Kurosaki laser 210

See what's happening with current or completed "Pass Arounds". Forum members occasionally send knives or sharpening stones around to a hand selected group of participants for short term use and feedback/reviews.
Chefspence
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Chefspence »

cjmeik wrote: Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:16 am This one is boxed up and ready to go out the door to datster.

Thanks again, Spence. This is a fun little knife!
No probs
datster
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by datster »

It arrived! Beautiful knife for sure, wowed me right out of the box. I would consider this knife just for looks but then there was this paper towel that hit the edge. Another wow, looking forward to putting it to teal food in the morning, this is going to be fun
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Chefspence »

datster wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2017 7:29 pm It arrived! Beautiful knife for sure, wowed me right out of the box. I would consider this knife just for looks but then there was this paper towel that hit the edge. Another wow, looking forward to putting it to teal food in the morning, this is going to be fun
Yeah buddy, it's a killer knife for sure. Have fun
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pd7077
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by pd7077 »

I picked up the knife from Jdbennett this morning. Super nice guy, and it was cool to meet a fellow forum member. The knife looks great. Looking forward to putting it through some product over the next week.
--- Steve
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Chefspence »

Thanks for the update. Cool that you got to do an in person hand off.
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pd7077
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by pd7077 »

First off, I would like to thank Spence for allowing me to be a part of this passaround. Being my first time to participate in such a thing, I hope that I’ll be able to reciprocate the generosity of Spence and the others in this community.

Now for my impressions...I’m a shallow guy so this beauty definitely stole my attention at first glance. In hand, the knife does not feel like it’s there. She is definitely light, but she doesn’t feel fragile. The handle complements the blade nicely, and the balance was right at my pinch grip. However, she has more than just looks going for her.

On the day that I picked up the knife from Justin, I was pretty stoked that my wife was in the mood for fries. After going through a few potatoes, it was pretty clear that the edge needed a bit of touching up. Spence said that it was cool if took her to the stones. She didn’t need too much so I went with a few light passes on a SP 2k, followed by a Takashima, shiro suita, and finished off with an asagi. The first thing that I noticed when sharpening was the profile near the tip. Compared to my knives, she had a more drastic upsweep at the tip so I went more slowly than normal to make sure that I sharpened the tip properly. The edge that this baby takes is freaking phenomenal. I flew through pretty much everything that I threw at her. The tip might not be as thin as other knives that I have, but horizontal cuts on onions and shallots were smooth and crisp. Tomato skins and peppers were not an issue at all. The upsweep at the tip did give a bit more clearance for a G&G type of motion, and rocking herbs was very comfortable.

And then I got to the taller/denser ingredients. Now this is my first time using a laser, and the lack of weight really threw me off. Being a home cook, I’m positive that my technique, or lack thereof, was a huge factor. I found that I needed to use more force than I’m used to in order to get through sweet potatoes and thick carrots. I even got a bit of wedging while shaving Brussels sprouts. I’m sure that I would have been able to get the hang of things if I had more time, but my inexperience really hindered my ability to do so quickly. My only other 210 gyuto is a Kato that comes in at 7.2 oz, which is pretty much on par with most of my 240’s.

While I really liked the overall profile of the knife, I don’t think that there was enough of a flat spot compared to what I am used to. There was a decent flat spot near the heel, but it was just under my pinch grip, which isn’t where I normally cut. I think that this was more of a 210 vs 240 issue for me. The lack of flat spot in “my” preferred cutting area was only noticeable when chopping and pull cutting. I normally push cut so I guess this is a moot point.

Overall, I think that this is a wonderful knife for someone that is looking for a laser. The F&F is exceptional, and the cutting performance is excellent. The profile and geometry should suit most people’s cutting styles. However, this knife has also confirmed that my ideal knife weight is in the 7-8 oz range. I will definitely revisit lasers (this knife in particular) after I have a bit more of experience under my belt.

Image
--- Steve
Cutuu
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Cutuu »

Great looking pic!
Chefspence
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Chefspence »

Great review, thank you. Thanks to everyone for watching after my baby while away. I have it safe and sound tonight. Ready to use it again. I agree that it is probably the sturdiest feeling laser I've used. Almost like a hybrid between laser and middleweight. Glad I bought this one. If anyone hasn't given a review please do so here or in the customer review section. Also, if you would, do Mark a favor and write a blip on the product page too.
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jbart65
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by jbart65 »

Good reading. The 240 definitely has more of a flat spot. And it had no problem with squash or sweeties. Mine weighed about 6.8 oz - in the sweet spot of my preferred weight range.

I only sold my 240 because it was quite similar to my Koishi, but I might grab another one if it comes back in stock. One of the best all-round knives on CKTG imo. A little less delicate than the Koishi but performs almost as well.
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Kit Craft
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Kit Craft »

Chefspence wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:21 am Great review, thank you. Thanks to everyone for watching after my baby while away. I have it safe and sound tonight. Ready to use it again. I agree that it is probably the sturdiest feeling laser I've used. Almost like a hybrid between laser and middleweight. Glad I bought this one. If anyone hasn't given a review please do so here or in the customer review section. Also, if you would, do Mark a favor and write a blip on the product page too.
I thought it was a laser only in name? I recall on the old form loads of people saying that it was not a true laser at all. If the grind is shown true in the photos, it looks nothing like any laser I have ever owned. That might well be what makes it a great knife, though. :)
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Chefspence »

