Is this knife too thick behind the edge?

[Mark76]

I’ve got a Takeda yanagiba knife, 270 mm. Actually it’s a sujihiki (evenly sharpened on both sides), but they call it a yanagiba. It’s made of super aogami steel and it looks great.

I’ve only stropped this knife (with diamond paste). And I’m wondering whether this knife is too thick behind the edge out of the factory. On the one side Takeda has an excellent reputation and I could hardly imagine this, but on the other side, measurements and pictures don’t lie.

Where my average Japanese gyuto or large petty is about 0.6-0.7 mm thick at 5 mm behind the edge (measured halfway along the length of the blade), the Takeda is 1.2 mm thick at that location.

And this is a choil shot.

However, a friend of mine cleverly remarked that this is a knife made for cutting proteins. And thinness behind the edge really pays off when you cut harder vegetables (no wegding). I this particular case a little thickness behind the edge could give the large knife extra strength.

I am no expert on yanagiba’s/suji’s and I have no similar high quality Japanese knife I can compare it to.

What do you guys think? Is this knife too thick behind the edge or not?

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[Ken Buzbee]

It is for me, but, as you know, it’s so much a personal preference thing. The point about “meat” is right, I suppose. Being vegan, hard for me to say 😉

All I can tell you is my Nakiri is much thinner.

Ken

[Josh]

Mark, it’s my understanding that you should measure the actual shoulders of the edge and not 5mm behind the edge. This is where you will see the difference. I guess it would help you make a decision on whether the entire primary grind needed to be thinned or not though…

[Leo Barr]

More specific to your knife is my Seki Yanagi the last two images although it cannot be compared absolutely since it is chisel edged but I do think you could thin the taper a little . But I would do it over progressive sharpening it is only a fraction broad but if it is not performing as well as you would like then I would thin it but there is not a lot in it .

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[Mark76]

Mark, it’s my understanding that you should measure the actual shoulders of the edge and not 5mm behind the edge. This is where you will see the difference.

Thanks! How exactly would you do this?

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

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