Konosuke YS-M or Fujiyama FM White #1 for performance

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Knivperson

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Konosuke YS-M or Fujiyama FM White #1 - which one performes the best for vegetables in your opinion? Can be 210 or 240 mm. I've read "a konosuke comparison", which concludes on the YS-M, but FM is supposed to be the top of the line (except for Kaiju, of course).
 
These are totally different knives. Different steel, finish, profiles, thickness, blacksmith (Y Tanaka is the FM smith and YS-M is not disclosed) etc. What are you looking for in a knife? If you want a semi stainless medium workhorse style then the YS-M is better suited. If you want something that is thinner but not laser thin that isn't semi stainless then maybe the FM would be better. I would say what is better for one person may not be better for another but the YS-M can be easily found and the FM can't for whatever that is worth.

Oh and with respect to top of the line...the Kaiju is made by the same smith as the FM it is just a workhorse variant.
 
Maybe when comparing two knives known to be both very good, "vegetables" might be too broad a category.

I agree...

If you don't want something that will patina and can rust if you aren't careful...the YS-M is the best choice. If you are okay with wiping the blade down diligently and prefer something thinner that may wedge less or be better for fine work then maybe the FM. I must say the last batch of FMs (Blue 1) are the thinnest knives behind the edge that I have ever personally owned. If you don't have good technique and a proper cutting board you are going to have a bad time with the FM.
 
These are totally different knives. Different steel, finish, profiles, thickness, blacksmith (Y Tanaka is the FM smith and YS-M is not disclosed) etc. What are you looking for in a knife? If you want a semi stainless medium workhorse style then the YS-M is better suited. If you want something that is thinner but not laser thin that isn't semi stainless then maybe the FM would be better. I would say what is better for one person may not be better for another but the YS-M can be easily found and the FM can't for whatever that is worth.

Oh and with respect to top of the line...the Kaiju is made by the same smith as the FM it is just a workhorse variant.
I want something that works well for cutting vegetables - not necessarily hard vegetables, just everyday stuff like onions, tomatoes, carrots. Wiping it down is no problem, edge retention is no problem. I'm not a professional cook, so it's just for dinner. I push/pull cut or chop mostly.

Sorry for the impreciseness, I just wondered which performed the best when it gets to cutting up veggies. Maybe it isn't enough. Also maybe just in a wider perspective - how do the two compare in real life?

YS-M is Yoshikane, right? I've read that several places. :)
 
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When you say edge retention is no problem, do you mean the knife will have an easy job with no abuse, or do you mean you're happy to sharpen it often?
 
It's okay to sharpen it often - I'm learning so it's no problem at all :D ZPD-189 would be horrible haha - no practice at all.
 
And with my amount of abuse - using it for around 30 minutes a day - all steel-types are okay, I think. :)
 
And with my amount of abuse - using it for around 30 minutes a day - all steel-types are okay, I think. :)
So, it sounds like what you want is a knife without super-hard steel, good for the easy-to-normal jobs, will not really be mistreated, and will not be used in a high-pressure situation (i.e. you're not cutting with it for long periods with no rest).

In other words, if you stay away from extra-large very heavy knives, stay away from high-tech hard steel, and stay away from useless junk, almost every knife is perfect for you. :upsidedownspin:
 
Maybe it's not easy, in a place like KKF, to be just a guy looking for a better-than-average good knife, when there's so much information about knives that are very special to knife collectors.
 
Maybe it's not easy, in a place like KKF, to be just a guy looking for a better-than-average good knife, when there's so much information about knives that are very special to knife collectors.
I'm trying to learn this hehe. Thanks.
 
My vote would be for the YS-M. Semi-stainless for easier maintenance, gets sharp as hell, good edge rentention, and its a middle weight knife. Its grind not on either extreme, laser thin or heavier workhorse. I got a recommendation from a chef to purchase a YS.

In theory the YS is easier to find than a Fujiyama these days but the YS is out of stock most places.

It's not a rebranded Yoshikane. Maybe the same smiths making the knives for Yoshikane and Konosuke, but not a direct relabel.
 
My vote would be for the YS-M. Semi-stainless for easier maintenance, gets sharp as hell, good edge rentention, and its a middle weight knife. Its grind not on either extreme, laser thin or heavier workhorse. I got a recommendation from a chef to purchase a YS.

In theory the YS is easier to find than a Fujiyama these days but the YS is out of stock most places.

It's not a rebranded Yoshikane. Maybe the same smiths making the knives for Yoshikane and Konosuke, but not a direct relabel.
Just ordered the YS-M 240. Very, very exciting.
 
And looks is important, no matter what they tell you.
Using a knife while not looking is definitely not recommended. :)

The looks of a knife can be a bit of a strange thing; often enough, people say "It's an ugly knife, but it works great and I really like it" - but maybe somehow those knives are ugly "in the right way" so it doesn't bother the person. And it would be crazy to claim it isn't pleasing and reassuring to have a nice looking knife.

People who like knives also judge the look of a knife based on its function, not just its appearance - see the scathing discussions of display knives with jewels and fancy surface treatments obviously not meant to be used - we think they're ugly, but people who don't like knives may like them.
 
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Using a knife while not looking is definitely not recommended. :)

The looks of a knife can be a bit of a strange thing; often enough, people say "It's an ugly knife, but it works great and I really like it" - but maybe somehow those knives are ugly "in the right way" so it doesn't bother the person. And it would be crazy to claim it isn't pleasing and reassuring to have a nice looking knife.
I guess a good example would be the TFTFTF knives 'wabi-sabi' aesthetic. Some would really like it but a lot more might dislike that look.
 
I guess a good example would be the TFTFTF knives 'wabi-sabi' aesthetic. Some would really like it but a lot more might dislike that look.
More harshly, some might just call it careless work. I've never seen one of the knives in person, so I can't say what I think.
 
More harshly, some might just call it careless work. I've never seen one of the knives in person, so I can't say what I think.
I have a JCK Fu Rin Ka Zan 180mm gyuto which is essentially a TF Nashiji and it looks pretty good with a perfectly straight edge and performs well. Above the edge though, upon closer inspection, you can see random angle grind marks here and there but only on one side. It looks pretty ugly but I'm more inclined towards symmetry.
 
Mabs and Denka are beautiful blades. Handle/bolster are often the direst aspects. Overgrinds on my Mabs were pretty easily dealt with and far up the edge. My Shi.Han had worse overgrinds. Most of all knives I thinned have some - loose stats in my personal experience would be 2 out of three with important overgrinds, and most of those that don’t were factory made. Still, half factory made I thinned had overgrinds.

Factor in the price for TFs and you get the derisive and hateful comments on TF. Then again handling a Mabs was my favorite experience with a Yo to date and steel is awesome.
 
... perfectly straight edge and performs well. Above the edge though, upon closer inspection, you can see random angle grind marks here and there
Yeah, I can see the philosophy of leaving things alone when they don't affect the performance. It may allow him the time to make another knife instead. I do prefer a nice appearance though. IDK.
 
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