The collection

[esoo]

Did I miss it -- what replaced the Kaeru slicer?

Interesting that your MM's are so thin. My 240 B2, an early one I think, is a great, great all around performer, but it feels like the grind is lower than on a Fujiyama, making it feel more solid. I'm surprised the R2 you got felt chunky in comparison. You must be right that it's down to knife-to-knife variation.

Nothing has replaced the slicer, aside from using either the MM 240 or a MCX Spare 230. I occasionally look for one, but haven't found anything that would push those two out of slicing duties.

Yeah the Myojin R2 I had was thicker BTE than either of my MMs. I know people got ones that were nail-flexing from what I'd read, but that wasn't mine. I really like the grind on the MMs I have - thin, but not nail-flexing as I like some rigidity to my edge as when I pick up a knife it needs to be an all-rounder.

 

[esoo]

Realized I was due for an update:
ZKramer Carbon 8" - never felt right in the hand
ZKramer Carbon 10" - because someone asked nicely
Kono GS 240 - too lasery at the length for what I wanted
Kotetsu 180 Bunka - too thin at the edge for general use in my kitchen
Takeda Large NAS Nakiri - too much belly
Kaeru Stainless 210 Gyuto - just needed to make room for other stuff
Miyabi Birchwood 8" Chefs - balance point too far back
Miyabi Black 7" Santoku - wedged really bad, didn't want to try thinning
Zwilling Diplome 8" - balance point too far back
ZKramer Essential 10" - as I regretted selling the ZKramer 10" Carbon (and can't buy one in Canada anymore), tried to relive the experience with this and it just wasn't the same.
Mazaki 170 Nakiri - really nice knife, just the one that finally told me that I'm not really a nakiri guy
TF 150 Nashiji petty - nice knife, but role got replaced by the Victorinox boning knife
Misono 190 Swedish Carbon Lefty - balance point too far back
CCK 1103 - figured I'd focus my technique on gyutos at the time
Kono HD2 240 - after liking the 210 wanted to try - didn't like the balance.
Devin Thomas AEB-L 220 - Beautiful knife, but too much money in one blade for my day to day use. Was afraid to damage the ultra thin tip
Dalman Warikomi 230 - Longer/tall than I wanted, and budget said it had to go.
Konosuke Fujiyama FM 210 White 2 - Traded. Just like other Konosuke's more.
Konosuke HD2 210 - Traded. Other Konos just exceeded it
Konosuke YS-M 210 - Just pulled the MM off the rack more, and for mental health was cleaning up the collection
Shigefusa Kuro 165 Santoku - was thick and didn't want to try and thin it
Hitohira Kikuchiyo x Ren 180 Santoku - handle too big for my liking
Moritaka 240 B#2 Gyuto - bought for a 240, and replaced by a Kono MM
Kagekiyo 240 W#2 K-Tip Gyuto - traded for it, nice enough but just didn't gel with me.
S Tanaka R2 210 Gyuto - obtained in a trade, didn't like the balance of it right out of the box.
Toyama 180 Nakiri - really well put together knife. It lost out to a 230, but it was a close comparison.
Dalman 210 Honyaki - Just a few small things kept this from being a keeper.
Kono 210 Tetsujin - Too much like the MM out of the box, didn't even try a cut.
Muteki 143 Petty - really nicely made knife, just didn't jive with the balance point
Takamura 210 Chromax gyuto - too thin of spine.
Kono Madei Sumiiro 170 Bunka - surprisingly the profile didn't agree with me
Hitohira Togashi Migaki White 1 240 Gyuto - was going to be a bit of a project knife (needed thinning and a new handle) and got bumped by a new knife the next day.
Sabatier Nogent 8" - just decided I wasn't going to use it.
Markin 210 Rex121 Gyuto - stunning knife, just needed make budget room.
Konosuke HD2 180 petty - wicked little knife that just wasn’t for me. Not a petty guy
Konosuke MM B#2 270 - everything great about a MM, just too long for my kitchen.
Raquin 200 - impulse buy. Sold as I needed the budget more.
Shigefusa 240 Kasumi gyuto - nice knife, but not quite what I wanted
MCX Spåre 230 26c3 differentially hardened gyuto - sweet knife at a wonderfully price. Too forward balanced. Ordered something else from Fredrik
Myojin SG2 240 - Was hoping for a stainless MM and this wasn't quite it.
Takada Blue 1 Suiboku 180 Nakiri - Great litte nakiri, just lighter than I liked in a square blade.
Kamon 225 Massdrop - Excellent built knife. Just something about the balance in hand felt a bit off for me, so sold to have budget for other knives
ZKramer Damascus Nakiri - Homebutcher sale made me try it. Nice enough, but not enough to keep
JNS Kaeru 270 Stainless Suji - just felt too light in my hands, was never really happy with it.
Takada 210 Gyuto Ginsan Suiboku - stunning knife, just got "one in, one out" hit by a ShiHan.
TF Denka 165 nakiri: returned to retailer as there was a bend in the blade
Jiro 225 gyuto - returned to vendor before it even shipped. Hadn't realized the weight and knew it's wasn't going to be my thing.
Ittetsu Tall Nakiri - baby cleaver in weight but nakiri handle, wanted to use a cleaver grip, but couldnt due to the neck on the handle
Kono W#1 195 Nakiri - beautiful knife, but I'm a lefty and this was righty ground
MSicard 52100 180 Lefty Nakiri - modelled on the Kono nakiri, nice knife but I flip between between being a nakiri guy and not, and I'm not one at the moment
Spåre 230 Coreless Damascus gyuto - stunning gorgeous knife, just the wrong dimension for me (was oversize and I prefer under)
CCK1303 - bought for All Rectangle March, sold almost immediately due to the stress it caused me.
DaoVua V3 Cleaver - bought for All Rectangle March, PIF'ed almost immediately due to the stress it caused me