Kit Craft wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:55 am
Chefspence wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:21 am Great review, thank you. Thanks to everyone for watching after my baby while away. I have it safe and sound tonight. Ready to use it again. I agree that it is probably the sturdiest feeling laser I've used. Almost like a hybrid between laser and middleweight. Glad I bought this one. If anyone hasn't given a review please do so here or in the customer review section. Also, if you would, do Mark a favor and write a blip on the product page too.
I thought it was a laser only in name? I recall on the old form loads of people saying that it was not a true laser at all. If the grind is shown true in the photos, it looks nothing like any laser I have ever owned. That might well be what makes it a great knife, though. :)
I agree. The grind is as thin as the koishi. I found the koishi more grabby on ingredients and the kuro laser was a better performer. When it comes to lasers I can say that the Kono lasers are more lasery than this knife, but if you want a tough durable non-laser laser performer with a confident feel and handcrafted look, man this knife is on top of the list in my experience
chrisdafur27
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by chrisdafur27 »

I was fortunate enough to pick up a 240 Kuro AS laser this past week (nabbed a returned knife off the site, cha ching!) and my first impressions of it are glowingly positive. Definitely leaning more towards the "laser in name" impression that Kit mentions. While it is a nice handling svelte knife it has a bit of girth towards the top, it thins down very nicely but is substantial enough to inspire more confidence than other lasers I have used. My main laser point of comparison is a Kuro R2 hammered 210 that is absolutely whispy thin the whole way throughout, it performs great but feels very fragile.
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Kit Craft
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Kit Craft »

Chefspence wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 11:08 am
Kit Craft wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:55 am
Chefspence wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:21 am Great review, thank you. Thanks to everyone for watching after my baby while away. I have it safe and sound tonight. Ready to use it again. I agree that it is probably the sturdiest feeling laser I've used. Almost like a hybrid between laser and middleweight. Glad I bought this one. If anyone hasn't given a review please do so here or in the customer review section. Also, if you would, do Mark a favor and write a blip on the product page too.
I thought it was a laser only in name? I recall on the old form loads of people saying that it was not a true laser at all. If the grind is shown true in the photos, it looks nothing like any laser I have ever owned. That might well be what makes it a great knife, though. :)
I agree. The grind is as thin as the koishi. I found the koishi more grabby on ingredients and the kuro laser was a better performer. When it comes to lasers I can say that the Kono lasers are more lasery than this knife, but if you want a tough durable non-laser laser performer with a confident feel and handcrafted look, man this knife is on top of the list in my experience
Sounds like a good one, for sure. :)
gastro gnome
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by gastro gnome »

Chefspence wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 11:08 amut if you want a tough durable non-laser laser performer


I chuckle to myself trying to use these words in any other walk of life and ask the listener what they think I'm talking about :)
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Kit Craft
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Kit Craft »

gastro gnome wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 12:14 pm
Chefspence wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 11:08 amBut if you want a tough durable non-laser laser performer
I chuckle to myself trying to use these words in any other walk of life and ask the listener what they think I'm talking about :)
Kind of reminds me of asking someone if they have seen that one movie with that dude that does that thing. Not the same but reminds me of it nonetheless.
cjmeik
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by cjmeik »

This knife was ridiculously fun. Directly after the Megumi it was a breath of fresh air. It is decidedly NOT a laser… but it is rather svelte and has just enough mass to make it feel like you have a knife in your hand and give the grind some interest. Really, that is (IMO) what this knife is about… the "laser" moniker requires it to be a thin knife, which it is, but Kurosaki-san leaves just enough meat on the bones to let you know that it was forged and ground by a human… not laser cut. I'm not a laser guy but I can get behind this one, because its not...

My only gripe with the knife is that I literally thought it had been tipped when I received it. The tip was pretty much rounded. I'm not sure if this was stock or happened somewhere along the way but, wow… the tip is round. I like a point on my knives's tips.

Spence, many thanks for your generosity in sending your girls across the country. I learned a lot, had a lot of fun, and am grateful to you for it.
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Re: Kurosaki laser 210

Post by Chefspence »

cjmeik wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2017 8:08 pm This knife was ridiculously fun. Directly after the Megumi it was a breath of fresh air. It is decidedly NOT a laser… but it is rather svelte and has just enough mass to make it feel like you have a knife in your hand and give the grind some interest. Really, that is (IMO) what this knife is about… the "laser" moniker requires it to be a thin knife, which it is, but Kurosaki-san leaves just enough meat on the bones to let you know that it was forged and ground by a human… not laser cut. I'm not a laser guy but I can get behind this one, because its not...

My only gripe with the knife is that I literally thought it had been tipped when I received it. The tip was pretty much rounded. I'm not sure if this was stock or happened somewhere along the way but, wow… the tip is round. I like a point on my knives's tips.

Spence, many thanks for your generosity in sending your girls across the country. I learned a lot, had a lot of fun, and am grateful to you for it.
No probs. Fun to do it and contribute. I like to hear what people think about the knives I like or chose. The tip was rounded a bit when I received it new. I think it's to give it more of a rocking ability. It threw me off too when I got it. I like the look of the pointy tip, but in terms of variability in technique, it offers more than say my Gihei b2 which is definitely more tip downward. I agree, not as lasery as the hd, but not far behind. It takes away the sense that I have to baby it, which I like. Thanks for the thoughts.
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