# Need Help!!! looking for 240mm gyuto.



## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Hey guys.
I am looking to add a new addition to my kit. I am looking for a 240mm wa handled gyuto, preferably "laser-ish". I guess I would like it to be made up of carbon alloy or semi-stainless. I currently have a tojiro white#2 210mm gyuto and really like and would like to try a 240mm. The knives that have caught my eye are:
Konosuke white #2
Konosuke HD 2
Masamoto KS
Sakai Yusuke
Richmond Laser Aogami

Any thought or other recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Allen


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## knyfeknerd (Apr 7, 2013)

What's your budget?


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

sorry for late resonds Knyfeknerd but my butget will be $350 and down.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Masmoto KS and Konosuke HD2 are the class of that particular field. 

If you're looking for a laser as good as the Konosuke are the Gesshin Ginga (white #2 or stainless), and Ikkanshi Tadatsuna (white #2 or stainless).  The Suisuin Inox Honyaki  (stainless only, as you can tell from the name) is in the same class, but more expensive.  These are all extremely good knives, and except for the differences between extremely good stainless and extremely good carbon, there isn't a whole lot to distinguish them.  Ecstasy guaranteed. 

You know what I think about the Sakai Yusuke from another forum; that it's an excellent knife, but a heart-beat behind the others.  You also know that I think the Richmond Aogami Laser is (a) not really a laser, and (b) not in the same league.

The Masamoto KS is as close to a perfect knife as I've ever used and it killed me not to buy it because it's a knife I've wanted forfrikkinever, but it is (a) White #2 only, and (b) not a laser.  I went with the HD because I wanted to try something besides carbon for a change, lasers were all the rage, the handle (old style) fit my grip like nothing had before, and a bunch of friends were twisting my arm.  Ow.  Alright already.  

None of these knives are stout, all of them require some form of "heavy duty" backup for the tough stuff.

Some people claim they can get carbon sharper than HD, and HD sharper than stainless.  Maybe, but if so it's not meaningfully sharper.  The sharpest knife I ever used was a Tadatsuna Inox.  All of these knives sharpen very easily to extreme levels of sharpness; each can take and hold extreme symmetry; each can take and hold high levels of polish; and all are good edge holders.  Count on sharpening with your usual frequency.  All of these very light knives lack the mass to function without a really good edge. 

The Konosuke HD hits a very sweet spot, with the laid back maintenance of stainless but the smooth, sweet feel on the stones of carbon.  I have two HDs, a 270 gyuto and 300 suji. 

You can't go wrong with any of these. 

One last thing:  If you do decide on a laser, and if you have a sufficiently large board, you really want to consider a 270.  It's not just that the Kono 240s run short, but lasers are so light and agile you don't give up anything for the extra 3cm.   If your board just isn't big enough for a 270, and you have room for a larger one, my advice is to get a bigger board AND a 270. 

BDL


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

The Kono and Sakai have taken a price jump so IMO the KS becomes almost a no-brainer as long as you are ok with carbon. I dig my Ikkanshi's but I'm not at all convinced those being made after the factory was sold and moved are the same knives that were so highly regarded prior to the Tsunami. The Suisin Inox Honyaki is equal the the Ikkanshi's of the past but if that's the flavor you like I'd hold off until June/July when Korin does the 15% off sale.

 I'm not in the camp that thinks bigger is always better. I grab 240mm the most at home. If you are a student and/or working then I'd agree completely on the 270.

Dave


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks knyfeknerd, BDL and DuckFat (Dave).

After reading many other posts and your replies about the different knives listed I think I have made a decision on which knife I am going to get first. Since the HD2 is available at the moment I am going to pick it up first and when the KS returns I will pick that up after (hopefully not too soon) and probably get the sakai yusuke when that comes back in the 240mm version. In terms of the size of the konosuke hd2 I do have a large board at school the standard plastic cutting boards so I would be fine with that I am just wonder about the line at work if I would have enough room to use it. If anything I can just a larger petty or I was really interested in getting a suji to try out (in the future not now). For the other recommendations, I not too familiar with the other options that were mentioned by BDL or duck fat only know two of them the ginga and suisin. Where would I look for the other knives mentioned? 