So for those last two cleavers, it wasn't that they weren't cool knifes to play with, but I'd gotten to a point mentally where I could be somewhat happy with how many knives I had and it not causing me stress that I wasn't using some. Basically I'm down to 210/225/240 with a knife from Japan and a Western Maker at each length. Thinking about how I was going to fit cleavers into the mix was causing me more stress than it was worth so I sold them.

That being said, there was two other purchases so I'm evaluating how I'm going to trim down at this moment. The current rack is:
Japanese:
210 - Kono MM B#2
225 - Hitohira Tanaka x Yohei B1 Damascus (I'm counting this as a 225 even though it was sold as a 240. Edge length is 218 so it is short even by Sakai 240 standards)
240 - Kono MM B#2, Kono HD2
Western
210 - Shihan A2
225 - Raquin
240 - MCX Spare Apex Ultra, Kippington Laser Pony

There's some really, really good knives in that set, so it's going to be hard to trim down to 6. I'm also evaluating how close I can get down to 3 (one at each length) and still be happy. My current curation guide is to have no duplicate in smith, sharpener or steel. I'll see where I get to.

 

[OkayMode]

My current curation guide is to have no duplicate in smith, sharpener or steel. I'll see where I get to.

Please allow me to help you in your goals by taking that 240mm Kono MM off your hands


Ace collection, and I really enjoyed the accompanying notes - maybe I should do this too...

 

[esoo]

Please allow me to help you in your goals by taking that 240mm Kono MM off your hands


Ace collection, and I really enjoyed the accompanying notes - maybe I should do this too...

While I recently got the HD2 to see if it could bump the MM, the MM is quite entrenched in collection. I find it quite special as cutter. Going to be interesting once I get the HD2 rehandled (I bought a b-stock with broken handle) to see how it really compares.

 

[Cliff]

I don't think you'll find an HD2 can replace the MM. They are quite different. I have the B2 version of the MM and find it much stiffer than the HD2, still a great performer but much more confident feeling on the board.

 

[esoo]

I don't think you'll find an HD2 can replace the MM. They are quite different. I have the B2 version of the MM and find it much stiffer than the HD2, still a great performer but much more confident feeling on the board.

You're probably right. The grind is also quite different (and the HD2 definitely has some righty bias while the MM is more neutral, but not the same on left and right sides). I had been looking for the HD2 in 210 and only bought the 240 due to the discount. It's been a while so I needed to come back and try it again with more experienced eyes. If it doesn't cut it, it will just go up for sale.

 

[Cliff]

On mine, the grind on the MM starts much lower.

 

[OkayMode]

It’s a shame you didn’t try the Tetsujin out a bit - I’d be interested to hear how it compares to the MM.

 

[esoo]

It’s a shame you didn’t try the Tetsujin out a bit - I’d be interested to hear how it compares to the MM.

