This channel has one of the best knife content - if not the BEST. The young man in the video is great - he explains w/o talking down and with knowledge and background.
Here are my quick hits on finishes. I love Migaki, especially when it is almost all Kasumi. But sometimes can make the knife stand out less from mass produced knives. Tsuchime, I agree I prefer a more irregular pattern, and with the exception of Kurosaki, I typically love the larger hammer marks. Kurouchi, while you can have a bit less comfort with spine and choil, this is my preferred finish because it has a rustic look that easily reflects the handmade aspect of the blade. Nashiji, this one is hit or miss for me, but the texture can be quite cool. I personally like the nashiji that Mazaki does quite a bit. Damascus, when well crafted is so beautiful. However, the glut of cheap damascus knockoffs have sadly dampened my appreciation for many damascus patterns. When it comes to combos finishes some of my personal favorites are Tsuchime with Kurouchi, like what Yoshikane does. And the layered lower third with Kurouchi by Anryu in White 2, is another one I am a big fan of.
I own that same damascus finish kiritsuke santoku. I was fortunate enough to receive it as a gift just a few months ago and it has been amazing alongside the other japanese knives in my set. It truly is a cherished gift and beautiful knife. Was very pleasing to see it in this video. (:
Personally, as I get older, I care less about appearances and more about performance, especially over time. Thanks for explaining these cosmetic finishes!
Would love a video detailing and in-depth overview of a suiboku finish. I personally have a general understanding but a stream lined explanation would be awesome.
Excellent video that will enrich my culture on the different finishes of Japanese knives. Personally, I love the Tsuchime finish on my Mcusta Elite Tactility (MC-0121G). But I love the others too. THANKS !! 🇨🇵
BRAVO for the clarifications on Damascus steel. Seems to me that all people nowadays doesn't know that actual "Damascus" in reality is pattern welded steel and is not real Damascus, and that even real Damascus was famous for its looks and not for its performances. Contemporary professional western bladesmiths, even succesfull / experienced ones, who know very well the difference between "pattern welded" and "Damascus", proclaim a lot their (fake) ""damascus"", and if someone reminds to them all the above, even explained in detail, they feel annoyed or even frustrated...
From Wikipedia: The origin of the name "Damascus Steel" is contentious: the Islamic writers al-Kindi (full name Abu Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, circa 800 CE - 873 CE) and al-Biruni (full name Abu al-Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni, circa 973 CE - 1048 CE) were both scholars who wrote about swords and steel made for swords, based on their surface appearance, geographical location of production or forging, or the name of the smith, and each mentions "damascene" or "damascus" swords to some extent. Drawing from al-Kindi and al-Biruni, there are three potential sources for the term "Damascus" in the context of steel: The word "damas" is the root word for "watered" in Arabic [6] with "water" being "ma" in Arabic[7] and Damascus blades are often described as exhibiting a water-pattern on their surface, and are often referred to as "watered steel" in multiple languages. Al-Kindi called swords produced and forged in Damascus as Damascene[8] but it is worth noting that these swords were not described as having a pattern in the steel. Al-Biruni mentions a sword-smith called Damasqui who made swords of crucible steel.[9] THE MOST COMMON EXPLANATION IS THAT STEEL IS NAMED AFTER DAMASCUS, THE CAPITAL CITY OF SYRIA and one of the largest cities in the ancient Levant. It may either refer to swords made or sold in Damascus directly, or it may just refer to the aspect of the typical patterns, by comparison with Damask fabrics (also named for Damascus),[10][11] or it may indeed stem from the root word of "damas".
Gage, thoughts on the Matsubara Blue #2 hammered line of knives? I dig the rustic look, but know nothing about them. Would appreciate any information you have.
Damascus is in Syria. Historically damascus is a crucible steel fired for long times because they couldnt get it hot enough to properly melt together, thats where the waves and swirls come from. The damascus that we deal with is actually pattern welding which is believed to have originated by the celts. William F Moran was an american knifemaker that often used pattern welding and wrongfully referred to it as damascus which explains the confusion in the terminology today!
