Hattori Damascus/VG10 kitchen knife - opinions?

[James Mattis]

I just got a sample Hattori kitchen knife from Tom Lagan, my Fallkniven distributor. Fallkniven is the out-of-Japan distributor for the line, but in the global village it isn't all that strange that high-end Japanese kitchen knives might come to North America via Sweden.

Here's a link to Fallkniven's Hattori page, in Swedish: www.fallkniven.com/shop/hattori.htm

And here are pictures of the Santoku I got in the mail:

Links to higher-resolution images:
www.chaicutlery.com/fallkniven/santoku-vg10-damascus-largeimage.jpg
www.chaicutlery.com/fallkniven/santoku-vg10-damascus-mercilessdetail.jpg
And a picture of the Hattori Santoku next to the Spyderco Santoku:
www.chaicutlery.com/fallkniven/twosantokus.jpg

The center steel is VG10, between layers of 63-layer stainless ("rostfri") damascus. I would guess that the blade, bolster, and tang are welded together, which is how a lot of very respectable high-end kitchen knives are built, though a custom maker would consider it cheating. The handle is pakkawood or something like that. I haven't had a chance to use it much yet. It is very sharp.

Price? It will depend on the volume imported and stocked in North America, as opposed to special ordered from Sweden or Japan. Perhaps between $160 and $200.

Any thoughts? Would you pay that kind of money for that sort of kitchen cutlery?


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001

 

[tallwingedgoat]

Wow! Damascus kitchen knife! How do they keep the price so low?

I think it would make a great gift to gourmet friends and as a wedding present. It should be terrific to anyone who cooks alot. Me, I'm a new college grad. I don't cook.

 

[tallwingedgoat]

Since this is a Japanese cooking knife, it would be irresistable if it had a hamon instead of the damascus look.

With the same amount of steel, the knife maker can turn out a damascus bowie. It would be a killer deal at that price.

 

[James Mattis]

A couple more questions:

If a cautious importer didn't bring in the full Hattori line (as shown at www.fallkniven.com), what models look most interesting as a "basic line"?

And would you think of these knives as good kitchen knives for general use, or as knives you would use mainly for Japanese or other east Asian cuisine?


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001

 

[phantom4]

James you almost sold me one with that picture. I have a collection of very good kitchen knives that I've assembled over the years including Spyderco and top of the line forged blades from Henkels and Sabatier. I even have a Gerber Balance Plus cleaver. But although I like and appreciate good kitchen cutlery I just don't have the passion for it that I have for folders and F.B. sheath knives. I buy the kitchen stuff on sale or on closeouts or specials. I don't think I've ever spent more than $50 on a kitchen knife. Whether I'd drop $160-$200 on even a damascus one would depend very much on my current financial circumstances.

phantom4

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who dares, wins

 

[amacks]

Do you know if they make similar ones, but not in damascus?
Aaron

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amacks@nist.gov
Don't forget to pay your taxes...they eventually become my knives

 

[James Mattis]

A working-class kitchen knife in straight VG10 would be a good thing, but so far we haven't found one.

Next year, who knows?


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001

 

[Jeff Clark]

Over a hundred dollars is much too rich for my blood. When you get over $30.00 I expect the knife to be very attractive. The Japanese styles don't fit into my sense of style and I wouldn't pay more than $30.00 for one--with or without a damascus blade.

I would want a 7 or 8 inch chef's blade (with no reinforcing between the choil and the edge) that would permit full edge rocking cutting. The handle should be stylish and made of highly finished wood. Highly figured wood would be nice. It would also be desireable to have light, medium, or dark wood options. With these design features and damascus blades the knives would have definite decorator appeal.

As part of a set I would also want a similar 5 inch chef's knife, a 5 inch boning knife and a paring knife. It would also be desireable to have a matching carving fork.

The prices would have to be in line with top quality German pieces to have a decent market. Of course lower is even better.

Personally it would be hard for me to part with over $70.00 for a single kitchen knife. It would have to be a custom knife with sentimental value to get me over that limit or my wife would have to have seen it and insisted that she wanted it. I will spend 2 or 3 times more on an "asked for" gift than a personal want or a "blind" gift.

 

[Ralf]

BEAUTIFUL! If those are not the visually most pleasing kitchen knives I've ever seen!

Just one word regarding the Santoku. It is not our (wife and me) favorite type of kitchen knife. We have two of those but they rarely get used. Our favorite is the general chef's form like in the top pictures of Fällkniven's site. If you could get the 210mm version, I would take one.

 

[db]

That seems a little hi priced to me for a kitchen knife I would get.
I could see a knife made out of just VG-10 could be very attractive if the price was a little better.