# Trying to decide between the Konosuke HD2, Mizuno Tanrenjo Akitada Blue #2 and the Masamoto KS Wa Gy



## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

I have been looking to buy new 240mm Gyuto (changed the length from 270 to 240mm)  and have been considering these three models and help in deciding will be appreciated.

1) Konosuke HD2 laser

2) Mizuno Tanrenjo Akitada Blue #2

3) Masamoto KS White 

I think that the Konosuke is cut from sheet semi-stainless steel and ground to shape while the other two are forged carbon steel forge welded to soft iron outer layers.

Will the forging type knives have a more refined microstructure that will give better edge retention over a knife cut from sheet stock?

 Does any of this fabrication technique make any difference in knives? 

Does anybody have any experience comparing the performance of these knives?

Thanks,

Jack


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## mrbushido (Apr 24, 2014)

I have the konosuke hd2 270mm gyuto and love it sharpens so easy. Holds a good edge for long and gets so sharp.

And its semi Stainless but i feel its the samme as Stainless in corrosion and piting.

Love mine


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

mrbushido said:


> I have the konosuke hd2 270mm gyuto and love it sharpens so easy. Holds a good edge for long and gets so sharp.
> 
> And its semi Stainless but i feel its the samme as Stainless in corrosion and piting.
> 
> Love mine


Thanks, do you have any issues with cutting hard root veggies like Jicama, Parsnipo, carrots, radishes, etc? I have seen that some folks talk about the Knon HD as a fragile knife when it comes to breaking down chicken and such.


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## mrbushido (Apr 24, 2014)

Dont dare use it on bone!

But use it on hard thing rot vegetables love sweet potatos so heck of a lot of thoose.

Using now about 15 degree on each side with 30 degre microbevel on left side. Can go much lower and sharper but i want durability too.

I am a lefty that why the micro on left side


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## mrbushido (Apr 24, 2014)

But got a heavier gyuto just in case its to heavy stuff


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

I have a nice Wusthof cleaver for bone work, I just want a great knife for veggies and such.


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## denverveggienut (Mar 8, 2012)

Jack- I don't have any experience with any of those three knives, but I would like to volunteer that the type of procedure by which a knife is made should be pretty far down on the list of characteristics you use to choose between knives. Even steel type isn't critical. More important are profile (flat spot or not, rounded edge, pointy at the tip or less so, blade height at heel, etc.), and grind (thin behind the edge? good food release?). Also- you mention edge retention. What are you using right now? If you're using German stainless, all three of these knives will be head and shoulders above what you have now. Probably the "worst" edge retention of the three would be the Masamoto, but in my experience, well-done white #2 edge retention is still just fine for a home cook. How do you sharpen?


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

DenverVeggieNut said:


> Jack- I don't have any experience with any of those three knives, but I would like to volunteer that the type of procedure by which a knife is made should be pretty far down on the list of characteristics you use to choose between knives. Even steel type isn't critical. More important are profile (flat spot or not, rounded edge, pointy at the tip or less so, blade height at heel, etc.), and grind (thin behind the edge? good food release?). Also- you mention edge retention. What are you using right now? If you're using German stainless, all three of these knives will be head and shoulders above what you have now. Probably the "worst" edge retention of the three would be the Masamoto, but in my experience, well-done white #2 edge retention is still just fine for a home cook. How do you sharpen?


Thanks, Right now my Chefs knife is one I made from a kit 35 years ago with 1080 Carbon steel. It is 12" (300mm) long and I sharpen it every few weeks. I also have a few Wusthof pairing knives, and a set of Henckels Twinstar Plus knives that I'm not particularly fond of. I got my wife a Global small Santoku which fits her hands perfectly but, doesn't hold an edge very well.

I agree with your characteristics with regard to profile, grind, etc and that is one of the ways I narrowed down my selection to the three knives listed above. Before retirement, my job required me to interact with a group of metallurgists that supported our product line and with forgings grain structure and refinement was important along with many other attributes so you can see where my fabrication questions come from. Perhaps this is the wrong forum to ask such a question.

As far as sharpening goes, I'm a woodworker that uses Japanese chisels, hand planes and saws on a regular basis and I sharpen every week on stones.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Forging certainly produces a significant improvement for most alloys, even with some of the high-tech alloys like SG2/R2.  Though I do not know of any who are offering forged knives from alloys like S10V, S110V, SRS15 or HAP40, the latter 2 seem to be the kitchen knife darlings right now.  Apparently the rolling process that goes into making the sheet is enough for these alloys.

