Another one ups the price (Misono)

[spaceconvoy]

I almost bought a Misono swedish 210 gyuto last night from Korin (because they hadn't raised prices yet and the 210 at CKTG has that ugly flower engraving), but they gave me a ridiculous shipping quote to Hawaii. Instead, I was going to call their service dept this morning and ask if they'd ship via USPS, but when I double-checked their site today, *BLAMMO* instant 65% price increase. I knew Koki had raised prices, but I guess I haven't been paying enough attention.

I almost settled for getting the stupid flower one from CKTG, but then I remembered Korin also sells though Amazon... I got lucky - they hadn't changed their Amazon prices yet, so I was able to buy one at old price with decent shipping but it looks like that loophole has been closed. Now CKTG is the only source for cheap Misonos, but I doubt that'll last for long.

I'm excited because Misono has one of the narrowest and flattest profiles, somewhere between a regular gyuto and a thick suji. And I've always thought they make the best-feeling handle of any mass-produced yo-gyuto... but I'm a little worried about reactivity, since the first J-knife I ever bought was a Misono swedish 180 gyuto which put me off carbon for a while.

Some people say it's not that bad, and others say it smells like a tire fire (actually, I think I said that ) but I've begun to suspect reactivity can vary greatly between individual knives. For instance, IIRC Jon said the Konosuke HD is more reactive than Aritsugu A steel, but I've experienced the opposite. Anyone else have a carbon knife whose patina/reactivity defies common-forum-sense?

We'll see... if worse comes to worst, I'll hang onto it until CKTG raises prices, then sell it for a profit (Dave, we need a devil smiley)

 

[Vertigo]

In my own experience, my Misono Swedish 270 gyuto didn't produce any odor at all when cutting. There is always some very slight staining of the first cut of the first onion after sharpening, but that's about it. The blade itself isn't nearly as reactive as I anticipated based on other reviews, no rusting yet (except once, but that's a long and angry story involving the "other shift" and a disrespectful coworker using it when I wasn't at work).

Ain't shopping at Korin through Amazon fun? It feels like cheating, getting their products at standardized shipping rates instead of the ludicrous and apparently arbitrary cost through Korin direct.

Congrats on the purchase. Pics when it shows up!

 

[TDj]

whoa - that was crazy. i had just emailed them over the weekend and it sounded like they were gradually increasing the price ... but lo and behold, they're all up!!

so now i sit here with my Misono 240 suji (w/ dragon) ... it's still in the box, unused ... and i was thinking of returning it because what i really wanted was a 180-210 suji ... but now i just don't know what i want anymore!

btw - thanks for that korin shipping trick - love it!

 

[spaceconvoy]

In my own experience, my Misono Swedish 270 gyuto didn't produce any odor at all when cutting. There is always some very slight staining of the first cut of the first onion after sharpening, but that's about it...

That's weird because mine was very reactive... it could be different batches with a slightly different heat-treat or steel-composition, but Misono is a huge maker and I'd imagine their manufacturing process would be tightly controlled & standardized. Could there be a big difference between identical knives for some unknown metallurgical reason? Or maybe it has something to do with the climate? It was pretty humid where I was.

TDj: definitely don't sell it until all the prices rise

Yeah, the shipping thing is weird too, but I don't feel bad about it. It might be a business strategy, if they want to encourage people to go through Amazon because it saves them back-end costs. Who knows.

And yes, I'll definitely post pics when it gets here. Crossing my fingers for Friday.

 

[Vertigo]

That's weird because mine was very reactive... it could be different batches with a slightly different heat-treat or steel-composition, but Misono is a huge maker and I'd imagine their manufacturing process would be tightly controlled & standardized. Could there be a big difference between identical knives for some unknown metallurgical reason? Or maybe it has something to do with the climate? It was pretty humid where I was.

TDj: definitely don't sell it until all the prices rise

Yeah, the shipping thing is weird too, but I don't feel bad about it. It might be a business strategy, if they want to encourage people to go through Amazon because it saves them back-end costs. Who knows.

And yes, I'll definitely post pics when it gets here. Crossing my fingers for Friday.