Aside from the FM nakiri, every Myojin knife I've touched has seemed to have the same grind. In feeling the grind the Tetsujin just seemed to be the same as the MM, just a lighter knife which is why I moved it along.

 

[Cliff]

I think the grind on my MM is lower than his Fujiyamas. The MM is still a great performer, but it feels more like a mid-weight and less laser-y. I've never tried one of the fuller figured Fuji's

 

[esoo]

I think the grind on my MM is lower than his Fujiyamas. The MM is still a great performer, but it feels more like a mid-weight and less laser-y. I've never tried one of the fuller figured Fuji's

In the 210s, the FM W#2 was a minor convex laser at 120g while the MM has much more meat and better grind at 170g

I'd like to try a meater FM just see how it compares.

 

[Cliff]

My 240 W1 Fuji is a laser's laser, the MM more of a middleweight or laserhorse.

 

[timebard]

Realized I was due for an update:
ZKramer Carbon 8" - never felt right in the hand
ZKramer Carbon 10" - because someone asked nicely
Kono GS 240 - too lasery at the length for what I wanted
Kotetsu 180 Bunka - too thin at the edge for general use in my kitchen
Takeda Large NAS Nakiri - too much belly
Kaeru Stainless 210 Gyuto - just needed to make room for other stuff
Miyabi Birchwood 8" Chefs - balance point too far back
Miyabi Black 7" Santoku - wedged really bad, didn't want to try thinning
Zwilling Diplome 8" - balance point too far back
ZKramer Essential 10" - as I regretted selling the ZKramer 10" Carbon (and can't buy one in Canada anymore), tried to relive the experience with this and it just wasn't the same.
Mazaki 170 Nakiri - really nice knife, just the one that finally told me that I'm not really a nakiri guy
TF 150 Nashiji petty - nice knife, but role got replaced by the Victorinox boning knife
Misono 190 Swedish Carbon Lefty - balance point too far back
CCK 1103 - figured I'd focus my technique on gyutos at the time
Kono HD2 240 - after liking the 210 wanted to try - didn't like the balance.
Devin Thomas AEB-L 220 - Beautiful knife, but too much money in one blade for my day to day use. Was afraid to damage the ultra thin tip
Dalman Warikomi 230 - Longer/tall than I wanted, and budget said it had to go.
Konosuke Fujiyama FM 210 White 2 - Traded. Just like other Konosuke's more.
Konosuke HD2 210 - Traded. Other Konos just exceeded it
Konosuke YS-M 210 - Just pulled the MM off the rack more, and for mental health was cleaning up the collection
Shigefusa Kuro 165 Santoku - was thick and didn't want to try and thin it
Hitohira Kikuchiyo x Ren 180 Santoku - handle too big for my liking
Moritaka 240 B#2 Gyuto - bought for a 240, and replaced by a Kono MM
Kagekiyo 240 W#2 K-Tip Gyuto - traded for it, nice enough but just didn't gel with me.
S Tanaka R2 210 Gyuto - obtained in a trade, didn't like the balance of it right out of the box.
Toyama 180 Nakiri - really well put together knife. It lost out to a 230, but it was a close comparison.
Dalman 210 Honyaki - Just a few small things kept this from being a keeper.
Kono 210 Tetsujin - Too much like the MM out of the box, didn't even try a cut.
Muteki 143 Petty - really nicely made knife, just didn't jive with the balance point
Takamura 210 Chromax gyuto - too thin of spine.
Kono Madei Sumiiro 170 Bunka - surprisingly the profile didn't agree with me
Hitohira Togashi Migaki White 1 240 Gyuto - was going to be a bit of a project knife (needed thinning and a new handle) and got bumped by a new knife the next day.
Sabatier Nogent 8" - just decided I wasn't going to use it.
Markin 210 Rex121 Gyuto - stunning knife, just needed make budget room.
Konosuke HD2 180 petty - wicked little knife that just wasn’t for me. Not a petty guy
Konosuke MM B#2 270 - everything great about a MM, just too long for my kitchen.
Raquin 200 - impulse buy. Sold as I needed the budget more.
Shigefusa 240 Kasumi gyuto - nice knife, but not quite what I wanted
MCX Spåre 230 26c3 differentially hardened gyuto - sweet knife at a wonderfully price. Too forward balanced. Ordered something else from Fredrik
Myojin SG2 240 - Was hoping for a stainless MM and this wasn't quite it.
Takada Blue 1 Suiboku 180 Nakiri - Great litte nakiri, just lighter than I liked in a square blade.
Kamon 225 Massdrop - Excellent built knife. Just something about the balance in hand felt a bit off for me, so sold to have budget for other knives
ZKramer Damascus Nakiri - Homebutcher sale made me try it. Nice enough, but not enough to keep
JNS Kaeru 270 Stainless Suji - just felt too light in my hands, was never really happy with it.
Takada 210 Gyuto Ginsan Suiboku - stunning knife, just got "one in, one out" hit by a ShiHan.
TF Denka 165 nakiri: returned to retailer as there was a bend in the blade
Jiro 225 gyuto - returned to vendor before it even shipped. Hadn't realized the weight and knew it's wasn't going to be my thing.
Ittetsu Tall Nakiri - baby cleaver in weight but nakiri handle, wanted to use a cleaver grip, but couldnt due to the neck on the handle
Kono W#1 195 Nakiri - beautiful knife, but I'm a lefty and this was righty ground
MSicard 52100 180 Lefty Nakiri - modelled on the Kono nakiri, nice knife but I flip between between being a nakiri guy and not, and I'm not one at the moment
Spåre 230 Coreless Damascus gyuto - stunning gorgeous knife, just the wrong dimension for me (was oversize and I prefer under)
CCK1303 - bought for All Rectangle March, sold almost immediately due to the stress it caused me.
DaoVua V3 Cleaver - bought for All Rectangle March, PIF'ed almost immediately due to the stress it caused me