PS: 1. The other things that was mentioned by BDL is that I should accompany the knives that I want with a heavier knife what would that be can I get some examples of them. Any knives in the similar class (higher end) wa handled (perferred). 

2. I am looking for a petty to be used as a paring knife. Only knife that has caught my eye is the Konosuke HD2 120mm. I have not held one before just like it because I don't think I would remember to wipe it after uses. I am looking for a wa-handled petty around 120mm, I guess I would like something like stainless or semi stainless, opened to carbon. I wish not get anything with a kurouchi finish on it didn't really care for it on my tojiro. I was using a shun premier 4 inch paring and though the knife was a bit tall (plus did not like the belly on it). I have also held a tojiro 90mm parer and though it was a bit too flat. Hope someone could recommend me something, sorry for being so picky with the petty. Also willing to spend about 150 or less (a little more is ok but price needs to be justified with performance). 

Thank you everyone for helping me. 

Allen Lum


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Sorry wanted to add one more thing to the last post.

BDL you recommend i look at the Gesshin Ginga, which I have looked at on JKniveImport's channel and it looks like it has a pretty big belly, any thoughts, I may be completely wrong, because the video may just have been shot at a different angle.

Allen Lum


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Some belly is a good thing. The Gesshin Ginga is a very sweet handling knife, with an appropriate amounts of belly and flat. It's profile is definitely French and well suited to "rock," "push" or "glide."

With almost any line, the 240 will seem like it has more belly than the 270, but actually has a shorter flat run from the belly to the heel.

The Gesshins, Konosukes, Suisun, and Tadatsunas are of very similar quality and performance. If you had them all together and tried them for a couple of weeks, you'd probably learn to separate the fly specks from the pepper and develop a hierarchy of favorites. But that sort of in-depth comparison probably isn't possible. The good news is that if you want a laser, you'll be thrilled with any of them.

I LOVE the KS. It's a great knife. It's not quite as expensive relative to the lasers in question as it used to be, but so what? The price difference isn't sufficiently large to be an important factor in decision making. If you let the fact that one knife took a 10% increase four months ago, while another's was 20%, you're being distracted by trivialities. If you can afford what you want, buy what you want; whether KS or laser. The price differences are not enough to form an important basis of the decision.

Truth to tell, when it comes to cutting onions, they're equally wonderful. Knife performance doesn't get any better.

Given what's going on with the yen/dollar ROE, it's likely the dollar prices of damn near everything made in Japan will drop at some point in the not too distant future. Worth holding your breath? ???

If you're worried about post-tsunami Tadatsuna quality, call Takeshi, the owner of Aframestokyo (Aframes is actually in Hawaii, and is, AFAIK, the only US Tadatsuna outlet). The guy is dead honest and will tell you what's what without embellishment and without pressure to buy anything in particular. My _guess_ is that the speculation is baseless, but see what _Takeshi_ says. Actually, you might as well call him anyway as a prudent part of the "due diligence" which should go into the purchase of any expensive and exotic knife. Jon (JKI) and Mark (CKtG) are also great sources. I hear the guys at Epicurean Edge are as well, but you're not talking any EE knives -- at least not so far.

BDL


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

For heavy duty work, say going through fish spines, I used a more robust chef's knife (10" carbon Sab), instead of my Kono. For very heavy duty work, I either used a great big 12" carbon Sab chef's or a 10" Forschner Cimiter. But _mutatis mutandi_. Onwards. Ever forward. Since buying it last fall, I use a 10" carbon Richmond Ultimatum for prepping any meal which includes anything those three knives could handle, but too much for the Kono.

If it's too scary for the Ultimatum, I'll go with spring-loaded shears, a saw, or a heavy meat cleaver.

