Masamoto KS 240mm Write-Up

[ModRQC]

I’ve got this knife from BST a while ago, from a real gentleman member here. Only grudge I’ll hold against him is never having confirmed what that custom handle is supposed to be exactly.

So you’ll have to excuse the lack of details about it in the specs grid. I won’t pursue my vendor, yet these things having a tendency to draw curiosity, and for the chance of a keener, more knowledgeable eye than mine to guess what it is exactly, it’s about to be shown prominently.

It’s a real nice handle and it should get to be celebrated for itself. Feels natural, not overpolished, overlacquered or overdone yet impervious it seems to any degradation; it’s also installed pretty straight and very snuggly, and although you can feel the change of texture, there’s not any point of its few intersections that isn’t perfectly blended in.

Ok then... specs grid…

MAKER/SERIES​	Masamoto KS​
TYPE & LENGTH​	Gyuto 240mm​
FINISH & STEEL​	Migaki Shirogami #2 Monosteel​
WEIGHT / BALANCE​	207g / 0​
HANDLE MATERIAL​	I. Schroeder Custom​
​	​
TOTAL LENGTH​	415​
BLADE LENGTH​	260​
EDGE LENGTH​	250​
​	​
HEIGHT AT HEEL​	48​
HEIGHT AT MID BLADE​	38​
HEIGHT 35mm TO TIP​	20​
​	​
SPINE​	THICKNESS
HEEL​	2.8​
MID BLADE​	2.2​
35mm TO TIP​	1.5​
10mm TO TIP​	0.7​
EDGE THICKNESS​	@ 10 / 5 / 1mm over
Average​	0.9 / 0.5 / 0.1​

 

[ModRQC]

So this is no review but a write-up. Some of the usual pics, but I’ve one thing that I really want to put across. I’ll still take some ease into getting that point down.

I think I understand the seeking of the old stock ones. Or, really, I can’t truthfully say I do since I have no experience with an old KS, but of course the old ones made the fame of this series, and I sure can’t see nothing much fame-inducing about the KS I have in hand, so I have to believe the old ones had better arguments to get the status.

As a Gyuto, which it is, I find it indeed pretty subpar. Grind resembles a Konosuke HD2 but with a lack of the stringent if slight convexity of most. My Kono unit was no food release God, but laser abilities it had, and surprisingly easy release it had. This one is just too much of a V-Grind. There’s a basic suction to it – nothing hindering much but it fails to shine doing most of anything. There’s very little to say against it really as everything is well done enough: F&F is correct, spine thickness is at the very threshold of a nicer grip, the taper interesting and the tip real thin. Grind is nothing bad, nor is it in the thick of things either.

Should be noted I’ve used the KS for a Gyuto but a few times only; most of my use for it has been slicing. I wanted a KS and purchased this one with the idea of an aptly multi-purpose slicer. Categorized like that, it’s essentially pretty good. I’d probably be a bit more favorable to the Gyuto use also with the original handle on (or any other lighter one), and more of a forward balance. With the custom you barely can “feel” the blade at all, there’s no drive to it, and the tip seems to float like a mile away.

The original handle was included by the seller, so it’s possible for me to rather painlessly revert to it, but then again it seems more efforts than I really care to go into with this knife. As a slicer mostly the custom makes some sense, especially in the finger on spine grip I prefer doing so. It would likely still make even better sense with some of a forward balance.

From there I’ll let anybody be their own judges, but you can take the rather negative stance of this write-up for granted. Oh I do like the knife overall… and since I have it, I automatically grab for it whenever slicing stuff is required, even stuff that really doesn’t need of a particular length or profile AT ALL!

But it helps that I got it for a very fair price, yet even such price it still doesn’t really rise to. Custom handle, in itself added value and a splendid unit, just aggravates things mostly where I am concerned with using the knife. Yet I don’t think the original handle could in any way turn my impressions around. For the regular price these things sell for, investing into any other higher end knife I ever tried would be more rewarding, and surely a whole deal I’ve never tried would… Getting a nice custom maker to hear what you need and make something awesome… I can’t hardly think of any circumstance where getting a new KS is worth it. A fair deal on BST seems the way to go, but even there rather be warned than sorry! Hey but wait… I was warned, and I do feel mildly sorry I went into it still. But now I know. It’s a nice knife but it’s nothing particularly good. You can find it compelling competition around half the tag price, and I don’t see much case for a particular attachment to HT, finish, steel… Profile? Well it’s difficult sticking to J-knives crowd without hearing of “KS profile” so sure there’s something into it that sticks. It did for me.

 

[Jovidah]

Funny how experiences can vary...mine is actually still my favorite knife! I should stop slacking and do a short write-up myself. I agree though that the price has gotten somewhat bonkers.

 

[Jason183]

It’s my favorite profile too, also super easy to sharpen, felt liked butter on stone, only couple passes and is razor sharp again. I sold it because it’s too reactive for work and also don’t liked the original handle, gets dirty easily. Ever since I sold it, my knife journey was all evolved around it. My best laser right now is basically KS style gyuto with extra heel height(Carter slicer), and my best all-rounder gyuto is basically more workhorse version KS with extra heel height(Kamon)

 

[ModRQC]

Profile is excellent indeed. Basically why I like it. I’m in that place where I consider improving it, and recouping my money. Not sure which will prevail yet. Once upon the time it was easy to answer: both. Now I invest my free time only in the right battles.