# Masamoto KS 270mm Wa-Gyuto



## tatnall (Oct 23, 2012)

So I just told my wife to pick up one of these for me for my birthday in a couple of weeks.  I have been wanting to add a gyuto to my pretty German collection for a while.  I had been researching them but even though I have found good thoughts, the differences between several different makers and knives seemed just to blur in my mind.  Recently, I had the opportunity, in exchange for agreeing to prep his annual Chili feast, to try out a number of my BIL's knives.  One of the ones I really liked was this knife, although in a slightly shorter version (240 mm?).  But since I have always preferred longer I am thinking the 270.

Reasonable idea?  There is still time before she places the order...

Thanks,


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

The Masamoto KS is a wonderful knife and a legitimate contender for "best in the world at any price."

Happy birthday,

BDL


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## mano (Dec 16, 2010)

Be aware that Masamoto's usually run a bit long, so a 240 may be closer to a 250. I used a 270 for a while and it was too long for me, but probably the best knife I've ever used.


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## tatnall (Oct 23, 2012)

I was a little on the fence about the length but relative to my BIL's 240, 270 should be just about right.  If not, I guess I may ultimately end up with two.

One question I do have that came up when researching these critters is sharpening them.  I am no slouch with the stones and keep my current knives very sharp but am no expert and don't really have any desire to be.  Some of the various comments, though, make it seem almost as if you need to keep your stones next to the board and sharpen them between cuts. 

How long do they really go (for mostly mirepoix type veggies--no bones or anything)?  I have a friend who is a professional knife sharpener and he brings his gear by every once and a while and does a professional job on my current kit in exchange for a couple of adult beverages (after he is done with the sharp instruments, of course).  Will I need to have my friend by much more often?


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

The KS is made with Hitachi White #2 (aka Shiroko aka Shirogami 2), and ships with excellent edge geometry and a fairly sharp edge. White #2 is one of the three or four best, all-around, carbon alloys in the world with excellent edge properties and an excellent sharpness/toughness balance. It takes as good an edge as you can sharpen, takes it easily, and holds it for a long time. It's far better in all three respects than the dated, overly tough, stainless alloy(s) used in your Germans.

The thinness of the Masamoto (part of its overall excellent knife geometry) make what I call perceived sharpness (how the knife acts) far better; and perceived sharpness is more important than "absolute sharpness" (the width of the edge at the apex).

Because the alloy is so strong and so well hardened, the blade will not go out of true nearly as easily as one of your German stainless knives. That's a good thing, because the combination of hardness and thinness mean the knife blade is not a good candidate for maintenance on a steel. If and when you want to true, you can either "touch up" on a very fine stone, or use a strop charged with very fine compound or left unloaded. It all sounds very complicated but really isn't because the edge resists deformation even better than published "C" hardness numbers would lead you to believe (has a lot to do with the difference between "indentation" and "impact" hardness, as well ad differing maker hardening techniques, and the differing amounts of [ahem] optimism in maker supplied hardness numbers).

You'll probably take the knife to the stones (or the strop if that's how you sharpen), with about the same frequency as you do with your Germans. Once you experience the sort of sharpness a good sharpener can get on an excellent knife, you become addicted and less tolerant of what seemed sharp before.

While the KS is a GREAT knife, it's not the last word in perceived sharpness. That distinction belongs to an even thinner class of knives generally called "lasers." The KS is about as thin as a knife made from White #2 could be made without an excessive failure rate at the time they were introduced. Since then technical improvements in blade smithing allowed the new type to made economically enough to bring them to the market.

BDL


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

boar_d_laze said:


> The Masamoto KS is a wonderful knife and a legitimate contender for "best in the world at any price."
> 
> Happy birthday,
> 
> BDL


I'm also considering buying the Masamoto KS 240mm Wa-Gyuto but I'm also looking at the Mizuno Hontanren Blue #2 Gyuto 240mm and the Konosuke Fujiyama Blue #2 240mm. Your posting above indicates that the Masamoto KS might be among the "best in the world" class but that was two years ago. If your still active on this forum would you offer an opinion as to the other two knives in comparison?

Thanks,

Jack


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## tatnall (Oct 23, 2012)

mano said:


> Be aware that Masamoto's usually run a bit long, so a 240 may be closer to a 250. I used a 270 for a while and it was too long for me, but probably the best knife I've ever used.


Just stumbled on this about a couple of years later. Love the knife, but Mano was right, it is a little long.


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## jacko9 (Oct 25, 2014)

Thanks,  Because the Masamoto hasn't been in stock for quite some time, I decided to buy the Konosuke HD2 240mm Gyuto.  Then as a follow on I got the Teruyasu Fujiwara Nashiji 240mm Guyto.

Both knives are excellent and I'm trying to decide if the additional weight of the Fuji makes a difference in cutting hard root vegtables.

Jack


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