Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a post
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Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a post
Disclaimer: This is not a review that talks in depth about grinds, profiles, value, steel composition, sharpening, etc. but rather is a rambling regarding a good chunk of my knife journey from last year. Ye be warned, the wall of text before you contains many run-on sentences and flow of consciousness writing because this ain’t English class y’all.
I recently picked up a Kono HD2 240 gyuto, a knife that has been praised as the second coming, reviled as being over rated and overpriced, and generally discussed to death over the past few years. As a relative new guy to the J-knife world (on about year two as of writing this), this knife has always been on my radar but has never been something I have pined over in the same way as others who would gobble up entire inventories of them as soon as they came in stock. But because of divine timing (which is really the key to most things in this world) I ended up with one in my mailbox about a month ago and have since formed some opinions that I intend to share with you people who may understand this silly obsession of collecting and overanalyzing expensive chunks of metal (ImI) more than the rest of my friends and family who rightly ridicule me for it.
I was fortunate enough to apart of a pass around for a Kono White 240 laser last summer and really enjoyed my time with the blade. I remember liking how it felt on the board and how it was a more nimble knife than any 240 I had used before (which to be honest was only a Tojiro DP 240 which is a bit unwieldly in comparison). But because I had tried one of the blades in the “Kono Laser” series of knives, my curiosity had been sated and I decided to try other knives and explore what else this world of J-knives could offer before buying a Kono GS+ or Swedish steel variant (the white steel line was a bit too rich for my blood and I never thought I would ever see an HD2 in stock). So my purchases since this passaround were a used Teruyasa Fujiwara Maboroshi 210, a beast of a knife who is not the smoothest through product but has something so unique and appealing about it that I don’t really care, a used Kurosaki AS laser in 240, which is an absolute beast of a knife in more than one way, and Kurosaki R2 hammered 210, which was visually a stunner and moved through product as well or better than any blade I’d tried up to that point. Well almost a year later looking back on each of these, my impressions of them have come full circle, they have taught me a lot about my personal knife preferences, and why my Kono HD2 may be the front runner as my new favorite blade.
The TF took a bit of warming up for me but has quickly become one of the more enjoyable blades I own. At this point I can find three distinct lesson that it has taught me about my preferences. One: board feel. The core steel of this knife is a White #2 treated up to 64-65 rockwell, this gives the knife very distinct feedback when making cuts. I find I that am able to “connect” with the blade when it is so easy to feel it make contact with the board or move through an onion. This is something I have really grown to love about the TF. Two: Sturdiness. This blade feels relatively stout in comparison to most of my other J-knives. I am sure this has to do with both the grind and thickness of the blade, but I find that the sturdy feel this knife has makes me much more confident when using it. I don’t have to baby it as much as something thinner and because of that I use it more and worry less. Three: size is relative. This knife is about 212mm in length which is right about where my size preferences lie as a home cook. Even though on paper it is my preferred size it feels much closer to a 200 or a 180 gyuto to me. A lot of this has to do with the notch that TF’s have which allows the user to choke up further on the blade than with a standard gyuto, but regardless, to me it acts like a shorter knife so it typically won’t get chosen when I want a full sized 210. There are plenty of other things to say about this knife such as it is entirely idiosyncratic, or that it is a bit fat behind the edge so it’s not the smoothest or cleanest through product, or the endless lottery/FnF/grind issues with TF’s but we have two more detours to make before the main event so I’ll stop here.
