Quote Originally Posted by JDM61 View Post
True. I am going by what the hardcore looneys do over oaths side of the pond.
what do they do, got any sources to educate us?
My understanding is that Shigefusas are not exactly know for being thin whippy "lasers".
no they are not but they are also not that great cutters without some tinkering.
You say USED to think that thinning behind the edge was the ticket?
yes that was the be all end all trend 3-5 years ago. All of a sudden thin knives such as Suisin INOX Honyaki and Ikkanshi Tadatsuna became very popular because they were "very good" cutters. Then people started realizing that thinness is not the key to better handling, it is grind/geometry. Quite a few people were very surprised how a Kato can out outperform almost anything out there for such thick knife.
LOL As for the "factory" edge, in many cases is that an issue of economy in that a maker can't really afford to spend a couple hours putting a highly polished final edge on knives if he expects to make enough to sell?
No it is just accepted that each chef/cook can put the edge they like on their knife very simple.
I know that you can pay extra for retailers like JCK to put a "proper" edge on your knife before shipping.
Those that do not can't or do not to learn how to sharpen pay for sharpening services it is their choice/right to do w/e they want with their money.

You did not answer my question by the way, what Japanese knives have you personally handled and used, because reading on the forums is not quite the same as actually cutting something and definitely not quite like sharpening a blade, especially a traditional.