Konosuke MB White#2

[appleward91]

I was wondering if anyone has had any hands on time or owned this knife? Anyone else have any upfront thoughts about this knife? It seems to have nice FF, and white steel with stainless cladding, only thing is that price point hah.

[salemj]

Sorry, I haven't used it, and I haven't seen on in person.

I have read some comments here and there. My sense is that this is a good knife, but no much a "classic" Konosuke in design—this comes, in part, from it being a knife with an advertised smith collaboration, so it seems Kosuke perhaps tried to honour the smith's own design and grind preferences rather than guiding the work toward typical Konosuke patterns, grinds, and finishes.

It has been publicly listed as M. Hinoura as the smith with an HRC that is equivalent to T-F standards (around 65 HRC for white steel).

[Inhuman]

The kono MB is a killer blade . I’d say nicer than a plain old hinoura . Remember part of what you’re paying for is a really nice saya / handle combo , the saya is one of the best I’ve seen .

As far as cutting , easy maintenance , really good retention for a white 2 , partly due to 65hrc and partly due to an excellent heat treatment . It’s pretty thin behind the edge with a lower grind for a wide bevel . Aesthetically it is top notch . Food release and sharpness are very, very good . I highly recommend this knife !

[pd7077]

I had a Kono MB 240. It was a great knife, but I sold it a few months ago because it wasn’t seeing any board time due to other knives in my lineup. The fit & finish on it was top notch; everything you would expect from a Kono branded knife. As Inhuman mentioned, part of what you pay for is the upgraded handle & saya. The saya itself is the coolest design I’ve seen yet. It has magnets embedded within the spine side, and there is a notch that locks into the machi gap. No need to fumble around with a saya pin. I wish all sayas were made like this!

As Joe stated, the blade has been linked to M. Hinoura, and the performance exceptional. The treatment of the steel is harder than most other W#2’s I’ve had/used, and the edge that results from this is mind blowing. I think my favorite aspect of the knife was it’s tip. It’s probably the best performing tip I’ve used; thin as hell but it doesn’t feel fragile. The KU nashiji is a looker too, and the blade road takes one hell of a kasumi!!!

[ashy2classy]

I really dig the way Hinoura knives look so I've always been interested in this one.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Let me verify about the HRC...

[Lepus]

I gave these a pass when the damp ones were available, but this is making me think I made a mistake. I've not owned a Hinoura.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

I had a Kono MB 240. It was a great knife, but I sold it a few months ago because it wasn’t seeing any board time due to other knives in my lineup. The fit & finish on it was top notch; everything you would expect from a Kono branded knife. As Inhuman mentioned, part of what you pay for is the upgraded handle & saya. The saya itself is the coolest design I’ve seen yet. It has magnets embedded within the spine side, and there is a notch that locks into the machi gap. No need to fumble around with a saya pin. I wish all sayas were made like this!

As Joe stated, the blade has been linked to M. Hinoura, and the performance exceptional. The treatment of the steel is harder than most other W#2’s I’ve had/used, and the edge that results from this is mind blowing. I think my favorite aspect of the knife was it’s tip. It’s probably the best performing tip I’ve used; thin as hell but it doesn’t feel fragile. The KU nashiji is a looker too, and the blade road takes one hell of a kasumi!!!

Steve, did you do the polish on this knife? It’s so nice I would make it a drawer queen.

[pd7077]

Steve, did you do the polish on this knife? It’s so nice I would make it a drawer queen.

Mark, yes, I did the polish on that knife. I can’t remember the specific fingerstones used, but there was definitely an uchi in the progression. As great as it looks, I feel like the improved performance was the best part. The sandblasted kasumi wasn’t bad (OOTB performance was actually spectacular), but the polished kasumi definitely made the cuts feel smoother...and the KU did its thing for food release.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Sorry, I haven't used it, and I haven't seen on in person.

I have read some comments here and there. My sense is that this is a good knife, but no much a "classic" Konosuke in design—this comes, in part, from it being a knife with an advertised smith collaboration, so it seems Kosuke perhaps tried to honour the smith's own design and grind preferences rather than guiding the work toward typical Konosuke patterns, grinds, and finishes.

It has been publicly listed as M. Hinoura as the smith with an HRC that is equivalent to T-F standards (around 65 HRC for white steel).

I asked Kosuke about the HRC and he said 62-63 but it's not rigorously tested. They do it based on experience.