Left-handed Japanese knives more expensive ... what gives?

[Doc4]

So, I'm drooling at the knives over at Korin ... and happen to notice that they charge an extra 50% of the cost of a regular right-handed knife if you happen to want a left-handed one. Their explanation ...

For Japanese-style knives, the LEFT-HANDED blades need to be special ordered to Japan and the cost is an additional 50% of the price of the right-handed knife. Please allow us to take 4 to 6weeks.

This seems a bit excessive to me. Maybe I'm missing something, but these beauties are made basically by hand, one at a time, so ... can't those skilled craftsmen turn out a "lefty" just as easily as a "righty"?

http://korin.com/Learn/Knife-Crafting

Is this mark-up standard in Japanese knives, or does Korin just think they are on to a good thing? I mean, I can see a modest extra fee for special-ordering a knife, but let's take an extreme example ... http://korin.com/Shiro-Honyaki-Sakimaru-Takobiki_2?sc=19&category=51913 ... an extra $805 to make it a lefty?

 

[Alacrity59]

I think that they re-hone a right handed knife into a left handed knife.

 

[eto]

I think for the higher end makers and steels being used for the hand made stuff will be expensive to begin with. Not sure why a left hand , hand made knife is so much more. Could be extra labor or extra cost , or maybe they just hate making left hand knives, most of Japanese are right handed.

But for there multi-purpose chef knives they just charge $25.00 to re-bevel the edge for left handed use.
If your looking for a 50/50 edge to save on cost check these:

http://korin.com/Shop/Togiharu-Hammered-Damascus
http://korin.com/Shop/Tojiro
http://korin.com/Shop/Ittosai-Kotetsu_3

 

[homebrewer]

I've never even seen that they offer a lefty single bevel knife! At least there is an option now... I've cursed my left-handedness for quite some time, due just to this. I was estatic when I found out that Shun's new Premier line for Sur La Table does not have that stupid D shaped handle. I bought two on the spot. They aren't single bevel, but still a damn sharp (and quite nice looking) knife.

If anyone knows of any other sites selling single bevel, lefty knives, let us know!!!

 

[ouch]

Ian, this one is "right" up my alley, so to speak. Not only am I a lefty, I'm probably the most left handed person alive.

There are three basic types of knives:

• 50/50 grind double bevel
• asymmetrical double bevel (70/30, 90/10, etc.)
• true single bevel

A 50/50 grind double bevel is ground the same on both sides, and is neither left handed nor right handed. Examples would be most German knives, and Tojiro gyutos, sujihikis, and petties, to name some you probably have.

Asymmetrical knives are biased to one side. See page 79 of Korin's on line catalog http://korin.com/site/cg-1.html;jse...a307d4976e17ca09.e3eTaxiNaN0Te34Pa38Ta38Lch50. This is typically a 70/30 gring, but it can be 90/10. An example would be the Tojiro honesuki. Essentially, this is just a regular knife that has been ground with a bias to one side. The knife can be changed to a left handed knife by regrinding, and I think Korin charges $25 for this service. If you were to sharpen this knife as if it were a 50/50 knife, it would eventually become one. The idea is to have a larger blade road on the cutting side, with the bevel on the back side providing strength. Note: I find this notion to be somewhat silly. Over the course of your life, you will cut will both sides of the blade, and a lefty should notice little difference between this knife and a symmetrical 50/50 grind.

A true single bevel knife if forged that way. One side has the cutting edge and the back side is slightly concaved. There is simply no way to convert one to the other. A lefty knife has to start out as a lefty knife, and not every smith may have the experience to make one. Even the most accomplished knife makers receive little call for lefty knives, so there are probably few experts in this field. The entire blade is a mirror image of a right handed knife. Couple that with the loss of any economy of scale, and the 50% upcharge doesn't seem so bad. The good news is that the only people who truly need a specifically "handed" knife are those who make very specific and repetitive cuts with fancy names, such as sushi chefs. A lefty has the decided advantage of have lived in a right handed world, and usually is better at using right handed tools than one would expect. Hand a righty a left handed can opener and watch the fun, but you can probably use a right handed one with ease, simply because you've done so your entire life. When I cut salmon for gravlax, I cut from right to left, same as a sushi chef, only I hold the knife in my left and. Awkward? Yep, but I've been doing it forever.

Don't worry too much about the lefty/righty aspect, but if you try a single bevel knife, start with an inexpensive one. If you're a typical western cook, your single beveled knives won't see much action.

 

[Jim]

Well said Ouch.

What is the percentage of leftys in the general population?

One thing to consider is a comparable tool, for example if you are looking for a slicer a single edge Yanagi is left or right handed. An ambidextrous choice would be a Sujihiki.

 

[Alacrity59]

Well said Ouch.

What is the percentage of leftys in the general population?

One thing to consider is a comparable tool, for example if you are looking for a slicer a single edge Yanagi is left or right handed. An ambidextrous choice would be a Sujihiki.

7 to 10 percent. Goodness knows how many left handed people were forced to learn how to write with their right hands.

 

[redwing]

i thought the op was ajoke, like 'go get mea left handed screwdriver' ;

i was unaware of the different bevels available - i have german knives;

please pardon my ignorance and thank you for the info;

more cliff claven type info to store away!

 

[Doc4]

Ian, this one is "right" up my alley, so to speak. Not only am I a lefty, I'm probably the most left handed person alive.

... and it's about Japanese knives ... I should have put your name in the title!

A true single bevel knife if forged that way. One side has the cutting edge and the back side is slightly concaved. There is simply no way to convert one to the other. A lefty knife has to start out as a lefty knife, and not every smith may have the experience to make one. Even the most accomplished knife makers receive little call for lefty knives, so there are probably few experts in this field. The entire blade is a mirror image of a right handed knife. Couple that with the loss of any economy of scale, and the 50% upcharge doesn't seem so bad. The good news is that the only people who truly need a specifically "handed" knife are those who make very specific and repetitive cuts with fancy names, such as sushi chefs. A lefty has the decided advantage of have lived in a right handed world, and usually is better at using right handed tools than one would expect. Hand a righty a left handed can opener and watch the fun, but you can probably use a right handed one with ease, simply because you've done so your entire life. When I cut salmon for gravlax, I cut from right to left, same as a sushi chef, only I hold the knife in my left and. Awkward? Yep, but I've been doing it forever.

Thanks, if the Leftiest Lefty (who happens to be a japanese knife nut) doesn't mind the pricing, I guess it's not inappropriate.

i thought the op was ajoke, like 'go get mea left handed screwdriver' ;

i was unaware of the different bevels available - i have german knives;

please pardon my ignorance and thank you for the info;

more cliff claven type info to store away!

Don't worry, before I came to B&B ... and talked to Ouch ... I didn't know about that either.