The Kuro R2 hammered 210 was a knife that I was very excited about when I heard that they were going to be in stock. It was a gorgeous blade from a great smith and I was excited to try out R2 steel for the first time. I grabbed one as soon as I got the notification email (I’ll bet more than one person here can relate to that experience…). This knife was an absolute feather weight of a blade that is the epitome of a “laser” class knife. This thing was so thin and so sharp it truly ghosted through short product (carrots, celery, shallots). But on anything taller or wetter (eggplant, potatoes) I found that the blade sort of stuck to the ingredient and almost made it more difficult to get through as you have to apply constant pressure the whole way through the ingredient. This knife is sort of the opposite of “let the knife do the work”, more of a “the knife will do as much work as you put into it” sort of thing. I also found out that R2 feels entirely hollow on the board which for me was a real bummer… And finally, the handle it came with was really not very good. This made the knife feel sorta blocky and dare I say cheap(?!). Handles before this were always something I had taken for granted and while not all handles on my knives are great they aren’t terrible… this one bordered on terrible... While I have discovered that this knife is definitely not for me, I by no means think it is a poor blade at all, just not in line with my preferences. Because if this I have since sold off this blade hopefully to a new owner who can appreciate its beauty and scalpel like precision more than I.
One day I was browsing the closeout section of our favorite website and stumbled upon a lightly used Kurosaki AS laser 240. This is a knife I have never heard anyone say anything bad about and I was feeling gutsy at the moment and concluded that “yeah I’m B.A. enough to handle a big ol’ 240, I'll be like the Clint Eastwood of the kitchen, ya feeling lucky carrot?”… So that was an instant buy… A few days later she shows up and oh baby, now that's a knife. It’s slightly oversized at about 243ish mm and for what I have used up to that point quite tall at about 52mm. I used it almost exclusively the first week or two after getting it. It is robust enough to feel authoritative but performs so dang well. It has a forward balance to it which is something I am not terribly used to but have learned to use to my advantage. Great flat spot in the back for some serious chopping and a very well executed tip. And the handle on this knife is totally 10/10, beautifully finished rosewood that feels so nice in hand. So what’s the drag? Well after getting to know it more, and as a home cook who typically cooks for one most nights (ahhh so much crippling loneliness…) it is way more knife than I need. It is great for busting out a big ol pot of Ragu or minestrone soup where you have to prep all the veggies and machine gun chop your way to deliciousness, but when I’m trying to whip up a quick salad and mince some garlic and shallot for the vinaigrette, its too big and unwieldy to effectively use for a quick slice of lettuce and some tip work stuff. So unfortunately, this blade doesn’t see as much use it should but it still sticks around for those special occasions where I need to prep the whole fridge or when I am feeling like my ego needs a boost.
So that brings us (finally…) to the HD2. Well about 2 months ago or so we were blessed by the knife gods as KS’ started popping up again, and like everyone else, I too was on the prowl. Only, once I was ready to pull the trigger, I couldn’t find any in stock… But you know what was in stock??? HD2s. The once king of the knife world now forgotten and ignored thanks to the only knife that is more revered than it. Well I remember that Kit had recently posted a review of his HD2 a bit earlier in the month so I strolled on over to that thread and gave it a read. By the time I was done reading I had no choice, overwhelmed by a desire to spend my hard-earned money on another toy that I really don’t need but wanted oh so bad (curse you lack of self restraint!), I clicked buy. Three days later a shiny Kono HD2 was in my hands. First impressions were: “wow this thing is perfectly balanced, gosh it doesn’t really feel as big as my other 240, that blade looks kinda boring, I hope it doesn’t feel to flimsy on the board…” Well after having used it semi regularly for dinner prep, and this past weekend for Easter dinner prep (meal for 22 so she got a nice work out), I am pleased to report that this bad boy somehow combines the vast majority of lessons that I learned from prior blades into an almost perfect (for me, YMMV) package. So let’s start at the handle and work our way up. This handle is absolutely not terrible, and while not as pretty as that of the Kurosaki AS laser, it is feels and is finished every bit as nice. The one thing that I have found interesting about the handle is that it is longer than every other handle I have. This I think is part of the secret weapon the Kono laser series sports, the balance point. This knife is balanced so well that it foregoes any clumsiness that other 240s typically have. It allows the blade to have the extra length and cutting power of a 240 without sacrificing the nimbleness of a 210. The profile is very nice with a good flat spot at the back that allows for some great chopping ability (not quite the same lvl as Kuro) and a gentle curve all the way to the low and thin tip (shallow rocking is no problem, same with push cuts, GnG, the works). The blade is also not all that tall for a 240, because of this I don’t find that you need to “push” the blade through tall and wet ingredients, it will still do some of the work for you. The next aspect that really impresses me is that this knife flows through product like a laser but somehow retains a semblance of robustness in the grind that inspires enough confidence for you to really go to town with it. The steel also gives some nice feedback on the board, not quite TF levels but enough to satisfy. So let’s take a tally real quick, The TF and Kuro Hammered taught me that I prefer knives that inspire confidence and provide feedback while cutting (Kono checks that box), TF taught that size is relative and the Kuro AS laser taught that standard 240s while nice for their extra cutting power are too big for me as a daily user (Kono addresses both of these very well), and Kuro AS and Hammered taught that handles are not to be taken for granted (again Kono gets it in spades). Well well well, looks like I may have accidentally stumbled onto a knife that somehow synthesizes most of my preferences into one package. Nice!