The Cimiter has reasons, other than back up, to stay in my block. If I were actually going to go out and spend money on a knife to abuse, it would be an Ontario Knife Works Old Hickory butcher knife. 10" is the most versatile, but if you want choices, you can buy all three sizes, 7", 10" and 16". They're crude, but can be made a lot nicer with a little sandpaper; are made from a good alloy. At less than $20 per blade, they are delightfully cheap. You can probably still get all three butcher lengths for $50.

BDL


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## dhmcardoso (Apr 29, 2013)

Hi boar_d_laze, I am a brazilian culinary student and I am strugling with choosing a good japanese 3 set to replace my Globals, which get so slipery that makes me crazy. What I am looking for is a 210mm or 240mm Gyuto, an around 190mm Santoku and a 150mm utility. As my budget is restricted to USD400, I was thinking aboult this list: Hiromoto AS Gyuto, Shun Classic Santoku and a 150mm Tojiro DP. Would you have any other suggestions?Also, I am buying these on the internet to pick up with a parent in the US next month, so I am looking on japanesechefknifes.com, chefknifestogo.com and korin.com. Would you not recommend any of them or another one?Thank you a lot!


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## knyfeknerd (Apr 7, 2013)

BDL is brilliant for bringing up the Tadatsuna! I'm currently using a Tad petty which is excellent. They are very similar to the Suisin Inox Honyaki in most all aspects. The Suisin has a better fit & finish, but if you could score a Tad for cheaper-why not?

I'm also currently in possession of a 240 Suisin IH gyuto which is super, but is s little on the small side. I would definitely recommend this knife, but would go for it in the 270 size-but that's out of your price range.

Takeda is awesome and very "lazery" too.


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks BDL, Knyfeknerd for your replies. dhmcardoso thanks for viewing the post

I am actually really torn on which knife to get now because I am really interested in getting the 270mm Kono hd but on CKTG it is out of stock and so is the KS. For the gesshin ginga I would really like to try it (plus that it is on the cheaper side of what we are talking about ex $250 for 240mm) but unfortunately also out of stock. Another part that is really hard for me right now is that you told me AFramesToyko is located in Hawaii and I so happen to live in Hawaii so I could even go down and possibly take a look at what they have and get it that day if I really wanted too. So many good options to choose from but all are out of stock at the moment. For the suisin inox Honyaki I am not interested in because it is stainless and right now I am not really interested in getting one right now, thanks for telling me your views on that knife tho. Knyfeknerd thanks for the Takeda, but the ones I have seen, all have a kurouchi finish and I am not really a fan of that finish, thanks tho.

So right now it is really a waiting game!! The knives I am interested in are:

-Konosuke HD2 270mm Wa- Gyuto (out of stock $313+$30saya from CTKG)

-Masamoto KS 240mm Wa-Gyuto (out of stock $325+$20saya from CTKG) 

-Gesshin Ginga 240mm Wa-Gyuto (out of stock $250 from JKI)

-Ikkashi Tadatsuna 240mm Wa-Gyuto (in stock $334 idk if I can pick up or ? from AFrameToyko) not really sure about this knife have no info on it but I am pretty sure it is good and very similar to the to the other knives.

So sad hate waiting for things, I really want to starting cutting things with those knives already. Will probably get one and slowly increase my knife kit with the rest of the knives listed.

Thank you, everyone who helped me out so far if your know anywhere else that sell the knives that are out of stock listed and shipping is not to harsh (live in Hawaii so shipping is always a lot)

Allen Lum

PS: For the heavy-duty knife I will probably leave it for now because I really do anything thing hard (break down chicken, lobster, or squash) at work or school. For the paring or petty I am just going to pick up the HD2 when it comes back in stock. (knyfeknerd how is your Tadstsuna petty will to try it out only available in 150mm what do you think of that size as a parer/utility knife combo.