So for those last two cleavers, it wasn't that they weren't cool knifes to play with, but I'd gotten to a point mentally where I could be somewhat happy with how many knives I had and it not causing me stress that I wasn't using some. Basically I'm down to 210/225/240 with a knife from Japan and a Western Maker at each length. Thinking about how I was going to fit cleavers into the mix was causing me more stress than it was worth so I sold them.

That being said, there was two other purchases so I'm evaluating how I'm going to trim down at this moment. The current rack is:
Japanese:
210 - Kono MM B#2
225 - Hitohira Tanaka x Yohei B1 Damascus (I'm counting this as a 225 even though it was sold as a 240. Edge length is 218 so it is short even by Sakai 240 standards)
240 - Kono MM B#2, Kono HD2
Western
210 - Shihan A2
225 - Raquin
240 - MCX Spare Apex Ultra, Kippington Laser Pony

There's some really, really good knives in that set, so it's going to be hard to trim down to 6. I'm also evaluating how close I can get down to 3 (one at each length) and still be happy. My current curation guide is to have no duplicate in smith, sharpener or steel. I'll see where I get to.

I really appreciate the approach you've taken to trying a lot of knives, curating a reasonably sized working set, and giving yourself some guidelines to keep it manageable. It's gotten you to a really strong lineup (or at least one with a lot of overlap in what I've gravitated towards) so nice work!

 

[esoo]

I really appreciate the approach you've taken to trying a lot of knives, curating a reasonably sized working set, and giving yourself some guidelines to keep it manageable. It's gotten you to a really strong lineup (or at least one with a lot of overlap in what I've gravitated towards) so nice work!

Thanks. When I started I didn't have a plan on mind, but it was just to try knives and if it didn't fit it moved on. Slowly, after having lots of stuff on my hands I started to grasp what I prefer. There are a few knives I wish I spent more time with, but nothing that I feel I regret moving on.

There's a couple of knives I still want to try, but I've experienced enough to know they'd just be different than what I have, not better and that keeps me in check. For example, I know I'd sell a Kaiju as it would be too heavy.

It's been a journey, and there is still a few more steps to take.