TLDR; The Kono HD2 checks more of my preference boxes than any other knife I’ve used up to this point.
I recently picked up a Kono HD2 240 gyuto, a knife that has been praised as the second coming, reviled as being over rated and overpriced, and generally discussed to death over the past few years. As a relative new guy to the J-knife world (on about year two as of writing this), this knife has always been on my radar but has never been something I have pined over in the same way as others who would gobble up entire inventories of them as soon as they came in stock. But because of divine timing (which is really the key to most things in this world) I ended up with one in my mailbox about a month ago and have since formed some opinions that I intend to share with you people who may understand this silly obsession of collecting and overanalyzing expensive chunks of metal (ImI) more than the rest of my friends and family who rightly ridicule me for it.
I was fortunate enough to apart of a pass around for a Kono White 240 laser last summer and really enjoyed my time with the blade. I remember liking how it felt on the board and how it was a more nimble knife than any 240 I had used before (which to be honest was only a Tojiro DP 240 which is a bit unwieldly in comparison). But because I had tried one of the blades in the “Kono Laser” series of knives, my curiosity had been sated and I decided to try other knives and explore what else this world of J-knives could offer before buying a Kono GS+ or Swedish steel variant (the white steel line was a bit too rich for my blood and I never thought I would ever see an HD2 in stock). So my purchases since this passaround were a used Teruyasa Fujiwara Maboroshi 210, a beast of a knife who is not the smoothest through product but has something so unique and appealing about it that I don’t really care, a used Kurosaki AS laser in 240, which is an absolute beast of a knife in more than one way, and Kurosaki R2 hammered 210, which was visually a stunner and moved through product as well or better than any blade I’d tried up to that point. Well almost a year later looking back on each of these, my impressions of them have come full circle, they have taught me a lot about my personal knife preferences, and why my Kono HD2 may be the front runner as my new favorite blade.
The TF took a bit of warming up for me but has quickly become one of the more enjoyable blades I own. At this point I can find three distinct lesson that it has taught me about my preferences. One: board feel. The core steel of this knife is a White #2 treated up to 64-65 rockwell, this gives the knife very distinct feedback when making cuts. I find I that am able to “connect” with the blade when it is so easy to feel it make contact with the board or move through an onion. This is something I have really grown to love about the TF. Two: Sturdiness. This blade feels relatively stout in comparison to most of my other J-knives. I am sure this has to do with both the grind and thickness of the blade, but I find that the sturdy feel this knife has makes me much more confident when using it. I don’t have to baby it as much as something thinner and because of that I use it more and worry less. Three: size is relative. This knife is about 212mm in length which is right about where my size preferences lie as a home cook. Even though on paper it is my preferred size it feels much closer to a 200 or a 180 gyuto to me. A lot of this has to do with the notch that TF’s have which allows the user to choke up further on the blade than with a standard gyuto, but regardless, to me it acts like a shorter knife so it typically won’t get chosen when I want a full sized 210. There are plenty of other things to say about this knife such as it is entirely idiosyncratic, or that it is a bit fat behind the edge so it’s not the smoothest or cleanest through product, or the endless lottery/FnF/grind issues with TF’s but we have two more detours to make before the main event so I’ll stop here.