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

15 hours, 11 minutes ago





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Hi boar_d_laze, I am a brazilian culinary student and I am strugling with choosing a good japanese 3 set to replace my Globals, which get so slipery that makes me crazy. What I am looking for is a 210mm or 240mm Gyuto, an around 190mm Santoku and a 150mm utility. As my budget is restricted to USD400, I was thinking aboult this list: Hiromoto AS Gyuto, Shun Classic Santoku and a 150mm Tojiro DP. Would you have any other suggestions? Also, I am buying these on the internet to pick up with a parent in the US next month, so I am looking on japanesechefknifes.com, chefknifestogo.com and korin.com. Would you not recommend any of them or another one? Thank you a lot!

ReplyQuote Multi

Hi dhmcardoso,

Before someone start throwing knive options at you lets find out some stuff about you. Start a new post on the same forum (Cooking knives review), and answer those questions.

1. Are you right handed?

2. Do you know how to sharpen?

3. What are your looking for? (ex. gyuto, petty, etc.)

4. What is your budget? ($100? or unlimited, etc)

5. What is the use? (professtional, home, etc)

6. What kind of metals would you perfer? (stainless, semi, carbon)

7. Do your perfer a wa or yo handle.?

Allen Lum

PS: I am not really a big fan of Shuns, because they are just expansive if your want a shun just stick to the tojiro's they are about the same. What is the reason to have a gyuto and a santoku a good one (either a santoku or chefs) can do the job no need in have 2 of a simlar thing if your just need something to start out with.


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## knyfeknerd (Apr 7, 2013)

You're really missing out on the Suisins and Takedas. The IH line is probably some of the best stainless on the market. I think it outperforms a lot of the carbon knives I have. Don't believe the hype that carbon is king. It definitely has a place in everyone's bag -if you find the proper knife.

I'll admit the KU finish on really any knife is somewhat unappealing. The KU on Takeda knives is especially thick and chunky. It does however help to combat stiction and I say function over fashion rules anyway. I was not originally a fan of the profile of the knife either as I thought it looked a little wonky. It does cut like a dream. Sometimes what is not appealing to the eye does function better. I have several knives which I thought I would hate because of the profile that have ended up being some of the best cutters.

Oh, and the Tad....it was on loan from a friend and I just shipped it back to him. I also have a Kanehiro 150 petty too. The length is great for utility/boning/paring knife. The only task I could not do well with the length was tournee vegetables. I had to bust out an old Wusty for that.

Speaking of Kanehiro-  CKTG has them and you might enjoy. It's a core of AS clad in semi-stainless. My petty is great, AS steel rules!


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Let me add a little to knyfenerd...

Suisun Inox Honyaki:

The Suisun Inox Honyaki blade is made from Sandvik's 19C27. 19C27 is an excellent alloy, but neither is it all that uncommon, nor the "best" stainless on the market. However, after Suisun's done forging, heat treating, and otherwise finishing it, their Inox Honyaki knives are pretty damn good. Is the Susisun IH better than the other good stainless lasers, Gesshin Ginga, Konosuke HH and Tadatsuna Inox? Maybe, maybe not. But if so, it's not because their blades are better. Price aside, there's so much "a little of this and a little of that" that it's impossible for me to go beyond "U pickem." Suisuin IH is a great knife, no doubt.

The Takeda AS gyuto is not a laser. It's _almost_ thin enough, but not particularly light.

The profile is very flat. It's a naturally good push-cutter, but rock chopping and/or gliding require the user to fight the profile a bit. For that reason only, I wouldn't buy it. But that's a very personal preference.

The rustic finish is called "kurouchi," aka KU. Even though the color is very striking, KU is probably better understood as a texture. While coloring can be a natural consequence of the manufacturing process, the black on Takeda AS knives is lacquer. If it's not cleaned off, it will eventually wear off; so, for that matter, will "natural" color from charcoal dust. When the color wears off, the knife will be the same grey as any other carbon, still retaining its texture. Once the color is gone, the knife will require some action on the owner's part to prevent corrosion or harmful oxidation. It's no big deal.

