Konosuke KAIJU, A Knife-Enthusiast's review

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Someone was excited about their new knife... :D
Congrats, it's a beauty! And great write-up too!
 
Great review and the "behind the scenes" report is awesome. I am going to try to obtain one of these (like a lot of folks) and I even had one in my cart at ToGo before I hesitated and removed it. That was the second big regret I made in my knife purchasing (my first was letting go of a Kato Dama purchase at the Knife Merchant 6/11/17 where I made the purchase and they oversold and called me the next day and I agreed to wait until the next time) big mistake I thin that was the last batch Kato made in Damascus.

I do have one question, CKTG and Tosho have B#2 and B#1 versions would you expect there to be much difference in these steels? I have two Fujiyama's in B#2 but so far nothing in B#1.

Thanks for the great write up.
 
Great review and the "behind the scenes" report is awesome. I am going to try to obtain one of these (like a lot of folks) and I even had one in my cart at ToGo before I hesitated and removed it. That was the second big regret I made in my knife purchasing (my first was letting go of a Kato Dama purchase at the Knife Merchant 6/11/17 where I made the purchase and they oversold and called me the next day and I agreed to wait until the next time) big mistake I thin that was the last batch Kato made in Damascus.

I do have one question, CKTG and Tosho have B#2 and B#1 versions would you expect there to be much difference in these steels? I have two Fujiyama's in B#2 but so far nothing in B#1.

Thanks for the great write up.

Hey man, sorry for the delay.

As much as I would LIKE to say there's this really noticable difference between the B2 and B1, from personal experience across multiple Fujiyama, things that I've THOUGHT I felt as differences in steel were really just differences in geometry. A little difference on the stones.. but, at least for me, I don't sharpen regularly enough on Tanaka's work to really feel it. When I visited Konosuke last year and spoke with them about honbazuke on Fujiyama, they mentioned in Those circumstances- sharpening 20-30 blades of one steel, and then sharpening 20-30 blades in another -a person could better feel those differences between B1 and B2..
But again.. that's people that Really know sharpening, sharpening Many blades in a row.

B1 technically has a higher carbon content, and Tanaka takes it a point or two higher HRC than B2.. So you could theoretically find yourself with slightly better edge life in an otherwise-controlled environment. Some people have claimed that Tanaka's B1 has a different feel in hand as it connects with the cutting board- again, in relation to that, I've been more prone to chalking that up to geometry / edge thickness than the actual core steel.

As far as specs go, all Kaiju- reguardless of core steel (B2, B1, or the rumored W1's that are supposed to be in production)- are going to be the same height / length / weight (within a tolerance- they're hand made of course).
If my knife collecting weren't on a tad of a pause at the moment, I'd love to do with Kaiju what I've done with Fujiyama, and compare one in each steel to compare head-to-head.. but afraid that probably isn't in the cards for a while.
 
This is so informative!!
I believe they are now making Kaiju in both B1 and W1. If anyone has tried them both, I would really like to know how do they compare.
Must be new around here. You'd be lucky to find one let alone two Kaiju in the same hands. I'm guessing a comparo of FM W#1 vs B#1 will yield most of the info you seek.
 
Hey man, sorry for the delay.

As much as I would LIKE to say there's this really noticable difference between the B2 and B1, from personal experience across multiple Fujiyama, things that I've THOUGHT I felt as differences in steel were really just differences in geometry. A little difference on the stones.. but, at least for me, I don't sharpen regularly enough on Tanaka's work to really feel it. When I visited Konosuke last year and spoke with them about honbazuke on Fujiyama, they mentioned in Those circumstances- sharpening 20-30 blades of one steel, and then sharpening 20-30 blades in another -a person could better feel those differences between B1 and B2..
But again.. that's people that Really know sharpening, sharpening Many blades in a row.

B1 technically has a higher carbon content, and Tanaka takes it a point or two higher HRC than B2.. So you could theoretically find yourself with slightly better edge life in an otherwise-controlled environment. Some people have claimed that Tanaka's B1 has a different feel in hand as it connects with the cutting board- again, in relation to that, I've been more prone to chalking that up to geometry / edge thickness than the actual core steel.