The Kuro R2 hammered 210 was a knife that I was very excited about when I heard that they were going to be in stock. It was a gorgeous blade from a great smith and I was excited to try out R2 steel for the first time. I grabbed one as soon as I got the notification email (I’ll bet more than one person here can relate to that experience…). This knife was an absolute feather weight of a blade that is the epitome of a “laser” class knife. This thing was so thin and so sharp it truly ghosted through short product (carrots, celery, shallots). But on anything taller or wetter (eggplant, potatoes) I found that the blade sort of stuck to the ingredient and almost made it more difficult to get through as you have to apply constant pressure the whole way through the ingredient. This knife is sort of the opposite of “let the knife do the work”, more of a “the knife will do as much work as you put into it” sort of thing. I also found out that R2 feels entirely hollow on the board which for me was a real bummer… And finally, the handle it came with was really not very good. This made the knife feel sorta blocky and dare I say cheap(?!). Handles before this were always something I had taken for granted and while not all handles on my knives are great they aren’t terrible… this one bordered on terrible... While I have discovered that this knife is definitely not for me, I by no means think it is a poor blade at all, just not in line with my preferences. Because if this I have since sold off this blade hopefully to a new owner who can appreciate its beauty and scalpel like precision more than I.
One day I was browsing the closeout section of our favorite website and stumbled upon a lightly used Kurosaki AS laser 240. This is a knife I have never heard anyone say anything bad about and I was feeling gutsy at the moment and concluded that “yeah I’m B.A. enough to handle a big ol’ 240, I'll be like the Clint Eastwood of the kitchen, ya feeling lucky carrot?”… So that was an instant buy… A few days later she shows up and oh baby, now that's a knife. It’s slightly oversized at about 243ish mm and for what I have used up to that point quite tall at about 52mm. I used it almost exclusively the first week or two after getting it. It is robust enough to feel authoritative but performs so dang well. It has a forward balance to it which is something I am not terribly used to but have learned to use to my advantage. Great flat spot in the back for some serious chopping and a very well executed tip. And the handle on this knife is totally 10/10, beautifully finished rosewood that feels so nice in hand. So what’s the drag? Well after getting to know it more, and as a home cook who typically cooks for one most nights (ahhh so much crippling loneliness…) it is way more knife than I need. It is great for busting out a big ol pot of Ragu or minestrone soup where you have to prep all the veggies and machine gun chop your way to deliciousness, but when I’m trying to whip up a quick salad and mince some garlic and shallot for the vinaigrette, its too big and unwieldy to effectively use for a quick slice of lettuce and some tip work stuff. So unfortunately, this blade doesn’t see as much use it should but it still sticks around for those special occasions where I need to prep the whole fridge or when I am feeling like my ego needs a boost.