AS is a very good carbon steel, and the best edge-holder among the other white and blue Hitachi YSS carbons. However, AS is problematic to work as a single steel, and most AS knives, are laminated kasumi (two layer, front and back) or san-mai (three layer, two outsides and a middle). The Takeda AS, like all knives made to be sharpened on both sides, are san-mai. Considering how thin the knife it is, it is quite stiff, stiffer than any of the other knives on the list; and that's a benefit of san-mai. Some people, including me, notice that san-mai knives feel damped or "muted" compared to single steel knives. Most people either don't notice the difference or don't care; but I do and dislike it so much that I'm too biased to judge the knife fairly in terms of its overall value.

BDL


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks Guys (BDL, Knyfeknerd)

Not that I don't want a stainless knife, just not right now I will need one in the future but for now I am going to be waiting for one of the 4 in the list to come back in stock. For the TAD I am still unsure of it just because I have never really heard anything about them, still want to check it out tho when I have some time when I am off I will give them a call to see if they have a showroom where I can take a look at the knife. In terms of the Takeda, the KU, I don't like the KU not because of how it looks, but because the food sticks onto the surface because it is so rough, I actually really like the black lacquer finish on it. On my tojiro I took the finish off when some sand paper and some elbow grease.

Thank you everyone I will keep you guys updated on which knife I pick up first. I really one to get one of each and test them out side by side, not anytime soon I hope.

Allen Lum


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## knyfeknerd (Apr 7, 2013)

Actually food DOES NOT stick to the surface because it is rough. A polished blade will create more stiction because of the surface. Usually food release is a a property of the grind on the knife -a nice convex grind will help a lot if stiction is a major concern.

The KU on a Tojiro is a bad example. You could rub it off with a napkin! I'll post a pic sometime of the finish on my Takeda.

Allen, good luck and keep us posted on your purchase!


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## alexane (Feb 26, 2013)

boar_d_laze said:


> notice that san-mai knives feel damped or "muted" compared to single steel knives
> BDL


Can you please elaborate on what damped or "muted" means?

Alex


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Thank Knyfeknerd

I will keep you posted on what knife I pick up. Just waiting for it to come back in stock and it is flying out to hawaii. Lol

Alexane sorry cann't really help with that question idk how to explain. Hope BDL or someone else can anwser. But for what i know it just feels like the knife is very solid and flat and it doesn't give feed back when you are cutting that why I don't like my shuns feels "died" Hope I am correct.

Allen Lum


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

> Can you please elaborate on what damped or "muted" means?


A friend of mine aptly compared it to wearing a condom.

BDL


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## alexane (Feb 26, 2013)

I think I kind of understand now but as a newbie in quality knifes I doubt that I can really translate this to a feeling, it is definitely for more experienced knife users.

Alex


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Bdl LOL, but straight to the point.

Alexane, I am pretty sure if you have 2 knives one san mai and another solid. you would see the difference, if you care about the feeling I can not tell, but some people care some people don't.

Do you have any san mai knives and solid metal knives. try them out next time side by side see if you feel anything different.

Allen Lum


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

I can't say I've ever noticed this with VG-10 but I wonder if we're getting a bit lost in the minutia of some obscure defintion. If pressed I would describe VG-10 as being a bit lifeless compared to G3 or 19c27.


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## alexane (Feb 26, 2013)

Allen Lum said:


> Bdl LOL, but straight to the point.
> 
> Alexane, I am pretty sure if you have 2 knives one san mai and another solid. you would see the difference, if you care about the feeling I can not tell, but some people care some people don't.
> 
> ...


Well , I do have a Tojiro DP san mai (7" utility) and a Fujiwara FKM 8" gyuto but I use one or the other so I never compared them this way.

Alex


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Alexane,

Maybe when you have the time try cutting with both of them, being that they are not the same style of knife you should still possibly see a different if you don't than you maybe some people that just don't feel it, but it comes down to preference.

