Konosuke White#2 or Gesshing Ginga?

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Candlejack

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Hi, i'm currently looking at a 210 or 240mm gyoto (haven't decided whether i want a liiiittle bit smaller and more convenient or if i'm going all out)
A laser.


It's come down to these two and i'm more comfortable on the 200 bucks side of the 250 bucks budget. Which one of these are the best cutters, which has the best HT and which has the best Fit & Finish?

What's the main differences, what i've read they're both great knives.

Places i'm thinking of buyin from is Jon (most likely) or perhaps JNS or CKTG.
JNS is located in Denmark but that also means, scandinavian pricing. Which is awfully expensive.
 
These are very similar knives. There is no valid, functional reason for picking one over the other, as far as I can tell. It might just come down to what company you would like to support. I've taken a liking to Ashi, myself. They are a small company that does everything in house. I believe Konosuke is a much larger company that farms out work like Kikuichi, etc.
 
These are very similar knives. There is no valid, functional reason for picking one over the other, as far as I can tell. It might just come down to what company you would like to support. I've taken a liking to Ashi, myself. They are a small company that does everything in house. I believe Konosuke is a much larger company that farms out work like Kikuichi, etc.

Both of them are forged anyways right?

If so.. it's mostly about rolling the dice.
 
Both of them are forged anyways right?

If so.. it's mostly about rolling the dice.

A forged knife isn't better than a stock removal knife. Unless you just want to know that your knife was forged.
 
Both of them are forged anyways right?

If so.. it's mostly about rolling the dice.
I believe both come from flat stock which is forged but not what you would imagine (hammer, etc). As for dice-rolling, there is some variation between blades but you're not going to get a bad knife. I have seen many blades from both companies and even minor defects are uncommon.
 
I believe both come from flat stock which is forged but not what you would imagine (hammer, etc). As for dice-rolling, there is some variation between blades but you're not going to get a bad knife. I have seen many blades from both companies and even minor defects are uncommon.

I've just had better experances with forged blades than with stamped.

Hmm.. i would like so support Jon and Ashi but the Konosuke 240 can be had for 185 bucks at CKTG.. although i've heard Mark is a bad name around here (for personal reasons not business) but perhaps i can work something out with Jon!
 
Both of them are forged anyways right?

If so.. it's mostly about rolling the dice.

Oh, no, not another "forged is better, right?" meme.

The answer is that neither is "forged", but it doesn't matter.

My pick is the Gesshin Ginga, but as Tinh said, there is no real reason to pick one over the other. I will say that the Konosuke has a largish gap between the neck and the handle, while the pics of the Gesshin on JKI seem to show that it is flush with no gap.

Rick
 
Neither of these are stamped blades. Your knife will not suck. The main difference will be that the stock thickness is just over 2 mm so these will be more flexible toward the handle side of the blade. Exactly how much flexibility is too much is personal preference. I don't have a problem with either.
 
If edge retention is a concern to you the white 2 in the konosuke doesn't hold up particularly well on poly boards. I've used two of them( which I love anyway ) for about a year and a half in a pro enviornment and don't get more than a few days out of an edge. Could be a factor of reactivity combined with lowish wear resistance, but regardless they are great cutters and fantastically easy to sharpen.
 
White #2 is not a particularly wear resistant steel. It has no ultra hard carbides (W, Mo, V, etc) and only moderate carbon content. You get white #2 because you like relatively low "reactivity," sharpness and ease of sharpening.
 
Oh, no, not another "forged is better, right?" meme.

The answer is that neither is "forged", but it doesn't matter.

My pick is the Gesshin Ginga, but as Tinh said, there is no real reason to pick one over the other. I will say that the Konosuke has a largish gap between the neck and the handle, while the pics of the Gesshin on JKI seem to show that it is flush with no gap.

Rick

It's just what i've experienced with the knives i've used. But that might just be because of the knives i've bought/used.

If edge retention is a concern to you the white 2 in the konosuke doesn't hold up particularly well on poly boards. I've used two of them( which I love anyway ) for about a year and a half in a pro enviornment and don't get more than a few days out of an edge. Could be a factor of reactivity combined with lowish wear resistance, but regardless they are great cutters and fantastically easy to sharpen.

