Konosuke Fujiyama

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brainsausage

brainsausage

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Anybody have any input on these? Other Konosuke's I've run across were great for the money IMO. They were all white #2, and these are white #1 which I don't have any experience with. So yeah- anybody played with any of the knives from this line yet?
 
I just paced an order for a 240mm Konosuke Fujiyama White #1 Wa-Kiritsuke Gyuto yesterday, so I can't comment on how the #1 compares to the #2 that I have in the fuji line....but I can tell you that I like this line way better than the reg, carbon or HD line. They are just a bit thicker on the spine and have a highly polished choil and spine as well. I believe they are hand hammered and clad. They take a really sweet multi-layered patina. Mine is the most comfortable gyuto I've ever used. I won't buy any other kind of knife from Konosuke after trying out both the reg carbons and the HD lines. I think I'm very biased in favor of this particular line...your milage may vary :).

6961612193_ee86e0332c_b.jpg
 
I've got the suji and really like it, It is incredibly reactive though...
 
The cutting performance on the white 1 line is pretty nice with decent edge retention. It sharpens up incredibly easily. The choil was beveled on the one I used so that it actually made an edge that wasn't super comfortable at times. The machi gap is oddly unfinished like the metal was broken off or something. These knives also run very short with a 240 being more like 225. The handle was well made, felt nice and substantial but somehow incongruous with the size of the blade. It was reactive although after the patina formed, it calmed down quite a bit. I liked it a lot but I'd rather use other knives.
 
The HD and shironiko lines appear to be good value. Can the same be said for the Fuji line?
 
I don't know if $350 for a 270mm(260ish) is a good value but Id rather get a Gengetsu 240mm that runs long w/saya for the same price. I'm just comparing clad white steel here, but I like those burnt chestnut handles more. How about a fujiyama grind/profile with HD steel? That would be sweet!
 
I like my Konosuke fujiyama. But it falls short in a few areas. The choil and Machi can be uncomfortable. The grind is very good but not great. The knife also runs short for a 240mm. It would be nice if the edge was 10-15mm longer. I like the steel and feel like it has out performed any other white steel I have used. Gets sharper and can cut better then almost any knife I have used. It could be a great knife especially for the price, but with those few issues it is a very good knife. The gegentsu is a more complete knife in that price range, but I have not used one long enough to comment on the steel.
 
I can't comment on the edge retention on the Gengetsu other than to say it's clearly a tougher brand on white steel compared to a Carter, for example. I observed no chipping at all during use. The edge retention is in line with what I would expect from white steel as was the sharpening which is very similar to the Fujiyama, in that it effortlessly achieves crazy sharpness.
 
I have a 270mm white 2 gyuto and love it. It has great fit & finish, excellent grind, and profile, and it is super easy to sharpen and get just hair popping sharp. It keeps an edge better than any of my other white steel knives.
 
mhenry said:
I have a 270mm white 2 gyuto and love it. It has great fit & finish, excellent grind, and profile, and it is super easy to sharpen and get just hair popping sharp. It keeps an edge better than any of my other white steel knives.
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I know its not white #1, but if you would like to try mine out you are welcome to it.
 
mattrud said:
I like my Konosuke fujiyama. But it falls short in a few areas. The choil and Machi can be uncomfortable.QUOTE]

While the choil is beveled and not perfectly rounded, all it takes is a few minutes with a dremel and some wet/dry sandpaper to achieve that smooth rounded feel. I've had to do some sort of final finishing to every knife I've ever owned, so it's not a big deal to me. I also ease the corners of the octogonal handle just enough to bring the comfort level up a notch...finishing with Dave's boarwax of course :).
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macmiddlebrooks said:
...I've had to do some sort of final finishing to every knife I've ever owned...
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You're saying you "had" to smooth out the wa-handle on a KonHD? In my experience, stock wa handles are pretty much always very nice to use (including KonHD and with the exception of some Fowlers). What knives did you actually have to do final finishing on?
 
Well, I didn't have to.....it's just my preference to fine-tune things a bit. While the stock handles are very well made, I enjoy knocking off the somewhat sharp corners and making it so the ferrule and ebony meet with no noticeable under/over-lap (if I can catch my fingernail going up or down the seam where they meet, I'll just sand until I can't). These adjustments are purely for my own enjoyment and in no way reflect poorly on the makers (you can check out my Gallery page for the knives (kitchen) that I've owned...but I give the same treatment to pocket knives as well. Pics of all the knives I've owned can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/macmiddlebrooks/ ). Hope that answers your question Sir.
 
With all the fuss over this line, I decided to order one. A 270mm in white no.1 should arrive monday. Pics when it gets here. :)
 
macmiddlebrooks said:
I just paced an order for a 240mm Konosuke Fujiyama White #1 Wa-Kiritsuke Gyuto yesterday, so I can't comment on how the #1 compares to the #2 that I have in the fuji line....but I can tell you that I like this line way better than the reg, carbon or HD line. They are just a bit thicker on the spine and have a highly polished choil and spine as well. I believe they are hand hammered and clad. They take a really sweet multi-layered patina. Mine is the most comfortable gyuto I've ever used. I won't buy any other kind of knife from Konosuke after trying out both the reg carbons and the HD lines. I think I'm very biased in favor of this particular line...your milage may vary :).