TO everyone reading

After BDL has brought the Ikkashi Tadasuna could anyone tell me more about it, like a mini review.

Thank you everyone, alexane hope you try it soon.

Allen Lum


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

_Ikkanshi Tadatsuna_ mini-review. But let me add a little context. When it came time for me to buy my own uber wa-gyuto, I chose a Konosuke HD over every other laser and near-laser on the market. Some of the reasons I had at the time were screwy... or at least only indirectly knife related. But if I were restricted to knife-only considerations and had to do it again, I'd still buy a Kono HD.

There are quite a few outstanding wa-gyuto in the price range. I like the 270mm Kono HD best of the lasers, and the Masamoto KS best of the thin, but not quite lasers. But in no way does that mean you should too. It's important to understand that there are only a few types of knives in the elevated price range, and that once you've found your type it's pretty easy to winnow down the field to a few which will please you equally. At a given level of quality, we end up talking about how the etched kanji looks because they all cut onions pretty much the same.

BDL


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks BDL for showing me the review helped that I reread it. After reading a second time I got a little more out of it than the first.

The Tadatsuna is a really good contender right now because it is the only one in stock. Would you recommend the stainless or the carbon version, I am thinking of the stainless because of the other knives I want in carbon, that I will pick up in a much later date (I hope, later and not next month. LOL)

I just recently email mark from CKTG and he said it is going to take a couple of months to get the knife in because, konosuke has 600 knives on back order for them. I am still going to wait for the knives on the list, but I am really itching to have one in my hands right now. Mark recommended the 270mm funayuki, what are your thoughts on it, how does it differ from the regular model, is the extra $25 matter. I am not in a rush to get this knife, but if not much of a difference I may consider getting this.

For the Masamoto KS he said the, from what he got from his email, masamoto "may" be discontinuing the line. Maybe they are making a #2 of the KS line. If they are I am going to try to scoop one up from another website. I just really want to try one of the all time favorite knife amongst the people that have one.

Thanks You everyone for your help.

Allen Lum


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

A few years ago the Tad really stuck out as the less expensive and only true alternative to the Suisun IH.  Now there are several knives in the "excellent laser" category and the price range has constricted significantly.  Not that they're all the same price, but all of the good ones are expensive. 

I think the Tadatsuna Inox is a great choice, but not the only great choice.  I liked both Gesshin Gingas; Konosuke HD and White #2; Suisun IH; and both Tadatsunas pretty much equally when I tried them.  The Konos maybe a little bit more for their handle -- which (a) they don't use anymore; and (b) a lot of people found too narrow or too weird for its rounded bottom.  I understand that since they improved the heat-treatment, the new, improved, and harder Kono HH (stainless) line competes on a more or less equal footing with the other good stainless knives. 

FWIW, a lot of people put Sakai Yusuke lasers in the same group.  My very limited experience (two knives, brief acquaintance) puts them a hear beat below for F&F, but that's damn thin evidence.  Just another possibility.   

Gyuto profile is very important to me, with a strong preference for "French" -- the more Sabatier-like the better.  I've never tried Konosuke's funayuki, but Carter's was too flat to interest me.  I'd rather get a laser with a profile I know I like than take a chance on the funayuki becasue it's a Kono.  But I'm not you.  I think you should have what you want, and the best advice I can give you is to buy whatever that is.   

If it's really going, too bad about losing the KS gyuto; it's a wonderful knife.  If they are cutting it, let's hope Masamoto replaces it with something as good but less expensive.  KK is the sweet spot in their catalog, and a KK gyuto would be very nice indeed.   

BDL


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks BDL for your great guidance to me for getting a great high end knife.

I just ordered the KS from a website (don't want to mention) but I basically preordered and if the shipment comes in than they will send me my knife. I also order a 150mm HD2 petty, and I will wait for the 270 HD2 hopefully in a couple of months it will come back in stock.

