Konosuke MM Blue #2 Passaround

[e.chou]

Hi Everyone! Sorry that I haven't been tracking the passaround as closely as I wanted to. But I just wanted to express appreciation for everyone involved who had a chance to test out the MM and provide some excellent feedback for the forum. And I especially wanted to thank Mark and Jeff for being awesome in helping make everything happen! Now that I've gotten to see how everything works, hopefully I'll be able to do more of these in the future

[mauichef]

I apologize, it has taken me a while but at last I have found some time to do a write up on this knife.

So first off….a huge mahalo to Ethan for this pass around. Having a knife this nice go from one stranger to another can be a heart stopping situation.

As the last in the chain I can say that it got treated very well indeed. It arrived with a screaming sharp edge from Dan and very little patina.

As many of you know, I am a complete Konosuke addict! (well at least just behind Omega!) My first handmade J-knife was a Konosuke HD. That knife set me out on the slippery slope of knife collecting and my eventual infatuation with the blades coming from Konosuke Sakai.

So I was super happy when I got the chance to try this MM Blue #2. I would probably have already purchased one were it not for the fact that I already own a MM Ginsan and a Fujiyama FM Blue #2. This was going to be a fascinating test agains two knives I really love.

The unboxing was like every Konosuke unboxing. A wonderful experience! I really like the boxes Kosuke uses for their knives. Very classy and simple. The knife was perfectly packed and as usual with Konosuke, protected with a simple cardboard sleeve.

I have never seen a knife from Konosuke with anything but the highest level of fit and finish and the MM was no exception. The blade face was beautifully finished with a lovely satin brushed look. The choil and spine are totally Konoperfect…..like no other knives out there! And of course anyone who has experienced the Khii Ebony handle knows what a work of art and craft it is. Handle to ferrule join….what join!!!!

The shape is similar to my Ginsan but certainly not identical. I regret not taking a choil shot of them together. The choil on the Blue is more radiused than the Ginsan. The grinds are also similar but the Blue is slightly thinner behind the edge. While these are somewhat minor differences, they are more significant in terms of the way the knives behave.

And so, how do they compare on the boards? Very evenly over all, but quite differently when used side by side. The MM Blue feels slightly less bulky. I would not say thinner per se. Obviously neither of them are lasers, but the Blue has more of a laser like feel than the Ginsan. But as usual the differences become more aparent depending on the produce being cut.

The Blue really took to harder ingredients better than the Ginsan, which liked things like cabbage. They both performed well on the soft stuff with a slight nod going to the Ginsan for main body slicing and the Blue for tip operations. Which is no surprise as the Blue was the thinner behind the tip. I am not sure if I was getting some drag from the patina or the blade was not 100% razor sharp, but it felt a bit slower when I was doing onion slices with the main part of the blade. I lightly stropped it before each session but was loath to do a full progression on a knife I do not own.

I also did some limited testing against my FM Blue #2 Gyuto, but as it is a 270 the comparison was not a perfectly fair one. What I can say is that it is very close. But not identical…at all. There are some strong family resemblances even though they are from different parents! They really felt more similar than the Ginsan/Blue comparison. Strange eh!

I would love to try similar lengths of these 2 Blue knives. Is it as good as the FM ?….not in my mind. But it is ever so close. Now bare in mind that the FM is in my opinion one of the best knives that have come from Konosuke recently. I love this freaking thing. And I have never been a 270 kind of guy. But it performs and feels like a smaller knife. This is as close to a laser as I would ever want. I have just got hold of a new Fujiyama Wide Bevel 270 and it is going to be a fascinating exercise comparing the two.

But back to the MM.

This is one hell of a knife. Like a newer Fujiyama in many respects. Certainly the best non Fujiyama Paper steel knife I have tried from Konosuke. I think I like it better than the MM Ginsan. But not my FM. Then again, not many knives can compete with that great blade. I know I would be more than happy to call the MM mine and use it every day. It’s that kind of knife. Capable, easy to use and control. Great looking. And the legendary Kono F&F. All at a price that does not make one gasp for air or hide from the spouse.

So if you cannot find the coin for an FM, or just cannot find one period. Do yourself a favor and try the MM. I think many will find this to be more than an adequate substitute. In fact I think the differences between all 3 knives are more personal than one knife being better than the other. And when one of them is the outstanding FM, I would say that is high praise indeed.

Many thanks to Ethan for his generosity and to Jeff for being the good shepherd.

