Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

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Louisssss
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Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by Louisssss »

Hello guys, new here. Home chef that specializes in braising, grilling, and smoking meats! I mainly cook for 2, but 2-5 times a year will host parties for 10+.

I make lots of short ribs (smoked, braised, grilled aka Galbi), steak (grilled & on stovetop), shirt steak (served alone or for taco night), pork belly (braised served with noodles or in buns). I've also made 3 whole hogs, countless racks of ribs, pulled pork, etc. Feel free to ask me about anything related to smoking meat. I definitely also made veggies, noodles, rice, etc so don't get me wrong.

Prior to this week, I was a big fan of the Wusthof Classic line of knives. I have their (8in + 6in chef, 4.5in utility, 4.5in serrated, 3in paring, 3in birds beak, 8in carving set) I have a $20 Zwilling bead knife for baguettes. I have an 8in Zhen heavy duty butcher knife that i last used 1.5 years ago to butterfly a whole hog and occasionally that i bring to parties and camping. Last year i've ventured into Japanese knives and am in love with their designs and their sharpness. I picked up a Shun 8in Kiritsuke that i got for $120ish.

I took a trip with my wife to Tokyo and spent 3-4 hours touring the various knife shops namely: Masamoto Sohonten, Tsukiji Masamoto, Masahisa, Aritsugu, Sumitomo, Tsubaya. I loved all their knives, but i only bought 2:
-Masamoto KS 240 Gyuto in Stainless Steel (carbon was OOS) + Masamoto 240 Saya
-Aritsugu Blue 120 Petty


What i'm wondering here is:
What kind of stainless is used in my Masamoto KS?
Are 1000 + 6000 blocks good enough to sharpen these 2 knives?

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Last edited by Louisssss on Tue Oct 16, 2018 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo

Post by Nmiller21k »

You’re stones will be fine. The KS sharpens like butter.

Good pick ups.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo

Post by Steel+Fire »

That KS is such a great looking knife. Love the blond horn ferrule. Never had the pleasure to use one but they look like a versatile profile. Nice pick up.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo

Post by Louisssss »

Is it true that the KS i have uses AEB-L stainless?
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo

Post by Louisssss »

Heres some more pics of my trip to Tokyo:

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Masamoto KS 240 Black vs Blond buffalo ferrule
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Masamoto KS Gyuto Price List
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Masamoto KS 240 vs Masamoto VG 240 profile
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by Drewski »

Interesting to see that the stainless KS gyutos cost around 10% more than the white steel ones.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by Cutuu »

The KS stainless is swedish steel I believe. The swedish steel I have used on my konos has been really nice.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by Drewski »

Cutuu wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:38 pm The KS stainless is swedish steel I believe. The swedish steel I have used on my konos has been really nice.
I know very little about steel types and such, and I expect I'm wrong about this, but I thought Swedish steel could be AEB-L. Such is the case, I think, with my Kikuichi Swedish Warikomi Damascus nakiri, which is listed as AEB-L. My understanding is just that Swedish steel has few impurities, but it can be made into various types of steel. Looking forward to corrections on this.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by rayl1234 »

I always thought “Swedish” steel was just that bec Sweden has a lot of natural impurities in domestic iron ore sources, so there is a “natural’ alloying effect at the start of the process.... but due to extensive experience due to early scarcity of coke, the steel makers have become quite skilled. This without further specification, the exact steel is unknown.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by Altadan »

Thanks for posting the photos. Real nice seeing the front (and inside) of Masamoto's store. Quite an impressive title-sign
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by timos »

im writing this from memory (which is very far from perfect). Hopefully this will at least point you guys in the right direction.

there is two major manufacturers of steel in Sweden. Bohler Uddeholm, who makes AEBL among a million other types and Sandvik who makes the 12C series stuff. This steel is over a 100 years old recipe, it is used primarily for razor blades. It is still used because it is awesome! Nowadays the steel is very high quality and the "dialed in" heat treat for knives is well known. I would expect Masamoto to be heat treating to the highest standards, this includes a cryogenic temper. Who knows if they are using Sandvik stuff or Bohler's but I wouldnt expect there to be any difference in quality.

Check out this article for a bit more technical info on these types of steels compared to more modern "super" ones -- https://knifesteelnerds.com/2018/10/01/ ... fe-steels/
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by salemj »

Tim's reference seems like a very good one.

Yes, in agreement with above: the KS has something "similar to" AEB-L or a Sandvik equivalent. However, contrary to above, my knowledge has always been that Swedish steels are better because of the precision and control of their manufacturing, and not due to any "naturally occurring" impurities (quite the opposite). Regardless, what you are dealing with is one of the best stainless options out there.

The KS should be effortless to sharpen, should hold a good edge for a good duration (probably longer than the W2 version), and it should be plenty tough. My experience with similar steels is that they really, really shine around 2k + a quick strop on virtually anything other than another stone (balsa, newsprint, leather). Using a stone above 2k or so can often cause minor burr issues withs stainless that are frankly more trouble than they are worth given that the steel is designed to perform best at a lower level of refinement, anyway (in terms of what it hold, how long, and how easily it touches up). So, your 1+6k stones are totally fine, but you would probably be astounded by the edge if you had a good 2k stone and a basic strop and skipped the 6k—these stainless steels still hold tremendous bite AND still touch up effortlessly at that grit while holding a level of refinement that is undoubtedly a step above a 1k edge.

My reference points are similar steels used in Konosuke SS and Suisin Inox knives.
~Joe

Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and own mostly Konosukes but have used over a dozen brands.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by Louisssss »

i only have a crappy Shun branded stone that needs re-surfacing that was gifted to me. I've used it 2-3 times to sharpen my Wusthof stuff. i did a 5/10 job at best. What stone/kit would u guys recommend me to get that perfect 15 degree angle? I'd prefer something foolproof since messing up my knives not only cost me $$$ to pay a professional to fix them, some like these that i got from Japan are hard to attain and have sentimental value.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by Louisssss »

Would u guys use butcher block oil on the handle and the masamoto Saya? I used and washed it once today and the handle feels kinda dry
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by Cutuu »

Louisssss wrote: Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:29 pm Would u guys use butcher block oil on the handle and the masamoto Saya? I used and washed it once today and the handle feels kinda dry
Yes you can use butcher block oil on the handle and saya. Can you post a spine shot of KS? I've always been curious about the distal taper on the stainless version. Although I'm fine without my ex KS, I still wish I had it.
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Re: Masamoto KS Wa-Gyuto 240 Stainless & Aritsugu Blue Carbon 120 Petty from Tokyo + Lots of Pics of the Masamoto HQ

Post by salemj »

Louisssss wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:27 am i only have a crappy Shun branded stone that needs re-surfacing that was gifted to me. I've used it 2-3 times to sharpen my Wusthof stuff. i did a 5/10 job at best. What stone/kit would u guys recommend me to get that perfect 15 degree angle? I'd prefer something foolproof since messing up my knives not only cost me $$$ to pay a professional to fix them, some like these that i got from Japan are hard to attain and have sentimental value.
I know this isn't what you want to hear, but watching videos and/or getting a lesson from a real pro will serve you much, much better in the end than a guide. I have yet to see a guide that is anywhere near "foolproof." The other option is a "jig," which is a guide for the stone rather than for your knife, essentially. Things like the Edge Pro system even have a sub-section on the forum here. It is pricey, but it is also clear that it works very, very well!

+1 on the oil for the handle. The saya probably doesn't need it.
~Joe

Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and own mostly Konosukes but have used over a dozen brands.
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