For the Tads, I really want one, and may just get a inox so I can have a more well rounded range of materials depending what I am doing but still really want the carbon version, just per fer it but willing to try the Stainless. BDL you will still have your tad inox.

One more question for what would you dress the stone before sharpening, never learned that from my instructor.

Thank you everyone for helping me out

Allen Lum,

Will just you guys posted when I get the knives.


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## dave kinogie (Feb 16, 2013)

So I was googling and wound up in this older thread and a lot of good info but I had a direct question.

Is the Masamoto KS awful for rocking?

I don't do a ton of rock chopping, but it's still a part of my routine mainly for fresh herbs and mincing garlic and the such.

IIRC I've read elsewhere in the past that the KS was a very poor rocker. Mediocre I can live with, not sure if I could if it's straight terrible though.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

I have a KS and it's a great all around profile. I find it has enough belly to rock. Here's a tip - get it from Rakuten and save $100.

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/subaru/item/ks3124/


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## allen lum (Mar 1, 2013)

Hey Dave 
I did end up with a ks, it is a great all around knife, it has a great profile, a bit flater than other knifes (I also have a tad 270, the ks is 240mm). I have not really rocked with it too much but I am sure it will be fine. Great knife. I personally love the profile. 

Ps: I wanted to thank everyone that helped me in this post. 

Hope this help, if you need pics I can post some.


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## dave kinogie (Feb 16, 2013)

If you can post some pics that would be awesome.

I'm going to pick one of these up, pretty excited.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

If you don't want to drop that dime this might be the deal of the season - I ordered one yesterday.

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/gohada24gy.html


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## dave kinogie (Feb 16, 2013)

Well too late haha, I just copped it, actually off the forums from mano. 

A lot blade heavier then I had imagined, which has its pros and cons but I get the feeling this is razor sharp and if I get it rehandled, I'm figuring that will change thebalance some, though the point is right around a pinch grip anyway.

Really nice, the spine is rounded, the choil as well and the grinds are tight, can tell the blade is really toothy just running my thumb up it, almost cut myself immediately, don't tell anyone though haha.

Can't wait to run this through some heavy prep, looks like I'm gonna makea few soups and stews this week haha.

Thanks mano, very cool dude.


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## dave kinogie (Feb 16, 2013)

So, I'm liking this knife a lot. It's not as sharp as I thought it would and has some dead spots in the blades, but you can tell with just a little time on the stones and/or a proper stropping(one of which I'm not so sure I'm ready to do, the other I have yet to make or buy a setup) it will be a straight up beast.

The balance is pretty nice. It's a little blade forward and the neck is pretty long to the handle. Speaking of the handle, as expected it's underwhelming but comfortable and functional.

When you hit the sweet spot, which is most of the blade, it just glides through food. Falls through potatoes and it can slice tomatoes translucent, but it has some wedging issues with stuff like yellow squash and zucchini. Destroys onions, although OOTB I cannot rip through the horizontal cross cut when dicing, I have to go slow and saw to feel safe.

I'll tell you what... this is more then an adequate rock chopper. It's not a great rock chopper, but it is absolutely a legitimately good rock chopper, I am not sure why I read a number of people saying it was awful, let alone meh?

Tip work is pretty sick.

This is definitely longer then 240mm as well. Like a lot longer. I haven't taken a tape to it, but I have put it on top of my Richmond Artifex Wa-Gyuto tip to tip, which I measured at a legit 243mm from tip to heel a couple months ago and it is noticeably and substantially longer. It's not unwieldy, but I am getting used to it.

It's not as toothy as I had figured/hoped just from feeling for the burr/grind on the edge with my thumb, but it can push cut through paper towel decently and again, passes the tomato tests with flying colors.

I have had some issues with dicing stuff and winding up with accordion cuts because I am not used to the profile yet and don't wind up making blade flat contact at the heel when chopping fast.