Heat treat is also critical, but makers who go through the trouble of hand-forging typically do not skimp here either.

Rick


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

DenverVeggieNut said:


> Jack- I don't have any experience with any of those three knives, but I would like to volunteer that the type of procedure by which a knife is made should be pretty far down on the list of characteristics you use to choose between knives. Even steel type isn't critical. More important are profile (flat spot or not, rounded edge, pointy at the tip or less so, blade height at heel, etc.), and grind (thin behind the edge? good food release?). Also- you mention edge retention. What are you using right now? If you're using German stainless, all three of these knives will be head and shoulders above what you have now. Probably the "worst" edge retention of the three would be the Masamoto, but in my experience, well-done white #2 edge retention is still just fine for a home cook. How do you sharpen?


I'm a holdout when it comes to alloy, but DVN is pretty spot-on here. Of the 3 knives you've mentioned the Misuno's blue #2 has it bit more for edge retention, but I know nothing of their other attributes aside from the appearance of some belly to the profile. Both the Masamoto and Kono are very thin behind the edge and have classic Sab profiles (Masamoto said to be slightly better here), the Kono has better edge retention and is of course a laser. All of these steels sharpen very easily, and can be kept going for quite a while with a ceramic steel.

You might also consider the Akifusa. It gets very excellent reviews, the SRS15 steel is hard to beat in terms of both fine grain and edge retention, though it is a bit more difficult to sharpen.

Rick


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

Thanks Rick,

I'll take a look at the Akifusa.

Jack


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Jacko9 

Aloha, from Hawaii, I have experience with all three knives. Not too knowledgeable on heat treatment procedures, or if it will produce a finer grain structure, but from a real world experience all three knives are great. I currently own a 240mm KS, 150mm HD2 petty, (but i do want a Gyuto too) both great knives.

OK. Jack, few questions to ask you.

Do you mind the extra maintenance in having a carbon knife?

Since you are currently using German knives did you like the weight of the knives or would consider a lighter weight knife? The HD2 being the lightest and thinnest followed by the KS and than the Mizuno.

Do you use a steel on your knives? 

What type of Stones do you use? Grit?

  In my personal experience DenverVeggieNut is correct the white #2 doesn't really have the best edge retention, but what it lacks in, it is so easy to sharpen back to an amazing edge. The blue steel in the Mizuno will be great long lasting edge but in my opinion doesn't produce such a refined edge, but nothing too shabby, definitely much better than any softer German knives will. Finally, the HD2 in my experience with my petty the edge retention I can say is in between the white and the blue, but sharpening it (once trained to your style of sharpening) will be very similar to any high quality white steel. To answer your question about cutting harder root veggies, I feel that a thinner laser type knife will excel at cutting carrots and jicama, because of its thin and fluid grind, the knife just glides through the item without wedging. The only things I would not cut with anything really thin or flexible knife would be veggies such as Kaboca Squash, or other type pumpkins.

Had used all three knives (minus the HD2, but I do have a Ikkanshi Tadasuna 270mm Inox (Ginsanko Stainless Steel) but does compare to it very similarly Grind, Blade Shape and Weight) I still can't decide which I would pick out of the three. For my personal Masamoto KS, I maybe got a lemon or just bad QC (which they are known for) handle and install. For the handle, the d shape handle first of all totally does not even come close to what you play for, ferrule was not even close to being flush with the ho wood handle. Another flaw on my handle, was that it was not sealed with epoxy, water got in and rusted my blade, had to get a custom handle for it but love it now. Positive notes, the KS has an unique profile, somewhat of a shear shape which give you very little belly, having a larger flat spot.

Both, the HD2 and the Mizuno have the traditional blade shapes of most gyutos, Hd2 having a bit more of a flat spot compared to the Mizuno. Both knives have good quality control, personally I feel Konosuke has a bit better finishes overall.

To end this very long post, All great knives just comes down to the nitty gritty, of weight, ease of use, or even options. I know the mizuno will have the biggest customization's' on JapaneseChefknives, followed by the Konosuke HD2 with handle options, and the least with the Masamoto KS, maybe just ferrule options.

PS: Aside from the flaws in my KS, now it is a go to knife in my bag because it very versatile, thin edge but has a bit of weight to it so I don't have to use as much pressure. I also hope to have all three knives one day. If you are also considering other options I could make up a few other good suggestions that could be suit you too. 