No problem. As long as it isn't just the konosukes white steel due to HT, then it's no problem. I really like white steel and i have a tendency to sharpen quite often.





And bonus question: A cheap deba-knive. What to get? First deba, so it's a practice-run to see if i like it. I've looked at a Tanaka in Blue Steel (which i also like)
And a Mr Saji with stag-horn handle and a ginsanko 3 blade (which if i've gotten the correct information could be compared to 12c27 but with larger carbides. I do like 12c27 and for a deba that i will mostly use for fish it might be better with stainless instead of carbon.)
 
It's just what i've experienced with the knives i've used. But that might just be because of the knives i've bought/used.

One of the worst knives I've had the misfortune to try to sharpen and use was a forged knife. It was one my father picked up at an outlet mall - an Oneida 8" slicer.
 
Hmm.. i would like so support Jon and Ashi but the Konosuke 240 can be had for 185 bucks at CKTG.. although i've heard Mark is a bad name around here (for personal reasons not business) but perhaps i can work something out with Jon!

Jon sells both lines. I would give him a call and see what he recommends. He won't steer you wrong.
 
Oh, no, not another "forged is better, right?" meme.

The answer is that neither is "forged", but it doesn't matter.

My pick is the Gesshin Ginga, but as Tinh said, there is no real reason to pick one over the other. I will say that the Konosuke has a largish gap between the neck and the handle, while the pics of the Gesshin on JKI seem to show that it is flush with no gap.

Rick

Jon sells both lines. I would give him a call and see what he recommends. He won't steer you wrong.

I know, i've mailed him. I'm in Sweden so calling would be extremely-expensive. (just as with everything else, international calls are **** expensive here)
 
I know, i've mailed him. I'm in Sweden so calling would be extremely-expensive. (just as with everything else, international calls are **** expensive here)

Sorry Jack. I didn't pick up on the fact that you are overseas. I'm sure Jon will get back to you via email.

Good luck with your decision.
 
Sorry Jack. I didn't pick up on the fact that you are overseas. I'm sure Jon will get back to you via email.

Good luck with your decision.


Haha, perhaps i should put that under the avatar (which i also should put up here, i'm lazy.)

Yeah, i've got an answer from him. That's pretty much that they're very much alike each-other.


Thanks!
 
Since you're in Sweden, have you considered a Masamoto KS wa-gyuto from JCK? They are out of stock at the moment, but taking shipping charges and duty, the higher price at JCK isn't out of consideration.
 
Since you're in Sweden, have you considered a Masamoto KS wa-gyuto from JCK? They are out of stock at the moment, but taking shipping charges and duty, the higher price at JCK isn't out of consideration.

They're too expensive. For that amount i would be able to take a smith here up on his offer!
I have a drivers license to get, and just had to buy a new electric whish (kenwood HM791) and a new cast-iron pan. And as a student, budget is limited unless i want to live on pasta and ketchup.
 
Masamoto KS is all over the place. Now, there's a roll of the dice for you.
 
How so?? Grind,QC,handle?
Profile and geometry: I've only laid hands on two and neither was the cutting machine that Salty and Edipis (among others) describe. Salty compared his KS directly to the honyaki which I've seen and used and said they were essentially identical in performance with the exception of possibly edge retention. While I believe there are awesome KS's out there, I know for a fact they are not consistently so. The fit and finish and handles on these are nothing to get excited about, in the first place so those aren't an issue. These knives work but I won't be plunking my $300 on one.
 
Candlejack-

The Konosuke!

Since I have never handled a Gesshin Ginga and since I just received my w#2 Konosuke my opinion is quite biased. After its first two full days at work, I have to say, I love this knife. Great f&f, super thin and takes a fantastic edge with ease.

I am certain you would enjoy this knife also (the other too).

Cheers,
rj
 
Skype will let you talk to Jon on the cheap.
 
yeah... i use skype and google voice all the time... great way to do international calls
 
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