As far as specs go, all Kaiju- reguardless of core steel (B2, B1, or the rumored W1's that are supposed to be in production)- are going to be the same height / length / weight (within a tolerance- they're hand made of course).
If my knife collecting weren't on a tad of a pause at the moment, I'd love to do with Kaiju what I've done with Fujiyama, and compare one in each steel to compare head-to-head.. but afraid that probably isn't in the cards for a while.
Thanks for your observations and knowledge. I did manage to buy a Kaiju B#1 from Tosho but I don't have the touch or feel to tell one great blade from another. I'm just enjoying using these great crafted tools. I cut up some onion today for a smoked meatloaf I'm doing and used my 240mm Shigefusa and I feel like I won the lottery.

I hear you on the purchasing pause, my wife gave me the look and said no more knives when I was staring down at a Jiro purchase! After 55 years being married I know when to back off!
 
Wow that was awesome..!! I have bin read everything I can find . I have to say hands down bar none ..!! You win the top notch professional opinion..! I learned more from you than reading the last 10 sites. I I agree these knives are all different in many ways. What I am truly trying to find out is …???

HOW CAN I GET ONE ?? Omg smh ..!!

It’s impossible. I’m a head chef 30 years. I would love to get my hands on the FM model..!!
 
Wow that was awesome..!! I have bin read everything I can find . I have to say hands down bar none ..!! You win the top notch professional opinion..! I learned more from you than reading the last 10 sites. I I agree these knives are all different in many ways. What I am truly trying to find out is …???

HOW CAN I GET ONE ?? Omg smh ..!!

It’s impossible. I’m a head chef 30 years. I would love to get my hands on the FM model..!!
Pay $2500+ on the secondary or more...or have a super desirable knife to trade for one. Otherwise, it's not that hard to find a regular FM in the $5-$700 range, just have to be patient.
 
Pay $2500+ on the secondary or more...or have a super desirable knife to trade for one. Otherwise, it's not that hard to find a regular FM in the $5-$700 range, just have to be patient.
Thank you for all your help and information. I would love to get one of these. When you say 2500+ .. I don’t understand?? I have found sites that carry the FM series. They are all out of stock . Chef’s knife to go has a few for the company but these are fire ..! In your expert opinion? Where is the best place to find one for sale ? I am new to this game but not new to knives . I have to say Y Tanaka and Toghishi are both my two favorite. Hands down the best ever.. if I had the $$$ I would buy everything that they both make ..So as a exspert and some one who really really knows knives like you do.
WHATS THE BEST ONE FOR ME TO GET ? I’m a laser kind of knife guy and have to say Takamura is awesome for professional kitchen work and my go to knife one day to day work. Toghishi and Tanaka are both just absolutely awesome and drive everything soooo smooothly .. cutting performance is the very best I ever had. After reading all your wrote I am definitely going for the FM series. I love the 3 2 1 thickness or lower … although I never tried there knives that are thicker at the heel .

I have a few Mr Itou knives and all I can say is I use them all at home .. they remind me of the 90’s thick steel like the Germany knives .. way way to thick for perfect perfection… they look good at that’s it ..!! Show pieces at best .

Anyway I just want to get my hands on some really awesome Y Tanaka blades for work.. there are sooo many awesome options and I don’t really know what one I should get first ?? I love white 1 and blue 1 steel ..!! The stainless steel clad really helps in professional kitchen..!! Straight carbon steel turns everything gray after I cut it ..!! Tricks ????
I’M LISTENING LOUD AND CLEAR!!!
 

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Thank you for all your help and information. I would love to get one of these. When you say 2500+ .. I don’t understand?? I have found sites that carry the FM series. They are all out of stock . Chef’s knife to go has a few for the company but these are fire ..! In your expert opinion? Where is the best place to find one for sale ? I am new to this game but not new to knives . I have to say Y Tanaka and Toghishi are both my two favorite. Hands down the best ever.. if I had the $$$ I would buy everything that they both make ..So as a exspert and some one who really really knows knives like you do.
WHATS THE BEST ONE FOR ME TO GET ? I’m a laser kind of knife guy and have to say Takamura is awesome for professional kitchen work and my go to knife one day to day work. Toghishi and Tanaka are both just absolutely awesome and drive everything soooo smooothly .. cutting performance is the very best I ever had. After reading all your wrote I am definitely going for the FM series. I love the 3 2 1 thickness or lower … although I never tried there knives that are thicker at the heel .