Hope this helped. Happy shopping.                   

Allen Lum


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

Thank you Allen for sharing your experience,

Right now I have a 300mm carbon chefs knife and the maintenance is no problem.  I don't use a steel on my knives and I have a set of Bester stones 700, 1200 grit and a 6000grit King Stone and a set of Shapton glass stones 500, 1000, 2000 and 8000 grit.  I use stones a lot since I'm a woodworker and use Japanese Chisels and Hand planes.  My 300mm carbon knife has a 2.7mm spline with a rather flat grind so I get a lot of food sticking.

Allen, since you use all of these knives do any stand out with food sticking to the blade?  I think that the Kono HD is a flatter side profile and that sliced food like potatoes might stick easier?

Jack


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

Rick Alan said:


> I'm a holdout when it comes to alloy, but DVN is pretty spot-on here. Of the 3 knives you've mentioned the Misuno's blue #2 has it bit more for edge retention, but I know nothing of their other attributes aside from the appearance of some belly to the profile. Both the Masamoto and Kono are very thin behind the edge and have classic Sab profiles (Masamoto said to be slightly better here), the Kono has better edge retention and is of course a laser. All of these steels sharpen very easily, and can be kept going for quite a while with a ceramic steel.
> 
> You might also consider the Akifusa. It gets very excellent reviews, the SRS15 steel is hard to beat in terms of both fine grain and edge retention, though it is a bit more difficult to sharpen.
> 
> Rick


Rick,

I noticed on an earlier post that jacobrb02 had micro chipping with the edge on this knife (the Akifusa). It looks like he got it re-sharpened and was going to switch out from using a bamboo cutting board but, I haven't seen any recent comments to see if the micro chipping was just from the initial edge, his technique or the cutting board.

Have you seen any other feedback with the SRES15 steel?

Jack


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## mrbushido (Apr 24, 2014)

Havent got any stiction with my konosuke hd2 270mm gyuto sharpen slightly convex edge


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I notice you are all Home Cooks. Let me clue you in, don't try and impress everyone with the most expensive knife. No matter which one you buy they will all cut. The trick is to get the one that feels best in your hand. It could very well be none of these overpriced  knives, Only you can decide.


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## mrbushido (Apr 24, 2014)

Haha lol? Dont trying to impress trying to be honest about a knive ;-) 

So excuse me hah


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

chefedb said:


> I notice you are all Home Cooks. Let me clue you in, don't try and impress everyone with the most expensive knife. No matter which one you buy they will all cut. The trick is to get the one that feels best in your hand. It could very well be none of these overpriced knives, Only you can decide.


Chef Edb,

I try not to buy on price but there is an issue with getting one that feels best in your hands because I have not found a place that retails these knives since Japan Woodworker closed their retail operation last summer.

I have a lot of knives that cut just fine and after putting a new edge on my 300mm carbon chefs knife I decided that I would keep it and get a great performer in a 240mm Gyuto. I do have many decades experience with Japanese woodworking chisel, hand plane irons and saws and I want to get a knife that can hold that kind of sharp edge (and feel good in my hands).

I value the voice of experience and one characteristic I value is minimal stiction when cutting onions, potatoes, etc. As you can imagine, I'll only use this knife a few times a week so things like heft, etc that people that work long shifts value is not a problem for me. It's pretty hard to wade through all of the terms about knife shapes, grinds, etc.

Jack


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

A lot of us that shop online have gotten good at guessing how a knife performs from pictures of the profile and choil shot, steel type, hardness.  Between basic specifications and discussion online, we have a good guess without ever touching the knife.  Not every city has a good knife shop.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

The Masamoto KS is an extremely light knife and white steel takes a stupid sharp edge easily, but retention is a little less than blue, or AS. I had a HD and it was a really nice knife - 270mm Kiritsuke tip gyuto. No experience with the Mizuno, but this fella does -


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

Thanks,

Great video and review.

Jack


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

jacko9 said:


> Rick,
> 
> I noticed on an earlier post that jacobrb02 had micro chipping with the edge on this knife (the Akifusa). It looks like he got it re-sharpened and was going to switch out from using a bamboo cutting board but, I haven't seen any recent comments to see if the micro chipping was just from the initial edge, his technique or the cutting board.
> 
> ...


