Issue with grind on new Konosuke White #2 suji

[Dave Martell]

For sure the maker/manufacturer, the distributor (Konesuke), and then the vendor should have caught this along it's path to the consumer. If you handle knives all of the time and look at them critically this type of thing stands out like a sore thumb.

 

[EdipisReks]

For those who say that they'd keep it and fix it I'm going to say that this is taking a chance because what if the issue is an overgrind from the side of the knife down into the edge? If that's the case then there's no fixing it through sharpening and it's also possible that sharpening can make the problem appear worse. To me there's to much at risk here for the consumer to take a chance.

lots of Japanese knives have holes in the edge in front of the heel, especially ones that are sharpened on a wheel. rarely have i seen one that was caused by what you're describing, though it is, for sure, something i've seen, and it's fairly obvious when it is. 99/100 what is pictured is fixed the first time the knife is sharpened. since every knife i own is going to be thinned repeatedly over its life, and very often immediately, i'm not even sure i'm all that worried about over grinds on the side, unless they are really atrocious.

 

[Marko Tsourkan]

How does an experienced dealer not see this before shipping?

I say to return it and make them pay for the shipping. If you try to fix this and the repair doesn't work out then you're screwed.

A dealer sometimes is not well equipped to see these things, but maker is. I think the question should be asked why a maker would send out a knife that clearly needs to be re-profiled. I can't tell the extent of this hollow, it might be minor or major, depending if there is a dip in the side of the blade above the edge or just a minute over-grind on the edge.

M

PS: I see dips in the edge all the time, even from well respected US and Japanese makers. Most are too minor to really matter, unless on the heel, as then you get an extended rocking.

Sharpening would take care of it if the dip is at the edge and you are careful to remove metal along the edge except at that spot (if overgrind is on the side of the blade, then the dip might remain even after re-profiling. You would need to remove much more metal from the edge and heavily thin or regrind, to get rid of it), but best would be to reprofile on DMT plate or equivalent, then thin, then sharpen.

 

[Slypig5000]

lots of Japanese knives have holes in the edge in front of the heel, especially ones that are sharpened on a wheel. rarely have i seen one that was caused by what you're describing, though it is, for sure, something i've seen, and it's fairly obvious when it is. 99/100 what is pictured is fixed the first time the knife is sharpened. since every knife i own is going to be thinned repeatedly over its life, and very often immediately, i'm not even sure i'm all that worried about over grinds on the side, unless they are really atrocious.

If I could ask, and this wasn't the issue Dave is talking about, just sharpening regularly would flatten this section of the blade out? I've had a couple of knives that have had this issue and it seems no matter how I try to fix the rise, it persists.

 

[Squilliam]

lots of Japanese knives have holes in the edge in front of the heel, especially ones that are sharpened on a wheel. rarely have i seen one that was caused by what you're describing, though it is, for sure, something i've seen, and it's fairly obvious when it is. 99/100 what is pictured is fixed the first time the knife is sharpened. since every knife i own is going to be thinned repeatedly over its life, and very often immediately, i'm not even sure i'm all that worried about over grinds on the side, unless they are really atrocious.

+1

 

[Keith Sinclair]

what i meant is that for this kind of money, you can definitely get similar knives from Sakai with better fit & finish.

+1

 

[EdipisReks]

If I could ask, and this wasn't the issue Dave is talking about, just sharpening regularly would flatten this section of the blade out? I've had a couple of knives that have had this issue and it seems no matter how I try to fix the rise, it persists.

If it's just a case of the heel being under-ground at the edge, then just being careful sharpening will fix it. Sounds like you might have more of an issue than that, though. Try feeling for dips above the hole with your fingers, or use a straight edge to test.

 

[slowtyper]

what i meant is that for this kind of money, you can definitely get similar knives from Sakai with better fit & finish.

What would you recommend? TBH I don't read every thread here but this is the first time I've seen so many negative konosuke comments. There was so much kono love a while ago. when did that change?

 

[chinacats]

What would you recommend? TBH I don't read every thread here but this is the first time I've seen so many negative konosuke comments. There was so much kono love a while ago. when did that change?

