Please give me some ideas about this strange Gyuto/Chefs Knife

S

sharpandsafe

Joined
Feb 25, 2011
Messages
275
I had this knife, but I sold it. I figured I didn't need three Gyutos, but it still haunts me. It was really strange and cool. I have included a picture of it, and I am hoping you folks can give me some ideas about what it is, exactly. It has some strange features, some of which you can see and some I will describe.

8.5 inches of full convex-ground carbon steel. Strange, large symbols engraved on the blade. The spine of the knife is very slightly upswept, but it is hard to tell in the pictures. Distally tapered. The handle is too small, very crudely made and doesn't fit the partial tang very well at all. You can see that there is what I believe to be a "passed inspection" sticker on the handle. The flats of the blade had some very subtle waves, or variations in thickness that could only be seen by looking at the way that light reflected off the blade. The heel of the blade was rough and blackened, like it was broken off, or unfinished after coming out of a forge (also similar irregularity at the end of the partial tang). I am wondering if this is a kinda' roughly finished forged blade, or a roughly finished blade cut from stock.

The interesting thing about this knife (aside from the strange markings on the blade) is that I found the blade geometry to be superior to any knife I have ever used in the kitchen, but it is so roughly made and the handle is terrible!

I sold this knife cheap to a young lad that had just finished culinary school, but I offered him free sharpening, so I may have it back in my hands at some point. It takes an amazing razor-edge as you might expect. Do any of you have a guess about the origin or true construction of this knife?

Thanks!

3E53G43Jc5I85Gc5Kacctc7a036fc14b61156.jpg
 
My first guess would've been "homemade", but it sounds VERY interesting...Be neat to see if someone has background on it.
 
Hi Bill,

I'm thinking not homemade due to the engraving and what I am pretty sure is an inspection sticker (I looked up some of the kanji on the sticker, and this is what I have determined it probably is). Also, the convex grind seems like it is a little fancier than the low-end gyutos I have seen, which were all flat ground. I guess if someone were grinding it on a belt and pressing hard enough, it could come out with a convex grind.

My best guess is that a low end maker just copied a pretty good pattern by someone else and put their crappy handle on it. That still doesn't explain the convex grind or the rough, blackened edges at the blade heel and end of the tang, which seem to suggest it may have been forged, and indicate a little higher-end or at least a homemade blade (but then there's the sticker and engraving, which seem to be counter-indicative of a homemade blade).

I really find it mysterious.
 
Some of that is what me think that. Granted, not a first-timers homemade, but someone emulating what they liked, and with a little skill (enough to get in trouble, not enough to get out)...but that would be countered by the crappy grip (if someone is going through effort to form a blade, they'd know a *little* about grips). And the odd characters blade....and that sticker. Hell, no matter what, it's a good story, and made a new chef VERY happy...

That being said, i'm intrigued...especially with the weird engraving.
 
Hi Bill,

I'm glad that you find this as interesting as I. I tried to research these markings online to the point of utter frustration. The only theory I can come up with is that the middle symbol looks like three blades following each other in a circle. This is very superficially reminiscent of the "three blades" logos of the cities of Seki and Sakai, Japan - two traditional centers of Japanese blade manufacture. Overall, the symbols don't seem to represent any system of writing that I can identify.

Flag of Sakai:
500px-Flag_of_Sakai%2C_Osaka.svg.png


Flag of Saki:
Flag_of_Seki_Gifu.JPG
 
Could you show a closeup of the 3 symbols? I know you don't have the luxury of taking additional close-up pics, but even a crop of the above pic (so the symbols show up larger) would be fine...I love digging up stuff like this (old police habits LOL)
 
I think I might have some higher resolution photos on my computer at home. I will try to remember to look for these and post close-ups over the weekend.
 
Okay, Here we go.

The fist pic is the close-up of the symbols. They are deeply cut into the blade with a "V" profile:
DSCF3534-Edit.jpg





This next one is of the sticker on the handle. The sticker was upside-down in the original pic, so I flipped it:
DSCF3534-Edit2.jpg





The last pic is of the rough, blackened edge along the heel of the blade. You can also see from this pic how poorly the tang is fit with the handle:
DSCF3536-copy.jpg






I would really appreciate ANY thoughts anyone might have about this knife.

Thanks,

Jon
 
With your permission, I'd like to share the first pic with some friends for ideas.
2nd one, looks like a standard inspection sticker, But I'm no good with those characters.
That 3rd pic...I had wondered this when looking at side profile of knife (handle shape doesnt seem to "flow" with blade)...could it be a Franken-knife? take a grip from a different knife, put on current knife, grind metal to fit grip shape (would also explain the inspection sticker on an otherwise non-marked knife)....

All S.W.A.G.s (simple wild assed guesses)...maybe the blade markings will shed light on it. Hope I'm not a pain with this...it's always neat to try and track down origins of oddball tools :D
 
Bill, please share at will. I am weirdly fascinated by this knife and would love to find out some more about it.

The symbols look like someone's idea od space alien writing to me - I can't find anything like them.
 
LOL....that's what I was telling the wife. She quickly reminded me "you've been watching Dr Who since childhood, and sit out every night when we're at the cabin....WHY am I not the least surprised you think that?"

Oh well. She couldn't come up with a better language :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top