I hope you have better shipping luck than I! Every purchase I've made at Korin, either direct or through Amazon, has taken at least 7 business days to show up. It's like they buy some sort of Super Economy Freight shipping through UPS, one step above "strapped to the back of a three legged mule" but slightly beneath "put on a truck and driven to the destination," and then have the audacity to charge $11 for the service.

Regarding the reactivity, it might be a climate thing as you said, though I'd also be willing to bet that their steel composition has changed over time. I'm not the only one who has purchased a Misono Swedish recently, and been baffled by it's relative passivity compared to the woeful reviews of those who came before.

Either way, it's a sweet knife. Glad you got one before the price hike!

 

[Citizen Snips]

i had the opposite experience with the misono sweedish 270mm suji. the dragon was cool but it was more reactive than i could have ever imagined. for my first carbon knife, this was probably a bad choice. i noticed discoloring on food and a very strong smell.

a good thing though was that it taught me how to take care of a knife really well because it punishes you very badly if you dont. i learned how to put a good patina on a knife and also learned how sharp carbon can really get. it was a great and terrible knife to own as a beginner. i dont regret it though

 

[spaceconvoy]

Interesting... sounds like you bought yours a while back? If Vertigo got his recently and I got my first one back in May-ish of 09, then maybe they've changed the composition?

 

[aser]

so, how many ux10's for sale on the board when CKTG bumps their prices?

I'm tempted to let mine go since I want a lighter knife for work.

 

[TDj]

i don't know - i think UX10's are contentious around these parts. for most of us, the UX10 is good, but probably not great at its old price. now at the new price, it's viewed by most around here as a rip-off (?$300+?). maybe in the chef-ing world UX10's are more sought after such that nabbing a few at the pre-bump price and then letting them go after the bump is a good idea.

 

[Citizen Snips]

i look at UX-10 like nenox... not bad knives but way too expensive to be something i would ever consider purchasing. i get the "i saw it on iron chef so i should buy one because they are the greatest due to the fact someone famous uses them" vibe.

 

[Citizen Snips]

Interesting... sounds like you bought yours a while back? If Vertigo got his recently and I got my first one back in May-ish of 09, then maybe they've changed the composition?

honestly i think i bought mine only a few months before you. i think it was around the first of the year (xmas money) of 09

 

[Miles]

Looks like the Amazon loophole is closed. 240 carbon gyutou is now over $200.

 

[spaceconvoy]

Pics when it shows up!

I'm really liking this knife so far. The extra weight & heft is a nice change of pace from my Konosuke 210 wa-petty. Definitely not a laser, but thin enough to not cause any complaints, and sturdy enough to not have to baby it all the time. And I really like the narrow (44mm if you're curious) & flat profile. I guess I like my knives like I like my women, not too thin but not too much belly either

Sharpening the swedish steel is extremely nice - last time I moved from an Aritsugu-A to a Konosuke HD, and it felt like sharpening became a breeze. But now moving from the HD to the Swedish steel, there's a whole new level of breeziness. With my Rika, I couldn't get it to hold a burr - the burr just crumbles away.

The patina is not as strong as I remember, so maybe it's true they changed their formula, or maybe I've just picked up better knife habits over the last two years. I haven't gotten the chance to chop an onion yet, so we'll see... And the patina in the photos is the result of slicing some cooked chicken breast.

 

[kalaeb]

Interesting on the price hikes, I looked at cktg last night and the 240 was still $135.00. I wondered if it was a typo, or a different knife.

 

[Cadillac J]

spaceconvoy, is that a 210? Looks great man! Do you think it will replace your 210 Konosuke petty as your go-to knife?

 

[spaceconvoy]

Kalaeb: Not a typo, CKTG and EE are both still selling them at the old prices. Who knows how long that will last though.

And CJ: that's the hundred dollar question right now... Other than their length and double-bevel-ness, they're totally different knives but somehow both great all-arounders. Now that I have both, I don't think either will become 'The' go-to knife - dicing an onion, I'd go with the Misono, making a salad, definitely the Konosuke.

And yes, it's a 210. As a home cook, I don't really understand why anyone would want something larger. Well, I guess 270 kinda makes sense if you want to avoid buying a slicer. But 240 has always seemed like a awkward middle child, not long enough to really slice, just bigger and clumsier without being more effective for small home portions... to each their own