 The edge of a new knife will sometimes be on the weak side and perhaps even show some chipping. Any knife around 60RC and over with an acute edge will not like bamboo or plastic boards specially with poor technique. My rather modest Ikon slicer (very probably at the 59RC of wusty's claimed max) at 12deg/side will ping on a plastic board. You can micro-bevel to a more obtuse angle to compensate here without loosing that much perceived sharpness.

On high-enknives most of the harder steels taken toward the upper end of their HT will microchip as part of the wear process, real small chips though usually, hardly visible to they naked eye. But I understand that neither SRS15 or HAP40 are known for this used on wood boards. Check out Zknives review of the Akifusa, all of his reviews are very thorough:

http://www.zknives.com/knives/kitchen/ktknv/akifusa/akifusag240.shtml

Still, all of your picks are great knives as has been said.

Rick


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## scott livesey (Jan 25, 2013)

Rick Alan said:


> Forging certainly produces a significant improvement for most alloys, even with some of the high-tech alloys like SG2/R2. Though I do not know of any who are offering forged knives from alloys like S10V, S110V, SRS15 or HAP40, the latter 2 seem to be the kitchen knife darlings right now. Apparently the rolling process that goes into making the sheet is enough for these alloys.
> 
> Heat treat is also critical, but makers who go through the trouble of hand-forging typically do not skimp here either.
> 
> Rick


not sure of your backround, but forging to produce a knife does not improve the alloys. knives are forged for the same reason pistons and axle parts in your car are forged, cheapest way to get high quality, repeatable results. S10V, HAP40, and related steels are powder metallurgy tool steels that were developed to be used as high performance industrial cutters(drills, mills, broaches) and special components that are subject to high stress. they do not forge well and do not have the micro structure to be cutlery. properly ground and heat treated 1080 will perform as well as the sacred White/Blue steels, although 1080 is not made from iron sands collected by magnet from the bottom of a sacred lagoon(you read about that on the Hitachi website). I own a cleaver made by Alten Seemen Messer of 1084 that was ground 7 degrees per side with no micro-bevel and hardened to Rc62 . It cuts carrots, potatoes, and winter squash with ease and still can cut ripe tomatoes see thru thin.

back to the original question of this thread, I would recommend finding a custom maker here in USA and see what they can do for you. Price should be comparable to knives from the west side of the big pond, and you will help an American craftsman .

scott


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Oh dear Scott, why did you have to go and ruin everyone's night like that?

I am a mechanical engineer, and I am telling you flat out that you are dead wrong.  I mean absolutely mindlessly wrong, about forging and everything else.  So much so that I won't legitimize any of it with a serious argument.  As to the story of your Messer in particular, any knife can be sharpened to 7deg/side and do translucent slices, with my far more modest Ikon at 12/side I can consistently cut a variety of veggies, between .7-1mm, and even thinner on some shots.  And I'm hardly a cutting wiz.  So that example is just pointless, though in a used car or, perhaps more appropriately, cutco salesman kind of way.

Quite frankly you are talking like someone who is completely out of their mind, not that I am claiming you are actually out of your mind, just saying that you are talking that way.  Or I could compare it to some knife makers who tell tall tales to hawk their wares, the latter of which is something you tried to do around here once, and got reprimanded by the moderator for.

Well you are not completely wrong about everything, but something like half wrong about some things.  S10V, S110V and a number of steels in that very high wear category were made with flat surfaces in mind and because of the very high carbide density have relatively poor edge stability.  At an inclusive angle of 20deg they will be extremely sharp, but the edge will break down relatively quick compared to some other steels.  Though at inclusive angles of about 30deg and above they start to outperform everything.  I believe Spyderco sends theirs out at 34deg inclusive.  HAP40 and SRS15 are not the same as those 2 alloys.

If I hadn't given up drinking during the week I'd go pop one of my cheapest bottles of red right now.


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## mrbushido (Apr 24, 2014)

Rick Alan said:


> Oh dear Scott, why did you have to go and ruin everyone's night like that?
> 
> I am a mechanical engineer, and I am telling you flat out that you are dead wrong. I mean absolutely mindlessly wrong, about forging and everything else. So much so that I won't legitimize any of it with a serious argument. As to the story of your Messer in particular, any knife can be sharpened to 7deg/side and do translucent slices, with my far more modest Ikon at 12/side I can consistently cut a variety of veggies, between .7-1mm, and even thinner on some shots. And I'm hardly a cutting wiz. So that example is just pointless, though in a used car or, perhaps more appropriately, cutco salesman kind of way.
> 
> ...


