Sujihiki comparable to laser gyuto?

So I've been pondering and saving to buy a konosuke hd for a while now. I've been working with a Hiromoto AS 240 gyuto and I simply want something longer and slimmer. For my tastes, the Hiro is just a bit too thick and heavy for me to use it as my main prep knife; though admittedly the heft is great for slightly heavier tasks. I do have a sujihiki that is thin and made of a semi-stainless in the form of my 270 CarboNext sujihiki. After hearing several folks discussing using a sujihiki as a primary knife, I decided I owed it to myself to check it out on some veg prep. OMG I have a newfound love for this knife. I seriously wish it was taller and had some knuckle clearance but the elegance of how it handles and the precision of its cuts on veggies totally floored me. I had previously restricted its use only to meat/fish...won't be making that mistake again!

So here is my question: is the 270 Carbnext a relatively decent indicator of how the 270 konosuke hd gyuto would perform. I totally understand that the added height will provide superior (much needed) knuckle clearance, but is the elegance of the performance relatively similar? What about the belly--it looks significantly rounder/more steeply sloped than a sujihiki in the pictures I have seen. Not that I am comparing it to a Wusthof or anything, but sujis are obviously quite flat bellied. Also, how do the two steels compare?

Appreciate the tips, ladies and gents!

I don't own a Kono HD, but I am going to say you are going to have about a dozen people responding in about 8 seconds about how much they love theirs. The steel is well liked, they are very thin, handles are above average. The blades taper quite a bit so they are thinner (height wise) than a lot of gyutos, so I think it will still feel agile like your suji. The pictures of the Kono's are deceiving, the profile is often much flatter than they appear. It has a good amount of belly from tip to half way down the knife, but then the rest is flat for on board work.

JohnnyChance said:

I don't own a Kono HD, but I am going to say you are going to have about a dozen people responding in about 8 seconds about how much they love theirs.

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Ya I've seen how many folks love that knife. If it weren't for such a cult following, I think I would be torn between all of the lasers. I'm still open to the others but good lord does that kono get great feedback on the forums.

PS Any comparison opinions between Kono HD gyuto and CN Gyuto?

Sujihiki comparable to laser gyuto? The way a Konosuke HD cuts is comparable to a sujihiki. I found it surprisingly light. It reminded me of the first time I picked up a Shun. It is an agile knife, which makes it easy to do precise cuts.

Jay

I am a suji fanatic and been using as my main knife for over a year.

I used to own the 270 CN suji, but sold it quickly because the profile was too rounded for my everyday push-cutting needs. My main knife now is a 270 Kono HD suji (tied with my 300 Kono suji and my 210 Suisin petty <--as you can see, I love narrow blades) and they are all amazing tools. I would say that edge taking and retention are actually similar between the HD and CN(still have a 240 gyuto), but the Konosuke is thinner and has a much better profile for me, and just is a fantastic cutter.

Gesshin Ginga would be another option for a laser suji, especially if you wanted a yo handle (don't think they have a 270 though).

Gesshin Ginga would be another interesting option. If memory serves, it utilizes AEB-L, correct? How does AEB-L compare to these two semi-stainless tool steels?

I again utilized my suji as my main prep knife, and I have to say that I am STILL impressed by the precision it affords me. For the volume I have to work with in the pro setting, however, I just need some height on the blade. I can't wait to see what a laser gyuto can do.

As great a knife as a Kono HD is there are plenty of people who also like CN. Currently the 270 CN is half the price of the Kono so it seems to me buying a CN today would be a no-brainer.

I was honestly thinking that too. I just don't know how thin the gyuto would be, considering my only experience with this line is the sujihiki. And it doesn't come in the wa-handles I've been wanting to switch to.

99Limited said:

As great a knife as a Kono HD is there are plenty of people who also like CN. Currently the 270 CN is half the price of the Kono so it seems to me buying a CN today would be a no-brainer.

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with all due respect i disagree. as a kono HD (gyuto) owner i dont want to sound biased here but the people here who own a HD, myself included, more than likely bought them with the intent of getting a very thin knife that could work well on a line and gets and keeps a razor edge while being super thin. this is what keeps the HD line in a class separate from the tad/suisin category. im not saying there is anything wrong with CN but they are both completely different and are better knives for individual people for different reasons. if we were talking only about money you would be completely correct, but as it stands most people here have spent quite a bit on their collections.

if i were to suggest a first or second japanese knife to someone CN would be in that discussion but for a more experienced knife nut who wants to spend, its HD all the way

JanusInTheGarden said:

Gesshin Ginga would be another interesting option. If memory serves, it utilizes AEB-L, correct? How does AEB-L compare to these two semi-stainless tool steels?

I again utilized my suji as my main prep knife, and I have to say that I am STILL impressed by the precision it affords me. For the volume I have to work with in the pro setting, however, I just need some height on the blade. I can't wait to see what a laser gyuto can do.

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although i do not own a ginga, i have owned a 240mm gyuto and 270mm suji AEB-L from takayuki and they dont really compare well to any sort of HD or CN. i would be willing to compare them to other stainless where its not apples to oranges. the AEB-L steel is wonderful and if i were to go back to stainless, that would be a front runner in making my decision but as it stands i prefer more carbon. for me, sharper is better because i work in an environment where i can baby the hell out of my knives. even if i couldn't i still would

back to the topic, it is not comparable because no matter what i did, the grand cheffs would never get as sharp as my HD can. HD holds the edge so much better and even though its a gyuto, it kinda acts like a suji in the weight and feel. also if you feel more comfortable using a suji for prep, go right ahead. i did that for quite a while and it worked well for me. i do prefer the shorter suji's for line work as well. i do understand why you want the gyuto though and hope you enjoy whatever it is you go with.