Much aloha!

[slobound]

I apologize, it has taken me a while but at last I have found some time to do a write up on this knife.

So first off….a huge mahalo to Ethan for this pass around. Having a knife this nice go from one stranger to another can be a heart stopping situation.

As the last in the chain I can say that it got treated very well indeed. It arrived with a screaming sharp edge from Dan and very little patina.

As many of you know, I am a complete Konosuke addict! (well at least just behind Omega!) My first handmade J-knife was a Konosuke HD. That knife set me out on the slippery slope of knife collecting and my eventual infatuation with the blades coming from Konosuke Sakai.

So I was super happy when I got the chance to try this MM Blue #2. I would probably have already purchased one were it not for the fact that I already own a MM Ginsan and a Fujiyama FM Blue #2. This was going to be a fascinating test agains two knives I really love.

The unboxing was like every Konosuke unboxing. A wonderful experience! I really like the boxes Kosuke uses for their knives. Very classy and simple. The knife was perfectly packed and as usual with Konosuke, protected with a simple cardboard sleeve.

I have never seen a knife from Konosuke with anything but the highest level of fit and finish and the MM was no exception. The blade face was beautifully finished with a lovely satin brushed look. The choil and spine are totally Konoperfect…..like no other knives out there! And of course anyone who has experienced the Khii Ebony handle knows what a work of art and craft it is. Handle to ferrule join….what join!!!!

The shape is similar to my Ginsan but certainly not identical. I regret not taking a choil shot of them together. The choil on the Blue is more radiused than the Ginsan. The grinds are also similar but the Blue is slightly thinner behind the edge. While these are somewhat minor differences, they are more significant in terms of the way the knives behave.

And so, how do they compare on the boards? Very evenly over all, but quite differently when used side by side. The MM Blue feels slightly less bulky. I would not say thinner per se. Obviously neither of them are lasers, but the Blue has more of a laser like feel than the Ginsan. But as usual the differences become more aparent depending on the produce being cut.

The Blue really took to harder ingredients better than the Ginsan, which liked things like cabbage. They both performed well on the soft stuff with a slight nod going to the Ginsan for main body slicing and the Blue for tip operations. Which is no surprise as the Blue was the thinner behind the tip. I am not sure if I was getting some drag from the patina or the blade was not 100% razor sharp, but it felt a bit slower when I was doing onion slices with the main part of the blade. I lightly stropped it before each session but was loath to do a full progression on a knife I do not own.

I also did some limited testing against my FM Blue #2 Gyuto, but as it is a 270 the comparison was not a perfectly fair one. What I can say is that it is very close. But not identical…at all. There are some strong family resemblances even though they are from different parents! They really felt more similar than the Ginsan/Blue comparison. Strange eh!

I would love to try similar lengths of these 2 Blue knives. Is it as good as the FM ?….not in my mind. But it is ever so close. Now bare in mind that the FM is in my opinion one of the best knives that have come from Konosuke recently. I love this freaking thing. And I have never been a 270 kind of guy. But it performs and feels like a smaller knife. This is as close to a laser as I would ever want. I have just got hold of a new Fujiyama Wide Bevel 270 and it is going to be a fascinating exercise comparing the two.

But back to the MM.

This is one hell of a knife. Like a newer Fujiyama in many respects. Certainly the best non Fujiyama Paper steel knife I have tried from Konosuke. I think I like it better than the MM Ginsan. But not my FM. Then again, not many knives can compete with that great blade. I know I would be more than happy to call the MM mine and use it every day. It’s that kind of knife. Capable, easy to use and control. Great looking. And the legendary Kono F&F. All at a price that does not make one gasp for air or hide from the spouse.

So if you cannot find the coin for an FM, or just cannot find one period. Do yourself a favor and try the MM. I think many will find this to be more than an adequate substitute. In fact I think the differences between all 3 knives are more personal than one knife being better than the other. And when one of them is the outstanding FM, I would say that is high praise indeed.

Many thanks to Ethan for his generosity and to Jeff for being the good shepherd.

Much aloha!



I love the write up, Ray! I share similar experiences between my FM & MM.

[mauichef]

Mahalo Garrick. They really are great knives.

[Jeff B]

Good read Ray, thanks for taking the time. Seems to be somewhat of a consensus about the MM - FM comparison. Similar but different, both being great knives.

[Insnekamkze86]

Sounds like a really great knife to try.