Fred,

Perhaps you can answer this question for me. In checking out the link to
this knife and other knives at http://www.japanese-knife.com, even with the
"western style" knives, they say that left-handed models must be specially
ordered. Being a double sided bevel as opposed to traditional japanese
knives that are single bevel, why is there a big difference between a left
and right handed knife? I have Korin's video in which they point out that
even the western style knives are not sharpened equally like a European
style knife. HOWEVER, could the knife not just be rebeveled so the side that
is sharpened more is on the back of the knife? As a lefty, these Japanese
gyutos, pricey already become prohibitively so if I have to factor in
another 50% for a lefty model.

Thanks,

Jeff

PS Love your cutlery forum!

"Fred" > wrote in message
...
> Well, I can't speak for the world but I can speak for myself and I
consider
> the best chef knife in the world to be the Masamoto VG-10 240mm gyuto.
> What's that? Read on.
>
> I've been a cutler for many years and have tested nearly any kitchen knife
> you can name and many you haven't encountered. I've developed some
sincere
> preferences and I'll share them here.
>
> Let me start by defining what I consider good in a chef knife. In the
first
> place, a good chef knife must be the right size and weight. If it is too
> long it is hard to use the tip of the knife when occasions to use it
arise.
> If it is too short one has to deal with more hand movement than is
necessary
> to raise the heel far enough from the cutting board to clear the food
being
> cut. If the knife is too heavy it produces fatigue over a long time
period
> of use. If it is too light, it becomes harder to control.
>
> The knife should have a thin, hard blade. Hard steel is capable of
> sustaining a more acute bevel angle. That means hard steel lets the knife
> be sharper without having the edge become deformed in use. Thin blades
> reduce weight and that makes it easier for the manufacturer to balance the
> knife.
>
> What do I mean by balance? If you grasp the chef knife as you should with
> the thumb and forefinger on the blade just in front of the bolster, it
> should balance. Then you can wrap the remaining three fingers around the
> handle and start chopping. If the knife is blade heavy there is more
> fatigue involved in its use. If the knife is handle heavy it feels more
> like a hammer held at the wrong end and is harder to control.
>
> In order for a chef knife to balance properly, it needs to have weight
added
> to the typical handle. This is usually done with a bolster which is thick
> piece of steel located where the handle and blade meet. Full bolsters,
like
> most forged knives have, do the job of balancing but get in the way of
> maintaining the edge by blocking the sharpening equipment from the heel of
> the blade. Most European knives have blades that are too soft and heavy
to
> get by with a half bolster, so they have full bolsters. Personally, I am
no
> longer willing to use a knife with full bolsters. It isn't worth the
> hassle.
>
> Ergonomically, I like roomy handles without any of those "ergonomic" bumps
> designed to fit some hand other than mine.
>
> OK, so I want a chef knife with a thin, hard blade that balances perfectly
> with only a half bolster and I want it to have a roomy, comfortable
handle.
> Oh yes, it has to be the right size and weight. The knives that meet
those
> requirements are, with only a couple of of exceptions, all made in Japan
and
> are called gyutos which is the Japanese term for Western style chef
knives.
> I have just completed a fairly extensive series of tests and reviews of
> Japanese gyutos and I've decided I like one called the Masamoto VG-10
240mm
> gyuto.
>
> This knife has a fairly light 9 1/2" blade. In the old days, before
> Japanese knives, I preferred 8" chef knives mostly because the 10" ones
felt
> heavy and bulky to me. I found them hard to maneuver. This Masamoto
gyuto
> weighs in at only 8 1/2 ounces. That's less than a typical forged 8" chef
> knife. That gives me the extra length that saves work lifting the heel of
> the knife and still feels quite light and maneuverable. The handle is
made
> of resin impregnated laminated hardwood scales. In other words it is a
> combination of wood and plastic riveted to the full tang of the blade.
The
> handle is roomy and smooth so can grasp it in virtually any grip and be
> comfortable.
>
> The blade is made of VG-10 which is one of the "wonder steels." It can be
> hardened to around RC 60-61 which is way harder than the typical Henckels,
> Wusthof etc. That allows the thin blade and the acute bevel angle. The
> bevels actually came with a convex bevel on the outside of the blade that
> was about 3 times the size of the flat inside bevel. In time that's been
> adjusted with my sharpening and the knife now has flat bevels on both
sides.
> I use a bevel angle of about 15 degrees or so. In other words this knife
> cuts like crazy and the edge stays together through all of it.
>
> Yes balance is perfect and blade maintenance is a breeze thanks to the
half
> bolstered design. In short this knife meets all of my criteria and does
so
> better than any other Japanese gyuto I've tested and I've tested most of
the
> gyutos available in the U.S.
>
> Masamoto is a company that has been hand forging traditional Japanese
knives
> of high quality in Sakai, Japan for hundreds of years. Their traditional
> yanagis and usubas are world famous among Asian chefs for their high level
> of both performance and fit and finish. They are relatively new to making
> Western style knives and this new VG-10 model is nothing short of
> spectacular any way you wish to define it. It is no wonder to me that it
is
> a famed company like Masamoto that has reached this level of excellence in
a
> chef knife. For me, it is the best of the best.
>
> This knife sells for a little over $200 at http://www.japanese-knife.com
and
> that is where I acquired mine. So that's where to go, if you want to try
> one for yourself. You can see an image of the knife at
> http://www.knifeoutlet.com/images/eb...amotogyuto.jpg. If you'd like
to
> read a comparative review of several gyutos, including this one, you can
> find it at the URL after my name in the cutlery forum. Good cooking.
>
> Fred
> Foodie Forums
> http://www.foodieforums.com
>
>
>