I've done a decent amount of home prep so far and haven't had any issues with chipping even with a few wrenching motions when tying a few on when making soup haha.

Let's talk about patina a little...

When I got this, I thought it was insanely reactive, but apparently it wasn't fully. I'm going to cut and paste some stuff I posted on another forum:

_Let me tell you this much, man is this thing reactive!

I diced up a tomato, half an English cucumber, half a shallot and ribboned a romaine heart to make a salad cause I had to give it a spin and immediately after cutting the shallot it had patina going.

Can't wait til it's all funky and crazy like some motor oil spilled in a puddle._

Am I just crazy here, or am I stupid?

Probably a combination of the above. 

I thought I had the start of a crazy patina going, took the knife out, it's there. There's a touch of blue and mainly orange and yellow, it's concentrated where I mainly cut the shallots.

Full disclosure, I am heavily color blind with shades. I fully see colors, but often they are not the same colors or shades that others see. Therefore it's often difficult for me to say for sure which color something is, or what colors really look like to those with normal eyes.

Two examples:

Had a favorite shirt back in the day. Button down Perry Ellis. Wore it like once a week for a few months. One night at a bar I'm talking to this girl and like 15 minutes in she's like, I really like your shirt. It's an awesome shade of green... Me... What? I thought it was grey the whole time lol.

Second:

On the way into work lately we're passing this Ford dealership. There's a Focus special edition out there, or whatever model the Focus is now and for weeks I think it's orange juice orange. Well, it's supposedly banana yellow. I still think my coworkers are phucking with me haha!

And this ponders the question... What is orange juice orange, banana yellow, pale green or grey even look like?!

Anywho... now I've gone on a weird tangent and so I digress lol.

Seriously, now looking back at that, I'm not sure if any of this info was necessary haha.

Anyway, this patina is there... so I start prepping a huge bunch of veggies for vegetable soup. I wind up in the onions and then slice some lemons into wedges and let the juice sit there purposely.... I wipe and poof! Original patina is gone. Gone! GONE! Go-OnnE! Like there is this little wave of awesome light blue and orange-ish-ness running down the blade in a horizontal pattern, totally different from the original and it's so faint it's almost not there.

That is what remains now.

The blotching murder scene patina is gone, the blade looks nearly stainless clad with this faint horizontal wavy rainbow running most of the length that you can only see at certain angles in the light.

Am I so silly I didn't clean it right? And that there was veggie funk on the blade before? And never a real patina?

_Update:

Just left orange juice from a sliced orange on the blade for like 5 or 6 minutes to see how it reacted. It was mainly clear, but there was a darkish brown/yellow blotch on it about the size of a pencil eraser, wiped the juice clean with a strong hand and the colored mark is gone pretty much entirely.

This is my first experience with carbon blades BTW._

I separated them with the italics and bold for each post.

The new update is I just prepped some guacamole, an avocado mango salsa, onions, garlic and herbs for a basmatti rice and ingredients for marinated chicken, plus veggies for steamed vegetables and it is again starting to take on an awesome patina.

Overall I'm really digging this. I'm not sure If i paid well over $300 for it if I would have liked it as much, but getting it second hand this is just an awesome segue into the premium steels for me.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking to do the same who is reasonably comfortable with sharpening themselves and either won't get too hung up on the crazy plain and boring handle or plans to get it rehandled. It's a really righteous knife.

Thanks again Mano.


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## dave kinogie (Feb 16, 2013)

Benuser said:


> "Dead spots" in the edge? Your first carbon? Having a problem with a used blade you've bought? Are you serious?


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Don't use your thumb to test sharpness. The thicker pad does not give accurate feedback. Try to learn the "three finger test" shown here instead:


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## dave kinogie (Feb 16, 2013)

Mike9 said:


> Don't use your thumb to test sharpness. The thicker pad does not give accurate feedback. Try to learn the "three finger test" shown here instead:


Some of his videos are fascinating, I could burn hours watching them.


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