My guess is that the sentiments/expectations tend to follow the pricing structure.

 

[CoqaVin]

My guess is that the sentiments/expectations tend to follow the pricing structure.

It is pretty sad if you think about it as soon as someone finds a company they like IE Konosuke the quality goes down? Happened with Moritaka right?

 

[labor of love]

i can only comment on the knives that I have used past and present, that being said...of over a dozen different konosukes i have either used or owned, none of them have had as nice fit and finish as the 2 sakai yusukes and 2 gesshin gingas i also used/owned. tilman and suisin inox honyaki seems to be maybe on another level though....

 

[stevenStefano]

Double post

 

[stevenStefano]

What would you recommend? TBH I don't read every thread here but this is the first time I've seen so many negative konosuke comments. There was so much kono love a while ago. when did that change?

I think their increased popularity has seen a significant drop in their fit and finish and a big rise in price. So I can see their popularity declining because of that. I know I've said it before (a few times) but the 1 Kono I have had the worst F+F I have ever seen in my life and that was before the price hike. I got it lightly used here for a nice price but if I had got it new I'd have sent it back

 

[mhlee]

I think their increased popularity has seen a significant drop in their fit and finish and a big rise in price. So I can see their popularity declining because of that. I know I've said it before (a few times) but the 1 Kono I have had the worst F+F I have ever seen in my life and that was before the price hike. I got it lightly used here for a nice price but if I had got it new I'd have sent it back

+1

I was in the market for a laser last year and never considered a Konosuke because of the fit and finish issues I had read about here and heard about from people who either own, owned or regularly sharpen them. In addition, they're no longer inexpensive, and for the price, I would rather purchase a knife that I know for certain has good fit and finish. (I also do not purchase from the site that's the main seller of the knives because of previous customer service and product quality issues.)

I ended up purchasing a Gesshin Ginga White #2 240 wa gyuto that I love. The fit and finish is great. (It was a little more than the Konosuke with saya because of California tax. Assuming Jon does not charge tax for out-of-state purchasers, the Ginga with saya is less than the Konosuke with saya.) I've bought a number of items and knives from Jon and I know that he checks every knife before it goes to a customer.

 

[slowtyper]

I feel bad now. I have a kono HD with ebony handle I got a couple years back and its nicest knife I have, or have even used or seen in a work enviro.

 

[labor of love]

kono HD with ebony handles are the way to go! i own(ed)2! theyre very nice, i should clarify my earlier statement, the ho wood handle konos are pretty rough for the price, especially nowadays...

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Konosuki's both HD & carbon are good knives,they just went up in price so much there are other options of some really quality blades at or even below the Kono's. pricewise.

 

[kalaeb]

I feel bad now. I have a kono HD with ebony handle I got a couple years back and its nicest knife I have, or have even used or seen in a work enviro.

I had a few of the old Kono's and loved them, great fit and finish. It would appear as if they are slipping a bit in the qc....being popular can have drawbacks if not managed.

 

[Seb]

I heard that, as far back as a couple of years ago, you couldn't even buy a Kono HD over the counter from their store in Japan since every single one has already been spoken for by American bulk customers.

 

[schanop]

Good to see you back out here, Seb. Another Ozzie member is back aboard.

 

[Seb]

Thank you! Been busy at work and fatherhood. Currently on holidays.

 

[tk59]

1. I would send it back. There's no reason to tolerate this type of issue on a brand new knife. If you experienced and know what to look for AND are happy to grind off the thinnest, most desirable part of your grind to even out an overgrind, go for it but you are throwing away the best part of the life of your knife (assuming the knife is very nice to begin with). 2. I agree, in general, with the QC issues mentioned. I think it's probably a product of inability to satisfy demand. Either you make less and focus on QC or make more and slip a little. If people still buy them, retailers will demand more and if you don't produce they will go elsewhere and you may or may not be able to replace that income. It's risk vs reward, unfortunately. Few people buying those knives will probably have the skill or knowledge to even notice the problem.