KS clones are a tricky thing, because there are definitely a few different aspects that contribute to what people mean when they talk about a KS- Profile, grind, length and balance being big players. I won't pretend to have tried them all, but generally speaking, with respect to the KS clones out there, most people will say "it's a good knife, but it's not a KS".
While every knife has it's differences, the commonalities I see posted about MOST true KS are-
The 240 sits around 255mm in length.
Heel height around 48-50
The balance point is super well placed, helping such a long knife feel surprisingly nimble
Monosteel in White #2, with a laser-style grind.
If you're just looking for the profile, it is utilized often, and can be found by a few makers. Konosuke had a 'Funayuki' shape in both their HD2 and Fujiyama lines that took inspiration from this. Ikeda (not Yoshikazu or Tatsuo) makes some blades for CKTG with this shape. They have one in R-2 by Shibata Kashima. The aforementioned san mai by Itsuo Doi. And then there's western makers that have takes on it too.
The Doi san mai in B#2 is a good example of being iterative on the KS profile. It's san mai vs monosteel. It's around 240 vs the 255 of most KS. And the grind is wildly different. It is a very thick and substantial blade (by comparison). So if you're looking for something that's as close as you can get to an original KS, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. But if it's just the profile you'd like to try, then the Doi gets a big thumbs up from me. In hand, it kind of reminds me of a Shigefusa. While not as long and suji-feeling as a KS, the Doi feels like it has a lot of power. Vastly superior food stickage, too- I'm not one that usually cares for this, but it was good enough to be noticeable and pleasant to me. The longer, thinner tip still gives some of the dexterity that the KS provides. Reactivity was a lot less than my KS as well.. And the price is really stellar.. It feels like a lot of knife for $300.
