy tough beef.

That said, my wife likes to use a knife to slam sideways (flat) on a blade to smash garlic or whatnot. She's busted a cheap knife or two that has a very skinny tang.

The OP picture seems to show one with a convex grind and the other with more conventional grind, so there's that as far as cost. That and the full-wide tang and bolster. Now, 20 years down the road, will the less expensive knife need new scales/handles?
 
The 3 rivet DP is full tang and has a bolster resulting in a 180 gram knife. In contrast, the 2 rivet DP has an internal partial tang and no bolster so it only weighs 105 grams,
Because of this, there will be a weight distribution difference with the 2 Rivet model having a bit more forward weight.
This by itself is not a problem, as many people even prefer the traditional Japanese handles which use a partial tang.
2 Rivet western handle constriction was seen more frequently in Japanese knives several decades ago and today it is seen in economy home-use models.

If there is any real drawback to a bolsterless knife is that in the past I have had knives that developed rust on the tang under the scales, and in the case of
one bolsterless Henckels, a cracked scale, I'm not sure of today's bolsterless scale materials so it is possible that this kind of thing doesn't happen with any frequency anymore. But from my early experiences, I have stuck with bolstered knives.
If I had that 2 river model, I would wipe it dry after every use, like a carbon steel knife. With care, that 2 Rivet model would serve fine for the home.
 
USMCPOP said:
Why would you need a full tang for a slicer? You don't need to baton it unless you buy tough beef.

That said, my wife likes to use a knife to slam sideways (flat) on a blade to smash garlic or whatnot. She's busted a cheap knife or two that has a very skinny tang.

The OP picture seems to show one with a convex grind and the other with more conventional grind, so there's that as far as cost. That and the full-wide tang and bolster. Now, 20 years down the road, will the less expensive knife need new scales/handles?
Click to expand...
A full tang adds balance and durability. This is true even for knives used outside of the kitchen, such as bowie or hunting knives.

A full tang isn’t needed if you’re just going to chop herbs and tofu. But if you’re looking for a knife that can do some heavy-duty work from time to time a full tang should be a better choice. A partial tang means you’ll have to be a little more careful with your knife, and you’ll likely have to deal with a shorter lifespan.

A full tang with triple rivets and bolster attaching the handle is going to last far longer than inexpensive knives with partially embedded tangs. Even though you’ll pay less for a partial tang knife, you’ll have to shell out money for new knives more often.

This coming from a Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro 22 piece owner. Expensive? Yes. But worth every penny.
 
Dantabak said:
Hi,

I was looking for a budget VG10 steel santoku for everyday home use.
First I was looking at the Tojiro DP Santoku 170mm That has great reviews and advertised for ~70$
But then I came across the Tojiro DP VG10 Santoku 170mm 2 Rivet - Bolsterless. That should be made out of the same steel and by the same company without the fancy handle only for ~35$ !!
vKG3Ayw1Y9wc.jpg

Is there something I should be aware of when I choose the knife without the bolster ? What is its purpose anyway ? Is the bolster just for the looks or does it have functional purpose ?
Is it really possible to get a decent VG10 santoku for that price ? Because it looks like great value

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Bolsters might add more eye appeal, but might be used to affect balance for design purposes, too.

Between the 2 handle configurations, the bolstered/3 pin version will be heavier towards the back end (I've 3 Tojirro DP kitchen knives and multiple traditional Japanese style handled kitchen knives ) which will favor a hammer grip when chopping. The partial tang & no bolster version will balance more in the middle of the knife, and more likely somewhat forward of the handle.

Like kenhash wrote, using a pinch grip with this style is common in other parts of world, and the balance makes for a nimble blade when using the pinch grip (pinching blade with thumb and index while the last 3 fingers grasp the handle).
 
A bolster adds weight, which changes the balance.
With a full bolster, as you will find in old style German knives, it's also useful to break light bones, like in poultry.
Also a bolster shaped properly make a pinch grip more comfortable.

I wouldn't be concerned about having a full tang. Gyutos typically have rat tail tangs and they hold up with nothing more than a tight fit and glue. It's going to be fine with vegetable and meat.
 
Gyutos wth Wa handles all have internal tangs. Western handled Gyutos do not. Most Wa Gyutos are used outside of Japan, where the full tang Western handle Gyuto is far more common.
 
As a knifemaker pointed out to me many years ago; it is far more common to see loose scales on a full tang knife than a stick tang to become loose in the handle

The superiority in cutting ability of the stick tang Japanese knife over the full tang German knife doesn't necessarily point to the greater durability of one over the other, but of the preference for use
 
With Japanese knives, you shouldn't be chopping bones with them anyway unless they are designed for it, like a Deba. The steel is harder and thinner than most western type stuff and is easier to damage, but takes and holds a better edge.

With the shorter tang on the 2 rivet blade, it's not going to make the knife fail. Many Japanese knives use a stick tang on their knives and you don't see them fail. Many also use a 2 rivet construction like this without issue, so there are no strength concerns unless you are really beating on the knife, which will result in chips and other blade damage.

They are saving money without having the bolster and using less metal in the tang. They get the handles premade/polished and have to do little fitting to the tang unlike the bolster full tang models which need a bit more finish time. The grinds may be a bit different, not not too noticeable. I did a couple similar Tojiro blades many years ago, but were bolsterless DP full tang knives, but had the same grind and it performs pretty well compared to the Tojiro DP and had decent convexing to it. The finish is a bit different (bead blast kasumi on the stainless cladding on the bolsterless model so it looks like it has a shinogi, but it's pretty much cosmetic only). They were $35 back then for the knife with full tang and bolsterless.

Picture is of the DP bolsterless santoku I did as a wedding gift to my brother and his wife when they got married. You can see the bead blast kasumi a bit better.
rK4rd0r.jpg
 
Taz said:
With Japanese knives, you shouldn't be chopping bones with them anyway unless they are designed for it, like a Deba. The steel is harder and thinner than most western type stuff and is easier to damage, but takes and holds a better edge.

With the shorter tang on the 2 rivet blade, it's not going to make the knife fail. Many Japanese knives use a stick tang on their knives and you don't see them fail. Many also use a 2 rivet construction like this without issue, so there are no strength concerns unless you are really beating on the knife, which will result in chips and other blade damage.

They are saving money without having the bolster and using less metal in the tang. They get the handles premade/polished and have to do little fitting to the tang unlike the bolster full tang models which need a bit more finish time. The grinds may be a bit different, not not too noticeable. I did a couple similar Tojiro blades many years ago, but were bolsterless DP full tang knives, but had the same grind and it performs pretty well compared to the Tojiro DP and had decent convexing to it. The finish is a bit different (bead blast kasumi on the stainless cladding on the bolsterless model so it looks like it has a shinogi, but it's pretty much cosmetic only). They were $35 back then for the knife with full tang and bolsterless.

Picture is of the DP bolsterless santoku I did as a wedding gift to my brother and his wife when they got married. You can see the bead blast kasumi a bit better.
rK4rd0r.jpg
Click to expand...
It's a very nice looking knife !!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top