Kohetsu 210mm HAP 40, light touch up but becoming a favorite

[Bullman]

Always loved the HAP40 on my pocket knives and now my chef knives. Sharpens well and holds a good edge. Did 3 medium cantaloupe last night and she slid right through it without issue. Great knife. Impeccable

service by CKTG.

[Chefcallari]

I got one in 240 for a fathers day gift from my wife... Its ridiculously underrated... It is a beast. In a pro setting Its just flat out a beast.

[Bullman]

I just did a load of tomatoes with mine and your right very underrated. Cuts beautifully

[nevrknow]

Love mine. 240 tho. Re-handled ( I do all my knives ) Polishing the blade now. This is going to take some time. Oh well. My preference.

[Bullman]

Those are stunning beyond words

[appleward91]

Love mine. 240 tho. Re-handled ( I do all my knives ) Polishing the blade now. This is going to take some time. Oh well. My preference.

I too have a 210mm hap40 wa style. But you know what i noticed by watching the western vid? The western hap40s have a much more flat profile than the wa counterpart. I would love the western handled blade with a wa handle but I don't think you can re handle that western handle one. the bolster or w/e looks part of blade? anyone have any knowledge on this?

[nevrknow]

When you say flat profile do you mean the blade edge? If so a good coarse stone can make it as flat as you want. Just takes some work and since you have one you should know this is a tough steel but can be done. I have done the same thing with several blades. Some have had a slight "gap" in the belly I have taken out to make flatter. Not really a problem if you know how to sharpen. Do you? I'm not trying to be funny just asking. If you do great! If not, you have come to the right place

As far as the handle goes of course you can re-handle the western version. I do not have one but yes the bolster does look integral to the blade. Questions do arise tho. Do you want to keep the bolster and adapt a wa handle to it with the bolster in place? ( Which looks nice if done properly ) You can leave the bolster and grind down the tang to make it "fit" a wa handle.

Or grind away and polish the bolster area and "force" it to be a wa handle tang and retro fit it.

Is it worth the trouble to alter it? That would be up to you. If you prefer the other profile and have the skills ( or know someone who does ) and can make it work the way you want it to I would say go for it.

[HalfBloodHobbit]

Probably one of the best options for a line knife, particularly the western handled Kohetsus. HAP40 isn't technically stainless but it won't pit at all, just minor surface oxidation if you leave it out on a board without cleaning/drying.