So that brings us (finally…) to the HD2. Well about 2 months ago or so we were blessed by the knife gods as KS’ started popping up again, and like everyone else, I too was on the prowl. Only, once I was ready to pull the trigger, I couldn’t find any in stock… But you know what was in stock??? HD2s. The once king of the knife world now forgotten and ignored thanks to the only knife that is more revered than it. Well I remember that Kit had recently posted a review of his HD2 a bit earlier in the month so I strolled on over to that thread and gave it a read. By the time I was done reading I had no choice, overwhelmed by a desire to spend my hard-earned money on another toy that I really don’t need but wanted oh so bad (curse you lack of self restraint!), I clicked buy. Three days later a shiny Kono HD2 was in my hands. First impressions were: “wow this thing is perfectly balanced, gosh it doesn’t really feel as big as my other 240, that blade looks kinda boring, I hope it doesn’t feel to flimsy on the board…” Well after having used it semi regularly for dinner prep, and this past weekend for Easter dinner prep (meal for 22 so she got a nice work out), I am pleased to report that this bad boy somehow combines the vast majority of lessons that I learned from prior blades into an almost perfect (for me, YMMV) package. So let’s start at the handle and work our way up. This handle is absolutely not terrible, and while not as pretty as that of the Kurosaki AS laser, it is feels and is finished every bit as nice. The one thing that I have found interesting about the handle is that it is longer than every other handle I have. This I think is part of the secret weapon the Kono laser series sports, the balance point. This knife is balanced so well that it foregoes any clumsiness that other 240s typically have. It allows the blade to have the extra length and cutting power of a 240 without sacrificing the nimbleness of a 210. The profile is very nice with a good flat spot at the back that allows for some great chopping ability (not quite the same lvl as Kuro) and a gentle curve all the way to the low and thin tip (shallow rocking is no problem, same with push cuts, GnG, the works). The blade is also not all that tall for a 240, because of this I don’t find that you need to “push” the blade through tall and wet ingredients, it will still do some of the work for you. The next aspect that really impresses me is that this knife flows through product like a laser but somehow retains a semblance of robustness in the grind that inspires enough confidence for you to really go to town with it. The steel also gives some nice feedback on the board, not quite TF levels but enough to satisfy. So let’s take a tally real quick, The TF and Kuro Hammered taught me that I prefer knives that inspire confidence and provide feedback while cutting (Kono checks that box), TF taught that size is relative and the Kuro AS laser taught that standard 240s while nice for their extra cutting power are too big for me as a daily user (Kono addresses both of these very well), and Kuro AS and Hammered taught that handles are not to be taken for granted (again Kono gets it in spades). Well well well, looks like I may have accidentally stumbled onto a knife that somehow synthesizes most of my preferences into one package. Nice!
TLDR; The Kono HD2 checks more of my preference boxes than any other knife I’ve used up to this point.
- Kit Craft
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Glad you like it and it seems like you have had quite the journey up to this point. I do think it is a great knife to be sure. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Thanks for the review. No miles on mine yet but always interested in others opinions. Thanks.
- Jeff B
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Quite a story but a fun read. Thanks for taking the time.
If God wanted me to be a vegetarian he wouldn't have made animals taste so good.
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Interesting twist. I like how you presented this with the theory of how your arrived at the knife and why you love it. Glad you found a great fit!
I'm Dave. I don't take myself too seriously and you probably shouldn't either.
- Kit Craft
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Use that thing already. That is what tools are for.
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Agreed, HD2s don't look even half as good as they feel/perform. Get cutting!
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Thanks, I'd been thinking about this for the past couple days and why the Kono resonated with me so immediately. I thought that I might uncover some things If I tried comparing it to a few of my other blades. I knew a few points such as balance and the robust feel right off the bat but once I started writing things down it helped a lot with organizing my thoughts and really analyzing where my preferences sort of "evolved" if you will.MisoSatisfried wrote: ↑Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:08 am Interesting twist. I like how you presented this with the theory of how your arrived at the knife and why you love it. Glad you found a great fit!
Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Excellent writeup, Chris.
I've owned all the knives you wrote about. Sold them all too.
I like the TF 210 so much I got a 240 and had it custom rehandled. Mine has an excellent grind and nothing stands in its way. Nothing. I almost sold it recently, but only because its more knife than I really need just cooking for two. Decided to keep it, though.
The Kuro R2 is much as you describe, but I wonder if we got the same handle. Mine was a nice rosewood handle with excellent fit and finish. I sold because, like you, I find R2 steel to ring somewhat hollow. I did not have much difficulty with any ingredient, however. My R2 was so thin it cut thru everything with little resistance.
The Kuro AS was a definite fav. Great chopper, thin tip, AS steel. I sold because it resembled my Koishi AS that I was not going to let go. It was a also a bit heavier than the CKTG listed weight. As such it wasn't quite as nimble as I would have liked.
