NKD #4 Kagekiyo W1 210mm Gyuto w/ Red Lacquer Handle

Thanks to u/auto_eros for turning me on to this knife! Rather than just show off new knives, I figured I’d offer my highly unprofessional take, for the average muppet like myself. Everything below is totally my own opinion and is worth about as much as you’d expect a random opinion to be. But here it is, for those that are bored:

Fit and finish are spectacular, as we’d expect from Kagekiyo. I’ve used it the last two days for some general prep stuff, and while it’s a machine for sure, I found my B1 Tanaka x Kyuzo to be the superior cutter in my hands. We’re going to pass this off as familiarity as that blade is something I’ve been using for almost two months now.

This definitely is no slouch though. It handled the peppers with relative ease (and onions yesterday). I do find the balance point to be a tad far forward for my liking, but I think this is a contrast between handle and blade. The handle is light, easy to grip, but almost unsubstantial. The steel on the other hand is full bodied, feels sturdy, and it’s this counter that causes the balance to shift forward. And frankly, in my bear-sized paws, it feels a tad lopsided.

However, this is going to be a huge selling point for those who are either professional or extremely skilled with a knife, because the effort of moving the knife through the item in question is often a matter of letting the weight of metal in combination with the razor edge—one that only white steel can provide— carry the day.

I don’t necessarily think that this knife is suitable for everyone except a highly competent cook/chef, because it wants to do the work for you, but if you don’t know how to handle it, it may feel lackluster against some of our more heavy duty steels and designs.