Japanese knives

[dar512]

I found this photo series on the making of Japanese knives very interesting. There are still a few items in the world that people take pride in making well.

[SteveDallas]

I have an old set of Ginsus.

[HungLikeJesus]

That was very interesting. Thanks dar.

[footfootfoot]

Very Cool. I've had this knife for about 35 years. It's a great knife and is in sad shape owing to its misuse at the hands of housemates and others over the years. I don't bother with keeping it razor sharp and polished anymore, but the edge it could take is better than any other knife I've used. I keep the henkels around for most general cutting. The only problem with this knife is that it is made for right handed people and I'm a lefty. The back of the knife is flat.
You can see the laminate mark and when the knife is polished it is even more pronounced. The softer steel is gray and has a dull sheen. The harder steel gets as shiny as chrome. When it is that polished it is really easy to keep it from rusting if you don't cut lemons pickled in slat and then let the knife sit in the bottom of the sink all day...

The edge is very brittle and will chip like glass if struck obliquely.

If you are the only one using the knife it is easy to keep it in tip top condition.

[HungLikeJesus]

Kanji characters say Ginsu.

That's a cool cnife*. Let me know if you ever want to sell it.



*all the best cnives are spelled with a c.

[glatt]

Awesome!

But I think I heard somewhere that Cutco is better.

[richlevy]

Wow, so this guy is like a Japanese busterb.

[Cloud]

Originally Posted by dar512

There are still a few items in the world that people take pride in making well.

I found this statement interesting. What leads you to believe that artisans all over the world don't take pride in what they make?

[dar512]

Originally Posted by Cloud

I found this statement interesting. What leads you to believe that artisans all over the world don't take pride in what they make?

The point being that there are not that many artisans left -- especially for certain crafts.

[Beestie]

Name your price.

I saw an entire show on this very subject a couple months ago - TLC or NatGeo or one of those channels. The craftsman had to be 80 years old - it was amazing - exactly the same setup as in the pics.

[Cloud]

Not many artisans left? In this age of mass production, yadda yadda.

I beg to differ. Masters of craft are always rare and valued, and Japan certainly has a long tradition of that. But artisanship, art and craft, and handmade items are still going strong. Not just in traditional societies around the world, but everywhere. In America even. In the last half of the 20th century there has been produced craft items in the United States, and elsewhere in the Western World, that rival any made in history, imo. Beautiful and useful items both. New trends in hand-made items are emerging, as one-off bespoke items are sold in vast quantities over the internet.

Just because most knives or chairs or baskets are mass produced, doesn't mean that there aren't dedicated craftsmen and artists pouring their heart and soul into these items they make by hand.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by Cloud

In the last half of the 20th century there has been produced craft items in the United States, and elsewhere in the Western World, that rival any made in history, imo. Beautiful and useful items both.

What kind of stuff? Maybe it's turned around since then, but 20 years ago when I was big into art glass, I knew the last guy there to do commercial stained glass - and he was in his 50s then.

When's the last time you saw decorative stone work on a new building?

I'm not saying there are no more artisans. But you'd have to convince me that it's a trend.

[TheMercenary]

Makes hundreds of julian fries.

[Cloud]

You may be right, Dar. But the subject of craftsmanship vitally interests me. The things I'm thinking about are mostly studio crafts, such as jewelrymaking, lapidary, pottery, or newer crafts like art doll making or polymer clay sculpture. The kind of thing I see in the art galleries, magazines such as Ornament, or what is highlighted at the Smithsonian Craft Show.

[classicman]

I think that Artisans, true artists of their crafts, were making a big comeback till the economic crisis hit. I saw it almost every day. I think its almost a pushback to the mass produced crap that is the only alternative. If you buy something nowadays it seems as though the middle is gone. You have to choose between the high end or the low end.