 

[Bico Doce]

I find this one of the more interesting threads. Fascinating to see what people like, discard etc and the reasons why

 

[blokey]

Realized I was due for an update:
ZKramer Carbon 8" - never felt right in the hand
ZKramer Carbon 10" - because someone asked nicely
Kono GS 240 - too lasery at the length for what I wanted
Kotetsu 180 Bunka - too thin at the edge for general use in my kitchen
Takeda Large NAS Nakiri - too much belly
Kaeru Stainless 210 Gyuto - just needed to make room for other stuff
Miyabi Birchwood 8" Chefs - balance point too far back
Miyabi Black 7" Santoku - wedged really bad, didn't want to try thinning
Zwilling Diplome 8" - balance point too far back
ZKramer Essential 10" - as I regretted selling the ZKramer 10" Carbon (and can't buy one in Canada anymore), tried to relive the experience with this and it just wasn't the same.
Mazaki 170 Nakiri - really nice knife, just the one that finally told me that I'm not really a nakiri guy
TF 150 Nashiji petty - nice knife, but role got replaced by the Victorinox boning knife
Misono 190 Swedish Carbon Lefty - balance point too far back
CCK 1103 - figured I'd focus my technique on gyutos at the time
Kono HD2 240 - after liking the 210 wanted to try - didn't like the balance.
Devin Thomas AEB-L 220 - Beautiful knife, but too much money in one blade for my day to day use. Was afraid to damage the ultra thin tip
Dalman Warikomi 230 - Longer/tall than I wanted, and budget said it had to go.
Konosuke Fujiyama FM 210 White 2 - Traded. Just like other Konosuke's more.
Konosuke HD2 210 - Traded. Other Konos just exceeded it
Konosuke YS-M 210 - Just pulled the MM off the rack more, and for mental health was cleaning up the collection
Shigefusa Kuro 165 Santoku - was thick and didn't want to try and thin it
Hitohira Kikuchiyo x Ren 180 Santoku - handle too big for my liking
Moritaka 240 B#2 Gyuto - bought for a 240, and replaced by a Kono MM
Kagekiyo 240 W#2 K-Tip Gyuto - traded for it, nice enough but just didn't gel with me.
S Tanaka R2 210 Gyuto - obtained in a trade, didn't like the balance of it right out of the box.
Toyama 180 Nakiri - really well put together knife. It lost out to a 230, but it was a close comparison.
Dalman 210 Honyaki - Just a few small things kept this from being a keeper.
Kono 210 Tetsujin - Too much like the MM out of the box, didn't even try a cut.
Muteki 143 Petty - really nicely made knife, just didn't jive with the balance point
Takamura 210 Chromax gyuto - too thin of spine.
Kono Madei Sumiiro 170 Bunka - surprisingly the profile didn't agree with me
Hitohira Togashi Migaki White 1 240 Gyuto - was going to be a bit of a project knife (needed thinning and a new handle) and got bumped by a new knife the next day.
Sabatier Nogent 8" - just decided I wasn't going to use it.
Markin 210 Rex121 Gyuto - stunning knife, just needed make budget room.
Konosuke HD2 180 petty - wicked little knife that just wasn’t for me. Not a petty guy
Konosuke MM B#2 270 - everything great about a MM, just too long for my kitchen.
Raquin 200 - impulse buy. Sold as I needed the budget more.
Shigefusa 240 Kasumi gyuto - nice knife, but not quite what I wanted
MCX Spåre 230 26c3 differentially hardened gyuto - sweet knife at a wonderfully price. Too forward balanced. Ordered something else from Fredrik
Myojin SG2 240 - Was hoping for a stainless MM and this wasn't quite it.
Takada Blue 1 Suiboku 180 Nakiri - Great litte nakiri, just lighter than I liked in a square blade.
Kamon 225 Massdrop - Excellent built knife. Just something about the balance in hand felt a bit off for me, so sold to have budget for other knives
ZKramer Damascus Nakiri - Homebutcher sale made me try it. Nice enough, but not enough to keep
JNS Kaeru 270 Stainless Suji - just felt too light in my hands, was never really happy with it.
Takada 210 Gyuto Ginsan Suiboku - stunning knife, just got "one in, one out" hit by a ShiHan.
TF Denka 165 nakiri: returned to retailer as there was a bend in the blade
Jiro 225 gyuto - returned to vendor before it even shipped. Hadn't realized the weight and knew it's wasn't going to be my thing.
Ittetsu Tall Nakiri - baby cleaver in weight but nakiri handle, wanted to use a cleaver grip, but couldnt due to the neck on the handle
Kono W#1 195 Nakiri - beautiful knife, but I'm a lefty and this was righty ground
MSicard 52100 180 Lefty Nakiri - modelled on the Kono nakiri, nice knife but I flip between between being a nakiri guy and not, and I'm not one at the moment
Spåre 230 Coreless Damascus gyuto - stunning gorgeous knife, just the wrong dimension for me (was oversize and I prefer under)
CCK1303 - bought for All Rectangle March, sold almost immediately due to the stress it caused me.
DaoVua V3 Cleaver - bought for All Rectangle March, PIF'ed almost immediately due to the stress it caused me

So for those last two cleavers, it wasn't that they weren't cool knifes to play with, but I'd gotten to a point mentally where I could be somewhat happy with how many knives I had and it not causing me stress that I wasn't using some. Basically I'm down to 210/225/240 with a knife from Japan and a Western Maker at each length. Thinking about how I was going to fit cleavers into the mix was causing me more stress than it was worth so I sold them.