6961612193_ee86e0332c_b.jpg
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S'funny, I originally asked because I was contemplating their kiritsuke. Not sure yet if I want to commit to the training involved in adopting a single bevel, which is why I was looking at double bevels. Please post your experiences here when you have time. I'm also looking at takeda's kiritsuke- mostly based on the height, and thinness. Although my experiences with Konosuke's veer towards the thin side as well. And they are rather handsome with those ebony handles...
 
brainsausage said:
...I was contemplating their kiritsuke. Not sure yet if I want to commit to the training involved in adopting a single bevel, which is why I was looking at double bevels. Please post your experiences here when you have time. I'm also looking at takeda's kiritsuke- mostly based on the height, and thinness. Although my experiences with Konosuke's veer towards the thin side as well. And they are rather handsome with those ebony handles...
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Aren't all Takeda's double bevel? You probably already know but just in case you don't realize it, Kon-Fuji do have kiritsuke-shaped gyutos as well as the true single beveled blades.
 
tk59 said:
Aren't all Takeda's double bevel? You probably already know but just in case you don't realize it, Kon-Fuji do have kiritsuke-shaped gyutos as well as the true single beveled blades.
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Perhaps I misspoke, my intent was to state that I was interested in both the Tak and Kono kiritsukes based upon their double bevel offerings. Sorry for any confusion:)
 
Ah, that makes sense. The Takeda generally feels larger due to the blade height. The are more rustic knives and some have had issues with cladding and possibly variations in HT. Takedas have also varied significantly from knife to knife with regard to profile. Takedas are also AS steel which should hold an edge significantly longer than either white steel depending on the application. In my opinion, the geometry on Takedas is superior to that of the Fujiyama.
 
I feel like there is a lot of conficting opinion in this thread. The takeda geometry is superior in what way?
 
The cross-section of the blade largely determines ease of cutting, food release, strength of the blade, weight, etc. I think Takeda manages a better mix of these charactersitics than KonFujiyama. For the record, I do not have experience with the kiritsuke shaped gyutos from either maker. I have used two Takedas and one Fujiyama. All of them were gyutos and all of them were very good cutters. Specifically, what conflicting information troubles you?
 
tk59 said:
The cross-section of the blade largely determines ease of cutting, food release, strength of the blade, weight, etc. I think Takeda manages a better mix of these charactersitics than KonFujiyama. For the record, I do not have experience with the kiritsuke shaped gyutos from either maker. I have used two Takedas and one Fujiyama. All of them were gyutos and all of them were very good cutters. Specifically, what conflicting information troubles you?
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I meant what specifically is better about the grind, food release, ease of cutting etc. I guess you are trying to say the Takeda is better in all these areas. Having not used a Takeda I have no basis for comparison.

macmiddlebrooks said:
I like this line way better than the reg, carbon or HD line.
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I have used the regular white no.2 line and the HD line. I think my HD has one of the best grinds I've ever used. So, if macmiddlebrooks likes it better I might like it better too.

mhenry said:
I have a 270mm white 2 gyuto and love it. It has great fit & finish, excellent grind, and profile, and it is super easy to sharpen and get just hair popping sharp. It keeps an edge better than any of my other white steel knives.
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If I'm not mistaken, mhenry just sold his Carter HG. I'm assuming he kept his Fujiyama, he can correct me on this. Carter knives are generally well regarded for their geometry, specifically ease of cutting. mhenry, I would like to know how you compare the Fujiyama to the Carter in terms of overall performance. I have a Carter HG gyuto, so this would be a useful comparison for me.

Then we have a few people who say the Fujiyama is just alright. This is where I'm feeling conflicted. It's either just alright, or an amazing knife, depending on who's posting.
 
I really enjoy using my Fujiyama 240 white #2. Gets a great edge quickly and holds it. I use it all day and have no complaints. The choil and spine are nicely rounded. Its reactive but no where near as bad as other carbon knives. The blade is 240mm, but the actual edge is closer to 230mm.

Having used a Takeda as well; they're completely different knives. Both are excellent but it comes down to preference. The Kono. is thin and not very tall, while the Takeda has some heft and height. The Kono is great with specific cutting work (shallots, garlic, chives, delicately sliced anything) while I'd choose the Takeda if I had a case of squash to break down.
 
I have a Carter HG and a KonHD. I think the pure cutting performance on the Fujiyama is similar. The profile is more like the Carter. KonHD has some more curve to it. All of these knives have some sticking issues but the HD can be sharpened to improve release since it is monosteel. I think Takeda releases slightly better and goes into food with a little less resistance and I bet the edge retention is better. It also sharpens up very easily, like the others being discussed. I think Carter HG's are over-priced and not as good as SFGZ. HD is a very good knife and the monosteel is a significant advantage since I like playing around with the geometry. You should try a Gengetsu. I hope mine is as nice as Chuck's...
 
Im tempted to try the gengetsu. I trust anything Jon brings in.
 
obtuse said:
I have used the regular white no.2 line and the HD line. I think my HD has one of the best grinds I've ever used. So, if macmiddlebrooks likes it better I might like it better too.
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Just for the record, I liked my HD quite a bit...it's an amazing knife. My only issue whatsoever was that super thin spine would dig into my hand after long sessions at work. The fuji (for me) has the goldiloks effect of being thick enough at the spine for comfort over long periods of use, and thin enough to still pass through food efortlessly. Anything thicker than this would be dissapointing (for me). Good luck in your search :).
 
Not all Takeda's are tall there are options. I also find his knives almost freakishly light for their size. my fuji is much heavier




tkern said:
I really enjoy using my Fujiyama 240 white #2. Gets a great edge quickly and holds it. I use it all day and have no complaints. The choil and spine are nicely rounded. Its reactive but no where near as bad as other carbon knives. The blade is 240mm, but the actual edge is closer to 230mm.

Having used a Takeda as well; they're completely different knives. Both are excellent but it comes down to preference. The Kono. is thin and not very tall, while the Takeda has some heft and height. The Kono is great with specific cutting work (shallots, garlic, chives, delicately sliced anything) while I'd choose the Takeda if I had a case of squash to break down.
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