I was comparing my kato with the pictures of the munetoshi and they appear very similar. I will compare my kato specs with the stated munetoshi specs and report back.
Good luck!
They are totally different: i have them both
Kato is Kato, is more hefty
Though Mune is great for it's price.
Actually- Munetoshi is a great investment- it offers a lot for it's price.
But anyway- they are different, very different.
Btw- i prefer them over Shigefusa Kuro Nakiri. Not to say Shigefusa is bad, by far not, but both Mune and Kato are more robust.
Funny, but a cheap Mune doesn't feel that cheap when you cut with it.
After all i'm pretty sure you'll use it very often- because it's indestructible. The big difference between Kato and Mune in Kuroushi Nakiri is that the Mune is damn reactive in the beginning- you have to be patient building up a patina. Even through Kuro finish. But as soon as you have the patina- it rolls as crazy.
One more observation: Mune, in comparison to Kato, doesn't come " ready- toA shave" out of the box.
You should properly sharpen it, please invest some time. In comparison to Shigefusa both don't tend to chip that easily.
So- great knife for moderate price.