That being said, there was two other purchases so I'm evaluating how I'm going to trim down at this moment. The current rack is:
Japanese:
210 - Kono MM B#2
225 - Hitohira Tanaka x Yohei B1 Damascus (I'm counting this as a 225 even though it was sold as a 240. Edge length is 218 so it is short even by Sakai 240 standards)
240 - Kono MM B#2, Kono HD2
Western
210 - Shihan A2
225 - Raquin
240 - MCX Spare Apex Ultra, Kippington Laser Pony

There's some really, really good knives in that set, so it's going to be hard to trim down to 6. I'm also evaluating how close I can get down to 3 (one at each length) and still be happy. My current curation guide is to have no duplicate in smith, sharpener or steel. I'll see where I get to.

I kind regret not taking that ZKramer Carbon 10" from Home butcher with their price, I'm usually not into factory knives but heard many good things about them

 

[esoo]

I find this one of the more interesting threads. Fascinating to see what people like, discard etc and the reasons why

Thanks Part of doing this was just for a record for myself. But for others, it gives you context about I like and dislike, and why. So if I suggest something is good or bad, you can understand the space I'm coming from.

 

[esoo]

I kind regret not taking that ZKramer Carbon 10" from Home butcher with their price, I'm usually not into factory knives but heard many good things about them

You'll see I don't list it, as I consider it is my beater, but the ZKramer 10" is never leaving my rack

I irrationally love it, probably as it was my first good carbon. It's a beast of a knife. Sure it's flat ground but it's got a smooth distal taper to a thin tip that embarrasses many, many knives. But thick behind the edge (which I'm keeping as it's a beater), but apparently when thinned become quite killer. @btbyrd has one thinned by Jon and gives good comments about it.

The 8" and the 6" however start gett way to much curve as the keep the same heel height on the shorter blades.

 

[calostro5]

In the 210s, the FM W#2 was a minor convex laser at 120g while the MM has much more meat and better grind at 170g

I'd like to try a meater FM just see how it compares.

My 240 W1 Fuji is a laser's laser, the MM more of a middleweight or laserhorse.

What are requirements to be a laser?

 

[esoo]

What are requirements to be a laser?

Lasers are thin light knives. To my knowledge, the HD2 started this category. The ho wood HD2 240 I had came in at 145g. Just enough steel for rigidity and to have a light convex. Excel at going through denser product as they are very thin behind the edge and stay thin all the way up the blade. Food release does take a hit as the convex is so shallow.

Ashi Hamono are the same style just in different steels (as I believe Ashi makes the HD2). They are many knives that have now gone thinner, like the Kono GS+ or the Shibata R2. The GS was uninspiring to me, but the Shibata was very nice (it ghosted thick carrots).

 

[deltaplex]

You'll see I don't list it, as I consider it is my beater, but the ZKramer 10" is never leaving my rack
View attachment 235992

I irrationally love it, probably as it was my first good carbon. It's a beast of a knife. Sure it's flat ground but it's got a smooth distal taper to a thin tip that embarrasses many, many knives. But thick behind the edge (which I'm keeping as it's a beater), but apparently when thinned become quite killer. @btbyrd has one thinned by Jon and gives good comments about it.

The 8" and the 6" however start gett way to much curve as the keep the same heel height on the shorter blades.

I think @btbyrd has/had one of the earlier version 1.0s that were ground significantly thinner than the 1.0 version that it looks like you have. Those early 1.0s have the more subtle finger notch and the choil looks like this:

Where I'm pretty sure yours looks more like this:

 

[Duukt]

I think @btbyrd has/had one of the earlier version 1.0s that were ground significantly thinner than the 1.0 version that it looks like you have. Those early 1.0s have the more subtle finger notch and the choil looks like this:
View attachment 236040View attachment 236041

Where I'm pretty sure yours looks more like this:
View attachment 236042View attachment 236043

I have a 1.0 purchased around June 2020 and it looks like the second choil but a bit thinner. How much would it cost to get it ground thin like the first choil?