I have a few Mr Itou knives and all I can say is I use them all at home .. they remind me of the 90’s thick steel like the Germany knives .. way way to thick for perfect perfection… they look good at that’s it ..!! Show pieces at best .

Anyway I just want to get my hands on some really awesome Y Tanaka blades for work.. there are sooo many awesome options and I don’t really know what one I should get first ?? I love white 1 and blue 1 steel ..!! The stainless steel clad really helps in professional kitchen..!! Straight carbon steel turns everything gray after I cut it ..!! Tricks ????
I’M LISTENING LOUD AND CLEAR!!!
So a couple things. As you read, the Kaiju is a special version of the FM, finished by hand in Japanese naturals stones. This finish takes hours on hours over a standard FM finish, and done by one man. Because of this, there are very very few. Definitely less than 100.

Maybe around 50? So it's supply and demand. They don't even drop every year anymore. Typically a drop will have a handful of knives. Because of them hardly ever going for sale and the demand being super high, no one will let theirs go for less than 3k most likely. Or like I said, you have to trade another Uber rare knife.

However...the things I said above hold true only for Kaiju which are very limited, and the Togo Reigo FM's. For the "normal" FMs, they are dropped in websites every few months like tosho, CKTG, and other konosuke retailers, or if you are fast enough, people post them for sale here on the secondary market.

If you want something similar to an FM now there are plenty of options. You can buy a tetsujin kasumi or metal flow. These are ground by the same sharpener as the FM, myojin and will get you similarly great performance.

Another option is Nakagawa x Myojin with Damascus. Nakagawa is a fantastic Smith who does a great blue 1 Damascus clad, and you will get the same high performance grind from myojin that he is known for on the FMs.

Homebutcher has a 22% off code "endofyear22":

https://homebutcher.com/products/na...-by-pie-cutlery-2?_pos=5&_sid=bfb22dc88&_ss=rhttps://homebutcher.com/products/na...le-by-pie-cutlery?_pos=8&_sid=bfb22dc88&_ss=r
 
Last edited:
So a couple things. As you read, the Kaiju is a special version of the FM, finished by hand in Japanese naturals stones. This finish takes hours on hours over a standard FM finish, and done by one man. Because of this, there are very very few. Definitely less than 100.

Maybe around 50? So it's supply and demand. They don't even drop every year anymore. Typically a drop will have a handful of knives. Because of them hardly ever going for sale and the demand being super high, no one will let theirs go for less than 3k most likely. Or like I said, you have to trade another Uber rare knife.

However...the things I said above hold true only for Kaiju which are very limited, and the Togo Reigo FM's. For the "normal" FMs, they are dropped in websites every few months like tosho, CKTG, and other konosuke retailers, or if you are fast enough, people post them for sale here on the secondary market.

If you want something similar to an FM now there are plenty of options. You can buy a tetsujin kasumi or metal flow. These are ground by the same sharpener as the FM, myojin and will get you similarly great performance.

Another option is Nakagawa x Myojin with Damascus. Nakagawa is a fantastic Smith who does a great blue 1 Damascus clad, and you will get the same high performance grind from myojin that he is known for on the FMs.

Homebutcher has a 22% off code "endofyear22":

https://homebutcher.com/products/na...-by-pie-cutlery-2?_pos=5&_sid=bfb22dc88&_ss=rhttps://homebutcher.com/products/na...le-by-pie-cutlery?_pos=8&_sid=bfb22dc88&_ss=r
So absolutely awesome..!! Yes you are 100 percent right on ..!! All day long bro you know your **** ..!! Hands down. So I have bin a chef for 30 years in Michelin star kitchen… I’m not new to knives ..! I have 50 + knives and counting.. I’m new here and I’m just getting really really interested and into Yoshikazu Tanaka and kenji toghishi..!! There stuff is fire …!! All of it ..!! So I’m looking at many options this far ..! Yea hands down number one..!! KonasukeFm ..!! Dama , there is sooo many but simply I have Toghishi white 1 and I’m looking for Tanaka blue 1 ..! Yes chef knives to go is getting a drop of Fm in two weeks..!! I have bin talking with the company..! I have personally talked with Natsuko ..!! This was a email from him yesterday.!
 

