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Kato unicorn: What would be a close substitue?

Discussion in 'The Kitchen Knife' started by FinnEdge, Oct 16, 2015.

  1. Hi all.
    Forgive me if this question has been previously asked/posted but I would like your input, thoughts.
    I have been reading for quite sometime a lot about the wonderful performance and everyone's rave reviews of the exceptional craftsmanship and quality of these truly handcrafted pieces of art.
    Hopefully one day I will be blessed with the privilege to own and use said masterpiece.

    So for now my question is;
    What other makers/craftsman would be recommended as a close 2nd for performance, profile and material?
    Looking at a 150mm petty and 210-240mm gyuto.
    I'm a lefty should this add another variable to the mix.

    Thank you in advance for your help.
     
  2. Another Kato. :)
    Have a look around on Maxim's site.
    Many people say the Toyama is really good, i'd say the Itinomonn is really good as well (i've got a V2 steel gyuto).
    Ask Maxim about the lefty versions.
    Just bear in mind these are not stainless, so extra care is needed.
     
  3. Have had a look at JNS. Toyama look good. Did you get the Itinomonn Kurouchi?
    Not interested in stainless.
     
  4. Not sure if 150mm is a proper length for Kato's geometry to really shine. IMO it works best on larger gyutos while on petty knives you could find something performing as good at half the price. And it wouldn't hurt to start a WTB (wanted to buy) thread in the BST section.
     
  5. I was gonna get the nashiji or kurouchi but they were not available that time in 240mm so i went for the kasumi.
    Brilliant grind, barely noticed any wedging or sticking.
    So i would go for that.
     
  6. Regarding petty: The Kato pettys are really nice with very thin tips, but they are not as special as the Kato gyutos.

    Regarding gyuto: There is no substitute for a Kato, really, depends on what of the Kato attributes you are looking for. To say that the Itinomonn cuts like a Kato would be a lie because it doesn't have the physique. The Itinomonn cuts very good, but its performance is much like any other good knife. If you are looking for a heavy, thicker blade, the Toyama Noborikoi may be the answer.

    Another knife with thick geometry and a really excellent convex grind is the Takayuki Damascus, but it's made in stainless ginsan so maybe you don't like that. Maybe no that easy to get hold of either...

     
  7. Thank you Anton. Looking at a Koishi AS petty, lot of good reports. Unfortunately can't post in BST yet, as they say "patients grasshopper":)
    Oh and Anton, awesome handles!!!
     
  8. Thank you for info. I do like the look of the Kurouchi, probably a bit less reactive I guess.
     
  9. Thanks limpet. Yeh, I know I am clutching at straws. as shownomarci said earlier the only sub for a Kato is a 'Kato'.
    Great vid by the way. It is an impressive cutter.
     
  10. Rick

    Rick aka Pensacola Tiger Founding Member Gold Contributor

    A Watanabe Pro and a Tanaka Seikiso damascus are two knives that come the closest to a Kato in my experience.
     
  11. Thank you Rick will have to check them out.
     
  12. Agreed, but a Watanabe still has a different geometry from the Kato.
     
  13. The tanaka is much lighter than the Kato though in terms of weight and hence less fall through power for me personally when dealing with large hard vegs. I would think Toyama is closer but haven't had a chance to test it out.
     
  14. I tend to think of my Toyama Noborikoi as a beefed up Itinomonn. But it is not as "anabolic" as the Kato. Its thickness feels more linear in its distribution. If you could think of the Itinomonn as a "laser" (it's not), the Toyama feels like a blade heavy workhorse variant. The Toyama doesn't wedge much, but the Itinomonn wedge less. On the other hand, I find the Itinomonn a bit more sticky.

    The Itinomonn Kasumi has stainless cladding. The Toyama has reactive cladding and I find it as reactive as my Kato and Shigefusa knives. Highly reactive that is.

    Here's a choil shot of my Toyama Noborikoi Gyuto 240. More hi-res photo available here: https://drive.google.com/folderview...1TMmNKT0RJbDJaNllMQmVuTHFTMEhQdHM&usp=sharing

    TNK_G240_01.jpg TNK_G240_03.jpg
     
  15. Have looked at the Toyama and Itinomonn, both look like excellent knives. Now that I have become completely obsessed with all things sharp and shiny I have ordered both :)
    Going to come down to personal preference in the end. Oh boy that rabbit hole is getting deeper.

    I want them all....yahhahahahah
     

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