 

[deltaplex]

I have a 1.0 purchased around June 2020 and it looks like the second choil but a bit thinner. How much would it cost to get it ground thin like the first choil?

It depends who does it, I'd imagine at least some of the retailers normally mentioned around here located in NYC would offer sharpening/thinning services. If you wanted to mail it for the work a lot of people point to District Cutlery for this kind of tuning, on the East Coast. I'm going to end up taking a lot of material off that one in the picture before it heads back to my Brother.

 

[calostro5]

Lasers are thin light knives. To my knowledge, the HD2 started this category. The ho wood HD2 240 I had came in at 145g. Just enough steel for rigidity and to have a light convex. Excel at going through denser product as they are very thin behind the edge and stay thin all the way up the blade. Food release does take a hit as the convex is so shallow.

Ashi Hamono are the same style just in different steels (as I believe Ashi makes the HD2). They are many knives that have now gone thinner, like the Kono GS+ or the Shibata R2. The GS was uninspiring to me, but the Shibata was very nice (it ghosted thick carrots).

I have read many times 'laser' referred to knives but I didn't know exactly what are the requirements to be a laser.

 

[esoo]

I think @btbyrd has/had one of the earlier version 1.0s that were ground significantly thinner than the 1.0 version that it looks like you have. Those early 1.0s have the more subtle finger notch and the choil looks like this:
View attachment 236040View attachment 236041

Where I'm pretty sure yours looks more like this:
View attachment 236042View attachment 236043

Yeah, mine is that chunky choil, but as I said that's the role that mine plays in my kitchen so I'm not worried about it.

Not sure which 1.0 grind he has. I know his was thinned by John and it was done as a flat grind. It's a cutter, just sucks on food release from his comments.

 

[btbyrd]

I don't know what the grind was like before it got thinned. Somebody bought it, sent it to JKI for a regrind and saya, and then sold it on the forum unused. It was such a nice package, I couldn't resist.

I wish they made a 9" 230mm version. The 8" feels a bit short and the handle is relatively big for such a small knife. The 10" is awesome, but kind of too big for my daily use at home. I think I'd freaking love it though, especially with the big flat spot near the back. The distal taper and tips on these are fantastic, and I really like the steel. It sharpens very easily while still being relatively corrosion resistant.

 

[Cliff]

I have read many times 'laser' referred to knives but I didn't know exactly what are the requirements to be a laser.

It's a subjective description. My recollection is the same as Esoo's. It started with the HD2, but know Shibata and others have pushed it further. Some Fujiayamas are firmly in that camp, but there are now heftier versions of those as well. I think Fujiyama tends to be quite thin behind the edge, even when they are convexed and have some heft. My MM has a kind of miracle grind that's thin behind the edge and performs well, but the grind starts lower than any Fujiyama I have handled (only a few) and just about any other similar knife, so it feels more authoritative than they do. I have a Watanabe with a similar grind.

 

[calostro5]

It's a subjective description. My recollection is the same as Esoo's. It started with the HD2, but know Shibata and others have pushed it further. Some Fujiayamas are firmly in that camp, but there are now heftier versions of those as well. I think Fujiyama tends to be quite thin behind the edge, even when they are convexed and have some heft. My MM has a kind of miracle grind that's thin behind the edge and performs well, but the grind starts lower than any Fujiyama I have handled (only a few) and just about any other similar knife, so it feels more authoritative than they do. I have a Watanabe with a similar grind.

I think I understand the idea about what a laser is.
A thin blade which is thin behind the edge. Sometimes with a convex grind.

 

[Cliff]

Exactly. I have a Yoshikane SKD that is incredibly thin behind the edge and feels like ideal type of a laser, even though it has a fairly thick spine.

 

[btbyrd]

Spine thickness is one of those things that people don't fully agree on. I consider true lasers to have thin spines so that they can easily move through tall, dense produce like carrots and butternut squash without causing the vegetables to crack. Knives can be thin behind the edge but still chubby enough on the spine or grind that you end up with wedging or cracking. The ability to just slice right through things is the hallmark of laserdom -- at least to me.

But I also think of Yoshikanes as classic lasers, so what do I know?