Japanese knives on eBay

[pabloj]

Seen this on eBay and looking for advice, anyone here bough this knife or anything else from this seller?
Thanks in advance

 

[Dmax]

Have not bought from this seller. Looking at the listing this appears to be a typical Japanese mass produced knife. Pretty good steel but I am not crazy about the inexpensive slab handles. What the seller lists as "Damascus V10 gold steel" is more commonly known as VG-10, a stain-resistant steel which is used by many Japanese manufacturers. Reading the the language challenged listing this knife may be a part of Kazuyuki Tanaka lower end factory line. Until now, I have only seen pictures of Tanaka custom line, which while nice, also uses better steel (R2) and is priced substantially higher. I don't kniw how this knife is related to Tanaka but maybe someone knows more and will comment. IMHO, this knife would be a good deal at $70 or $80, while at the asking price of $120 you should also look at other knives. If you are looking for a 165mm Santoku here are a couple of other knives I think are worth a look: The "Gekko" line as well as the new Shiki line with nice walnut handles here: http://www.japanesechefsknife.com

The Yokoama, Sumagoro, Shun Classic and maybe a couple of makers here, all available in VG-10 if that's what you are looking for: http://www.epicureanedge.com/shopdis...e=1&filter=yes

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by pabloj

Seen this on eBay and looking for advice, anyone here bough this knife or anything else from this seller?
Thanks in advance

I think you could do better, probably at a lower price point as well - either though Dmax's sources or via korin.com

I particularly don't like the damascus look on the blade. Can't quite put my finger on it though.