Geez, Chem,
This type of personalized banter is not why I post on Hungry Onion
I’m out.
Production knives through the eyes of a new tech:
I believe this Youtube shows that in Japan, even the knives we think of as “production” knives still take on the Japanese passion for craftsmanship.
It helps me understand why my Miyabi birchwood feels like a one of a kind knife made just for me. It remains my favorite kitchen knife.
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Glad you like your knife, but this feels like you’re trying to elevate your Miyabi to something it is not. It is a mass produced knife - each one the same as the others - and I’m pretty sure they didn’t have you specifically in mind when they made it.
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Hi alexanderras,
I had a great deal of difficulty justifying this knife for my kitchen–both according to my SEU, and the function it would serve in my batterie.
I especially liked the raw birchwood handles. The wood might even come from Northern Wisconsin near where I was born–but I’m not a collector. I found a special opportunity to get it from a great supplier for $200–and I bought it.
When I got it, I was afraid to use it–and damage the damascus–felt I wasn’t worthy of such a great knife–behaved like I was a collector.
Little by little, I’ve gotten confident, found a task niche that works, and even tuned the sharpness with my green compound strop.
It’s still my favorite knife after four or five years of use–and I feel I made it specially mine over those years of use.
In some ways, I think they did make it for me. 
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Hi Ray,
This concept of SEU, it stands for subjective expected utility? You have to tell me more please. How do you calculate this? I love conceptual thinking on everyday topics - it’s good training for my brains.
***Alex, expected utility hypothesis? Please ask me about my formula about CFHCQPR. It stands for Cultural Fusion Home Cooking Quality Price Ratio. I can shorten it to FCQPR.
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My days of doing math are (sadly) long gone! 
Still have nightmares from this book, it is better than any Stephen King horror! 
Haha - like you I had to look this up the first time it was referenced. I loved how it was an overly complicated way of saying “gut feel about price-value trade off” and even comes with an equation to suggest that you can get scientific and quantitative about it
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The book is somewhat fusion.
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Hi damiano, I start with a foundation knife that I attribute a cash value to–my seki Magoroku nakiri. I update it’s subjective value all the time. Right now, it’s about the same cost as the Kai Wasabi nakiri ($40).
How do I make the SEU?
I’d justify 2X for Rockwell 60 hardness (maybe 3X for harder) with cladding for rust and stain protection. Maybe to 4X with damascus. Extra for fnf, balance, tapering, handle, bolster, tang. Gets me up to 5X times $40= $200–my SEU
It’s completely subjective, so I can bump it around a bit–but not too much.
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Wow, that is actually quite smart.
It’s very similar to how I would tackle some complicated problems at work. Did you say you used to teach at Cornell?
If my algebra doesn’t deceive me this equation solves to your SEU being $160 - ie 4x not 5x
Why don’t you ask me about my CFHCQPR?
Give it to me Chem - ideally as an equation
Chem, can you please tell me more?! 
@alexanderras @damiano , of course, it is an amazing equation. It kind of like gaming RPG too.
CFHCQPR really has three major components: CF (Cultural fusion), HC (Home cooking) and QPR (Quality price ratio). The equation is: CF X HC X QPR
CF is tied to location:
• Southern California is 10,
• San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Vancouver is 8
• Most of the world is a ~5
• An easily confusing part is that CF is about the location of the buyers, not the knife makers.
HC is to home cooking skill:
This is the home cooking skill of the knife marker, not the buyers.
• We start with 7 points
• Knifesmiths who can do home cooking plus 3 points – increases to 10 point
• Knifesmith who has professional/restaurant cooking get subtracted 5 points.
o One exception is if the professional chef experience is in sushi. If so, then it get a +3 points
• Knifesmith who hold their knife with a pointed finger grip will get subtracted 3 points for being unsafe.
• Knifesmith who does home cooking while sitting in a chair get full point regardless of previous conditions.
QPR is complicated, but a major equation of QPR is:
• Knife hardness HRC multiplied by 50, and then divided by knife price in USA dollars.
o For example, a HRC 63 knife being sold for $350 has a: 63 X 50/ 350 = 9
Let’s walk this through.
I live in SoCal buy a Miyabi SG2 Birchwood knife.
CF=10 because I live in SoCal
HC=10 because the knife technicians do home cooking and have no professional cooking experience
QPR = 9
This knife being bought by me will have a CFHCQPR is 900 points
Now, if an Europeans bought a Takeda Gyuto, then it is
CF=5
HC=4 (I have not seen Takeda-san cook much and he hold his finger out during knife sharpening)
QPR=8 (HRC=64, the knife price is ~$400)
CFHCQPR=160 points.
I appreciate any inputs to further improve this equation.
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Can’t fault you for not putting in effort Chem
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