 totally agree cheers mate corona here now hehe


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## scott livesey (Jan 25, 2013)

Rick Alan said:


> Oh dear Scott, why did you have to go and ruin everyone's night like that?
> 
> I am a mechanical engineer, and I am telling you flat out that you are dead wrong. I mean absolutely mindlessly wrong, about forging and everything else. So much so that I won't legitimize any of it with a serious argument. As to the story of your Messer in particular, any knife can be sharpened to 7deg/side and do translucent slices, with my far more modest Ikon at 12/side I can consistently cut a variety of veggies, between .7-1mm, and even thinner on some shots. And I'm hardly a cutting wiz. So that example is just pointless, though in a used car or, perhaps more appropriately, cutco salesman kind of way.
> 
> ...


dont understand the message and tone of rick's reply. so why do you forge Rick? or do you? my facility forges 13million units a year, they are probably on the car you drive. we forge steel because it is cheap and repeatable. you forge knives because it is cheap and repeatable when done on a large scale.

you take stuff out of context, the point i made was you don't need fancy steel to make a good knife. i was never reprimanded by a moderator, just found out the rules. S110V, Hap40, and SRS15 are all powder metallurgy tool steels and seem to be the designer flavors of the month for high end steel.

My main point is you can find high quality hand made knives, made in USA, made of American steel and wood that are as good if not better than blades from Japan. The money spent on said knife will help keep an American craftsman in business.

as far as wine goes, i sell the Prozac the VA gives me, and use it to buy Ripple, not a bad drink when properly chilled, brown paper bag optional.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

" we forge steel because it is cheap and repeatable."

I'd love to meet the engineer who gave you that as the definitive reason for forging.

My older brother sold drugs also, we don't talk to each other anymore.  I certainly do appreciate your service to the country.

 Everyone knows exactly what you said, and sans those dubious declaratives I have nothing against you suggesting that people consider buying American.

TGIAF


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

Well,

I have to say that this post has taken an unexpected turn but, i have to say that the starting knife steel is just the beginning of the process.  Metal processing results; rolled, cross rolled, extruded or one of the forging techniques are dependent on the metal alloy, processing temperature and processing steps.  Forging a good engineered steel with the proper temperature and material reduction processing gives some of the desired properties.  Hardness, fracture toughness, grain refinement and flow and tempering are a few characteristics that I'm looking for in a great knife.  I don't care that much about fancy wood handles since I'm a furniture builder and I can build any handle I want.

I just want a knife that cuts great and keeps on cutting great without a lot of headaches.  Engineering a metal that has the "just right" hardness/fracture toughness is what I'm looking for in a great chefs knife.

Thanks for all of the responses,

Jack


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

The Akifusa is a badass knife.  The only things I don't like about it is that it would be lighter if it was a Wa handle and it could be smidge thinner.  Awesome profile, wicked long flat spot.  FWIW I think the Masamoto KS is the most perfectly shaped gyuto in existence.


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

Thank you,

The Masamoto KS is currently out of stock but, it is one of my top choices.

Jack


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

Well after much thought, I got the Konosuke HD2 240mm Gyuto and this knife slices like nothing I've ever used before.  I also ordered the Fujiwara Nashiji 240mm Gyuto to see if that style suits me better or to see if I want to use both for different product.  Thanks for all of the helpful information.

Jack


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

Cool!  Konosuke makes some awesome knives.


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

Yes the Konosuke HD2 is a very fine knife and I just also purchased a Teruyasu Fujiwara Nashiji 240mm Gyuto to add to my kitchen.  The Fujiwara is a lot heavier but the edge is increadably sharp.  Time will tell which of these two knives I find to be my favorite.

Jack


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## jacobrb02 (Jul 1, 2014)

jacko9 said:


> Rick,
> 
> I noticed on an earlier post that jacobrb02 had micro chipping with the edge on this knife (the Akifusa). It looks like he got it re-sharpened and was going to switch out from using a bamboo cutting board but, I haven't seen any recent comments to see if the micro chipping was just from the initial edge, his technique or the cutting board.
> 
> ...


Sorry guys, totally dropped off the map and just saw this reference to my earlier post. Might be too late for this conversation, but I wanted to update on the Akifusa. It has been perfect since I had the microchips sharpened out. It could be that the factory edge was a bit brittle, or that I have really concentrated on technique since then - especially avoiding any twisting or torque. The new edge is scary sharp and has retained it's edge very well, with just a brief touch up on the stones.