The HD 2 is fantastic. Nothing bad I can say. I sold it because I am not crazy about very light lasers. Or at least that was my excuse. I just figured I could get one in the future and I wanted the repatriated cash to try something else.
Unlike you I do favor 240s. I daresay I have excellent knife skills and I just like the greater coverage a 240 provides. I also like how they handle tougher ingredients - we eat a ton of carrots in my house. I find a 240 just as nimble as a 210 so long as it meets my specs (6.5 to 7.5 oz, 49-53 mm).
If you love an HD, you might want to try a Kotetsu AS some time. I like the profile of the HD a touch better, but the Kotetsu outperforms the HD.
I've owned all the knives you wrote about. Sold them all too.
I like the TF 210 so much I got a 240 and had it custom rehandled. Mine has an excellent grind and nothing stands in its way. Nothing. I almost sold it recently, but only because its more knife than I really need just cooking for two. Decided to keep it, though.
The Kuro R2 is much as you describe, but I wonder if we got the same handle. Mine was a nice rosewood handle with excellent fit and finish. I sold because, like you, I find R2 steel to ring somewhat hollow. I did not have much difficulty with any ingredient, however. My R2 was so thin it cut thru everything with little resistance.
The Kuro AS was a definite fav. Great chopper, thin tip, AS steel. I sold because it resembled my Koishi AS that I was not going to let go. It was a also a bit heavier than the CKTG listed weight. As such it wasn't quite as nimble as I would have liked.
The HD 2 is fantastic. Nothing bad I can say. I sold it because I am not crazy about very light lasers. Or at least that was my excuse. I just figured I could get one in the future and I wanted the repatriated cash to try something else.
Unlike you I do favor 240s. I daresay I have excellent knife skills and I just like the greater coverage a 240 provides. I also like how they handle tougher ingredients - we eat a ton of carrots in my house. I find a 240 just as nimble as a 210 so long as it meets my specs (6.5 to 7.5 oz, 49-53 mm).
If you love an HD, you might want to try a Kotetsu AS some time. I like the profile of the HD a touch better, but the Kotetsu outperforms the HD.
Last edited by jbart65 on Sat Apr 07, 2018 8:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jeffry B
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Thanks for the kind works JBart. I must admit I was eyeing your TF in the classifieds, thats one heck of a looker!
My R2 came with a CKTG handle, there was actually a thread started about these handles a while back. Essentially big, blocky, rough on the finishing. Honestly it would have been a pretty quick fix, a bit of sanding here, lots of mineral oil there but I just didn't connect with the knife enough to really to put in the effort unfortunatly...
Interesting comparison on the Kuro and Koishi. I have one of the Koishi bunkas which I absolutely love. Awesome profile, wonderful grind, the AS feels great and can get a nice toothy edge... now that I think about it that does sorta sound like the Kuro AS... Regardless, I agree definitely not the most nimble of knives (especially for a laser) but such a great performer. Just finished prepping a big pot of lentil stew with at and it brought a smile to my face.
I have heard only wonderful things about Shibata's AS line. Does yours still feel relatively robust (yeah I know, how robust can a laser feel...) while cutting?
My R2 came with a CKTG handle, there was actually a thread started about these handles a while back. Essentially big, blocky, rough on the finishing. Honestly it would have been a pretty quick fix, a bit of sanding here, lots of mineral oil there but I just didn't connect with the knife enough to really to put in the effort unfortunatly...
Interesting comparison on the Kuro and Koishi. I have one of the Koishi bunkas which I absolutely love. Awesome profile, wonderful grind, the AS feels great and can get a nice toothy edge... now that I think about it that does sorta sound like the Kuro AS... Regardless, I agree definitely not the most nimble of knives (especially for a laser) but such a great performer. Just finished prepping a big pot of lentil stew with at and it brought a smile to my face.