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So a couple things. As you read, the Kaiju is a special version of the FM, finished by hand in Japanese naturals stones. This finish takes hours on hours over a standard FM finish, and done by one man. Because of this, there are very very few. Definitely less than 100.

Maybe around 50? So it's supply and demand. They don't even drop every year anymore. Typically a drop will have a handful of knives. Because of them hardly ever going for sale and the demand being super high, no one will let theirs go for less than 3k most likely. Or like I said, you have to trade another Uber rare knife.

However...the things I said above hold true only for Kaiju which are very limited, and the Togo Reigo FM's. For the "normal" FMs, they are dropped in websites every few months like tosho, CKTG, and other konosuke retailers, or if you are fast enough, people post them for sale here on the secondary market.

If you want something similar to an FM now there are plenty of options. You can buy a tetsujin kasumi or metal flow. These are ground by the same sharpener as the FM, myojin and will get you similarly great performance.

Another option is Nakagawa x Myojin with Damascus. Nakagawa is a fantastic Smith who does a great blue 1 Damascus clad, and you will get the same high performance grind from myojin that he is known for on the FMs.

Homebutcher has a 22% off code "endofyear22":

https://homebutcher.com/products/na...-by-pie-cutlery-2?_pos=5&_sid=bfb22dc88&_ss=rhttps://homebutcher.com/products/na...le-by-pie-cutlery?_pos=8&_sid=bfb22dc88&_ss=r
I have two metal flows and one really rare mojin Nakiri all of them are blue 2 kusami finish and Dumacasse..!! Straight fire …!! His blue steel turns my shallots black after two hours and durning service I have to bust out my Takamura and cut shallots on the fly

Lmao
 
So a couple things. As you read, the Kaiju is a special version of the FM, finished by hand in Japanese naturals stones. This finish takes hours on hours over a standard FM finish, and done by one man. Because of this, there are very very few. Definitely less than 100.

Maybe around 50? So it's supply and demand. They don't even drop every year anymore. Typically a drop will have a handful of knives. Because of them hardly ever going for sale and the demand being super high, no one will let theirs go for less than 3k most likely. Or like I said, you have to trade another Uber rare knife.

However...the things I said above hold true only for Kaiju which are very limited, and the Togo Reigo FM's. For the "normal" FMs, they are dropped in websites every few months like tosho, CKTG, and other konosuke retailers, or if you are fast enough, people post them for sale here on the secondary market.

If you want something similar to an FM now there are plenty of options. You can buy a tetsujin kasumi or metal flow. These are ground by the same sharpener as the FM, myojin and will get you similarly great performance.

Another option is Nakagawa x Myojin with Damascus. Nakagawa is a fantastic Smith who does a great blue 1 Damascus clad, and you will get the same high performance grind from myojin that he is known for on the FMs.

Homebutcher has a 22% off code "endofyear22":

https://homebutcher.com/products/na...-by-pie-cutlery-2?_pos=5&_sid=bfb22dc88&_ss=rhttps://homebutcher.com/products/na...le-by-pie-cutlery?_pos=8&_sid=bfb22dc88&_ss=r
These knives are straight fire ..!! This site is awesome..! Thank you so much for all your help and time concerning these matters..!! I have learned a lot from you ..!! I’m going to use the site for sure ..!! FYI look at burnalcutlery.com San Francisco..!! They just made a really big Tanaka drop on tons of new knives ..!! I watched 25 new knifes hit the site and half of them all gone ..!! Top notch newest stuff and the sharpener is the same one as the original Fujiyama line ..!! FYI it’s going quick
 
These knives are straight fire ..!! This site is awesome..! Thank you so much for all your help and time concerning these matters..!! I have learned a lot from you ..!! I’m going to use the site for sure ..!! FYI look at burnalcutlery.com San Francisco..!! They just made a really big Tanaka drop on tons of new knives ..!! I watched 25 new knifes hit the site and half of them all gone ..!! Top notch newest stuff and the sharpener is the same one as the original Fujiyama line ..!! FYI it’s going quick
 
We all appreciate your enthusiasm, but maybe chill with the !!…!!..!! business.
Knifes are the way of life for a chef and I would never disrespect the art that we alll love and share ..!! Hands down it’s a art just like Michelin three star food is ..!! So we are all talking the same language..!! True or false??
 
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