"Burrfection Knife" Sakai Takayuki by Ryky AUS8 240mm Gyuto with Buffalo Horn Handle

I think I was one of the early buyers of this knife. My knife also has, "1 of 200, Launch Edition" imprinted on it. I like Ryky. He seems like a good and decent family man. I wanted to support his endeavors and also get a knife that I would use all the time.
Right out of the box, the spine was bent. So, rather than just send it back immediately, I applied a gentle amount of force in the opposite direction. The absolute ease in which this knife bends is really concerning. I know the theory behind outer layers of soft steel sandwiching/protecting a layer of harder edge steel that's able to keep an edge. But this is the only Japanese Gyuto I have (at least 6 others, made by Masamoto, Misono, and even Fujiwara Teruyasu) that I can bend with almost no effort. I really don't think well made knives should be able to be bent with this small amount of force. I'm reluctant to use it, and as a result it just sits on my magnetic knife strip.
Is it sharp? Yes. Thin? Yes. Almost feather light? Yes.
But I'm sorry. I don't agree that it deserves the 5/5 rating everyone is giving it. I do a lot of cutting and cooking. I'm not a professional chef, but for 30+ years I've spent at least 6 hours a week in the kitchen doing prep. For me, this is not a knife I reach for with confidence. Obviously others feel differently.
I also acknowledge the initial batch of knives may be different from the current version.

Bought this knife in Nov 2020. It is stunning to look at and almost too beautiful to use. The handle is gorgeous, it feels so light, and balanced and just right in your hand. It is wicked sharp and I absolutely love it. I prefer it over my Shun chef knife. Now that Ryky has introduced me to good Japanese knives I can’t go back to using my heavy German knives. I wash and dry it immediately after use and it still looks new.

My wife is an avid cooker but has never had a nice or professional knife. So I was researching top Japanese knives and found your channel. Then I went down the best rabbit hole ever due to all your knowledge. I decided to buy her your knife the Burrfection Launch as a way to buy something top notch and support you. She was blown away by the knife. The feel, the excellent performance, the amazing handle, and it is truly a beautiful knife! She is in love with it and is now looking for her next knife! Thank you

i love this Knive and With The Number 1 of 200 im absolutely happy :D

I have a great relationship with this knife. Since they have been in the Burrfection store I’ve purchased five of them; four for gifts and one for me. They make a great introduction for folks to the joys of using Japanese kitchen knives. There are a couple of things that help make this a standout gift.

1. They are sharp right out of the box. Many times people have no idea how easy it is to use a sharp knife and this a good example of that.
2. The blade is thin and well balanced.
3. The AUS8 steel is easy to sharpen for new users.
4. Most everyone can use a great knife in their kitchen. For some it’s the first really good knife they have ever had.
5. They have a classic cutting profile.
6. They look and feel like the quality products they are.

There are few items that can be given that you know will be appreciated by the recipient. This is one of them. I heartily recommend them to anyone looking for an excellent kitchen knife.

I recently turned a collector of Japanese knives watching a lot of Youtube videos and websites increasing my knowledge. I went on a limb and bought this YouTuber guy's knife. I said that knife is a great looking knife. Well, I just got the knife in and great was not the word. Its a DAMN Beautiful knife one of the BEST I obtain so far. Best Handle in my collection. The handle is pristine and the blades and logos just WOW. The knife is so beautiful I am not sure it will see the kitchen. LOL. You know-how RYKY is always giggling from different knives due to there features. Well, it's like he took the best of all those knives and compile them in designing this knife. I like how Japanese writing are well pronounce and you don't have to squint to see it. The blade polish is just amazing. The blade is so nice I wish it was even larger to enjoy looking at it even more LOL. But truly this knife is worth it the Design is just amazing.

I stumbled across Ryky's YouTube channel a while back and enjoyed his knowledge and enthusiasm for knives and sharpening. When I found out he had an online store I went browsing with abandon. Fathers day was coming up and I sent some links to my family of the items I wanted hoping they would all pitch in for a Fathers Day Gift for me. When it arrived, it was not the knife I picked out from the B-stock but a '1 of 200' Launch Edition 240mm first quality knife. This is a beautiful knife folks. Really well made and sharp out of the box!. The first thing I noticed was how light it was. After slinging around German steel with (what seems like now) incredibly thick tangs this knife is really light by comparison. I imagined I would own a Japanese knife at some point but I'm glad I was able to support Ryky in some way. I love watching people who can find a way to turn their passion into a way to support themselves too. It's clear you took the time to make sure that if you were going to put your name on something you wanted it to be a quality piece. Well done Ryky; well done!

Ryky's sharpening videos got me to sharp knives, finally. And my curiosity about Japanese Gyuto's couldn't be denied when I saw the price in the B-store on one of his Launch editions. Supposedly it had a blem, but I peeled the little green sticker off before I realized it marked the "blem". Plus, some of the Japanese knife sellers recommend what sounds like Ryky's launch edition as a first time knife- AUS8 steel, 240mm, not cheap but not outrageous. After a couple weeks in the kitchen, some very light stropping on 2000grit and soft tomatoes slice like I want them to. I'll probably be back in a year to try something not so beginner.

I'd post a picture but can't figure out how to do that.

Just received your "1 of 200" Limited production gyuto knife and it is very nice. Light, fits a large hand easily, well-balanced (~60/40) and sharp. My go to food prep food for sharpness is a serrano pepper cross cut. Pulling through with semi-closed eyes one could barely feel the cut. Tried my Shun 210 chef and Dragon Fusion, both just whethoned, and could feel the pull on both. Whoever did the sharpening at Takayuki did a magnificient job. I expect years of use out of this gorgeous knife.