I have heard only wonderful things about Shibata's AS line. Does yours still feel relatively robust (yeah I know, how robust can a laser feel...) while cutting?
Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
I have one of those CKTG handles. I plan to sand and coat with something. It will be fine once I do that. The Kuro R2 I had was fitted with a different handle with much better F&F. Part of what made the knife so nice.
I don't know if I would call the Shibata robust. The HD is arguably more "robust." But the Shibata is not dainty either. One has to take care because it's so thin, but I had no issues using it. No sense I had to baby it. Such an amazing cutter that I didn't have to use force with anything.
I do feel a need to push cut with the Shibata rather than chop. Chops fine with low and soft ingredients, though. Amazing on proteins. Does cooked tuna well, too.
I don't know if I would call the Shibata robust. The HD is arguably more "robust." But the Shibata is not dainty either. One has to take care because it's so thin, but I had no issues using it. No sense I had to baby it. Such an amazing cutter that I didn't have to use force with anything.
I do feel a need to push cut with the Shibata rather than chop. Chops fine with low and soft ingredients, though. Amazing on proteins. Does cooked tuna well, too.
Jeffry B
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Heh, it is funny hearing that the HD is more robust than something but it is true of more than one knife including an HD 210. The difference between the 210 and 240 in these Sakai lasers is amzing when it comes to stiffness. So if the difference between the HD and the Shibata is anything like that, I can understand. Though that not robust, not stiff laser thing reminds me of a Takamura.
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
Oh man, I may need to look a bit closer at a Shibata AS... currently patiently awaiting the Marko Tsourkan gyuto's to come back in stock (Mark made an Instagram post about getting some in a week ago, so fingers crossed...) but if I am not quick enough on the draw with one of those well...
I know calling a Kono HD "robust" really is sort of a silly idea when comparing to non lasers but the HD really does have a more "solid" feel on the board than other lasers I have used so far and I'm sure the stiffness of the blade has a lot to do with at. Hmm the Takamura R2 line has always been intriguing though I'm a bit weary of anything R2 anymore just because of the hollow board feel I've experienced.
I know calling a Kono HD "robust" really is sort of a silly idea when comparing to non lasers but the HD really does have a more "solid" feel on the board than other lasers I have used so far and I'm sure the stiffness of the blade has a lot to do with at. Hmm the Takamura R2 line has always been intriguing though I'm a bit weary of anything R2 anymore just because of the hollow board feel I've experienced.
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Re: Konosuke HD2 and how my knife journey has helped me discover my preferences and other ramblings: A short novel of a
It could be my imagination but I think the hollow board feel has more to do with being a clad knife. Most of them feel that way to me. But you get over it if you get lost in the cutting. Honestly, I was a hardcore carbon guy from the word go but I am slowly starting to get into stainless.chrisdafur27 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 07, 2018 1:52 pm Oh man, I may need to look a bit closer at a Shibata AS... currently patiently awaiting the Marko Tsourkan gyuto's to come back in stock (Mark made an Instagram post about getting some in a week ago, so fingers crossed...) but if I am not quick enough on the draw with one of those well...
I know calling a Kono HD "robust" really is sort of a silly idea when comparing to non lasers but the HD really does have a more "solid" feel on the board than other lasers I have used so far and I'm sure the stiffness of the blade has a lot to do with at. Hmm the Takamura R2 line has always been intriguing though I'm a bit weary of anything R2 anymore just because of the hollow board feel I've experienced.
I am getting to the point where I can appreciate the subtle difference in how a knife dulls vs how fast it dulls. Example, pure fine grained steel such as White #2 loses its bite quickly as it dulls but a coarser steel like SK-4 will retain its bite, to a degree, even after it loses that off the stones feel. This is an important distinction for me as I cut up a lot of thick skinned veg. I find 19c27 more appealing than 13c26 for the same reason.
Sorry, getting off track here. Point is that I can sometimes give up overall feel for performance in the right place.