It is a fantastic knife - my only regret is getting the santoku instead of the gyuto. It was a first j knife for me and I was being cautious, but it's been a pretty quick learning curve and I'll be in the market for a 240mm gyuto soon (so it begins . . .).

Hope that was informative on the Akifusa.


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## jacobrb02 (Jul 1, 2014)

jacko9 said:


> Yes the Konosuke HD2 is a very fine knife and I just also purchased a Teruyasu Fujiwara Nashiji 240mm Gyuto to add to my kitchen. The Fujiwara is a lot heavier but the edge is increadably sharp. Time will tell which of these two knives I find to be my favorite.
> 
> Jack


Jack, any updates on the kono hd2 versus the fujiwara? Very different knives so maybe hard to compare. Just curious . . . They're both on my list. That and the gesshin ginga, which is obviously much more like the kono.


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

After several weeks of using both knives, my favorite has become the Teruyasu Fujiwara Nashiji 240mm Gyuto. I just love the feel of the Fuji as it falls through ingredients.  I think the additional weight of the Fuji just gives me a feeling of more control of the knife, (keep in mind that I'm not a professional cook).

I may decide to sell the Konosuke HD2 but I'll give them both a few more months.  If I decide to buy a 270mm slicer it will be a Fuji.

​I was a little heavy handed with the Fuji on a hard maple end grain cutting board and put a few micro chips in the edge.  I live close to a really good sharpener (Ken Shwartz) and I had him touch it up for me on a 3K Nubatama Ume stone and strop with 0.75 micron CBN emulsion and it's back to the same razor sharp edge.  I purchased that stone and the 1K version of it since I sharpen a lot of wood chisels and will be practicing on a few of my other knives.

I'll get some pictures of both knives and add them on here.

Jack


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

jacobrb02 said:


> Jack, any updates on the kono hd2 versus the fujiwara? Very different knives so maybe hard to compare. Just curious . . . They're both on my list. That and the gesshin ginga, which is obviously much more like the kono.


Jacob,

If you decide you like the Fujiwara you can purchase it online at;

http://www.teruyasu.net/products/gyuto.html

I bought mine here with the upgraded ebony handle at a pretty reasonable price, check it out.

Jack


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## jacobrb02 (Jul 1, 2014)

jacko9 said:


> Jacob,
> 
> If you decide you like the Fujiwara you can purchase it online at;
> 
> ...


Crazy deal! That's like a solid $100 off purchasing from a US retailer. Benefit of going directly to the maker I guess.

How has the W1 core been on the nashij? In terms of reactivity, forming a patina, etc?


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## jacobrb02 (Jul 1, 2014)

I swear I posted a reply but it's not showing up. anyway, that's a great deal going right to the maker - about $100 cheaper than going through a US retailer. On the maboroshi line, it looks to be several hundred cheaper.

How have you found the W1 core on the nashiji, in terms of reactivity etc? Also, as for the micro chipping, probably not a surprise - I think the W1 on that knife is hardened to something like 65-66 HrC, which seems very hard for W1.


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

jacobrb02 said:


> I swear I posted a reply but it's not showing up. anyway, that's a great deal going right to the maker - about $100 cheaper than going through a US retailer. On the maboroshi line, it looks to be several hundred cheaper.
> 
> How have you found the W1 core on the nashiji, in terms of reactivity etc? Also, as for the micro chipping, probably not a surprise - I think the W1 on that knife is hardened to something like 65-66 HrC, which seems very hard for W1.


I love the white #1 and I haven't seen any issues with reactivity at all. The knife maker sends you a nicely wrapped package including handling instructions and a very nice micro fiber towel. The while steel has a very slight darkening actually just enough to see the cladding interface. The grind on the knife is very nice and product like onions and root veggies just fall off the blade.

It is hardened in the RcH 65 - 66 range and push cutting, slicing and chopping is extremely easy. The Konosuke HD2 is a very sharp knife and cuts very well but, it doesn't have the feel of the Fuji. When I purchased the Fuji it was just before Christmas and ordering the ebony handle caused a weeks delay because of the scarcity of good ebony (which as a furniture maker I can understand). After letting me know that he had the material for the handle the knife arrived in a few days. Actually the deal is much better since the USA dealers don't supply a ebony handle which adds $50 from the maker but, a whole lot more with local suppliers.

I'm thinking about getting a slicer from Fuji and perhaps a very small Gyuto for my wife. Good luck and let me know what you decide.

Jack


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