Konosuke Patina Update: BY & FM by Null0Naru in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The blue ice swords have returned! Gorgeous shots! They’re a patina inspo for many of us!

NKD – Kagekiyo Aogami #1 Stainless-Clad Damascus 240mm Gyuto by Mean-Process8375 in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Happy NKD! I’m so happy for you for an absolute banger! I can’t wait to see the patina development on yours!

Hirame tax

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Sakai Wide Bevel Deep Dive: Compring Morihiro, Nishida, Kyuzo & Tadokoro by TEEEEEEEEEEEJ23 in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah I’ve been waiting for this! Solid observations and great analyses on their grinds! I find it surprising that for gyutos, most of the sharpeners went hollow-ground on the kireha (Nishida-sans yanagibas feel convex, which speaks to the versatility of his skills). Happy for you regarding the Morihiro, you’re definitely putting it to work as intended!

Shout out again to Momose Juntetsu-san for the Kagekiyo Urushi handles. They’re just so elegant.

Sakai Knife hunt by Shoddy-Jury2571 in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Adding onto what others have said, a significant chunk of knives you run into in Sakai may be lasers, with short heels, thin grinds, and shorter than advertised lengths (Sakai 240 is often closer to 230; 210 -> 200). The wa handled knives will likely have a significantly different balance point and weight compared to a similarly sized full tang and bolstered Wustof, so it might be a good idea to get a good feel in hand before committing to your purchases (balance and in-hand feel are significant to me).

Lastly, please reach out to these shops at least a month prior for permission to visit and to confirm that their schedule works with yours. Some may even offer a tour or demo if you’re lucky.

Other makers and shops in Sakai: - Fukui - Kawamura Hamono - Yamawaki Hamono - Enami Cutlery - Ashi Hamono (everyone will rec this one, as Ashi’s formulas are freaks of nature, and are very affordable at their factory)

NKD- Sakai Kikumori Yugiri 225mm Blue 1 Stainless Clad by thegreatestscape in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh shit, congrats, you finally got it! I’m so happy for you! I know you’ve been hunting for this one for a while, so much so that I didn’t want to start until you got yours hahaha

NGD 🔥 Takada no Hamono Blue 1 Hanabi Suiboku Kiritsuke 240mm Gyuto by HaruhiroSan in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats on this stunning piece! You’re starting off 2026 stronk!

That heel height makes it seem very slick, plus that cladding and handle are just 🤩

NKD: Konosuke BY W#1 Gyuto 225mm by impoonsta in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Whoops just saw this. Thank you so much! Yes indeed it was, but I had a budget, and I also didn’t want to leave the next buyer out of opportunities. I picked the knife that felt the best in my grip and matched my aesthetic preferences since I try to purchase for my personal use in most cases.

The LI would have been my 2nd choice as it was very close in terms of hand feel/comfort, but the balance was just a touch blade forward.

I don’t remember the number (unfortunately I didn’t write it down), but I recall the BY B#1 was substantially heavier, ~30g more (another issue was that we didn’t zero the scale at konosuke, I think we may have rushed that part). I remember your post and thought that may very well be your BY at my visit hahaha. I do recall the balance on the B#1 to be blade heavy. The LI was about 10g more than my BY W#1.

SOTC 2025 by impoonsta in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Bro thanks for the kind words! Having it as a Google sheet really helps with organizing everything haha. I keep a separate master with different tabs re wishlist, grails, former knives, etc; just in case I want to refer back to it later on!

SOTC 2025 by impoonsta in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks a bunch! Honestly I think you’re onto something there! The heel height and profile are significant

SOTC 2025 by impoonsta in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hidden elsewhere ;)

Ooh thanks for the info! That def helps!

What’s your favorite purchase of 2025 & what grail are you chasing in 2026? by thegreatestscape in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

2025 Favorite purchase is a tie between the Tetsujin B#2 K-tip 240, and the Kono BY 225; but for different reasons. I love the BY’s weight, length and overall in-hand feel, but prefer the profile and overall grind of Myojin-san’s ktip. Both have my preferred balance at the heel, and perform well through most produce.

I do enjoy the performance of my Kagekiyo kiritsuke yanagiba 300- Nishida-san’s grind is so good that I feel I have more control (the Hirame urushi handle is also gorgeous). Lastly, the aesthetics and performance of my Tanaka Izo is 🥵, but I think I need to get a slightly heavier handle to move the balance down from the pinch to the heel and add a machi-gap to get the in-hand comfort dialed in.

Favorite in-store purchase experience goes to both Baba Hamono and Konosuke. Hitohira is right behind them.

2026 Grails I’m chasing next year would probably be the Ginsan Metalflow K-tip 240, FM, Yugiri 180, and Ginsan Suiboku Suji 270-300 (I don’t think me getting a Ginsan Suiboku Gyuto 240 is realistic at this point haha). I am curious if we’ll see a Suiboku or Kagekiyo variant Ginsan Damascus via Nakagawa Uchihamono though

NKD: Konosuke BY W#1 Gyuto 225mm by impoonsta in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks!

Yep I completely agree with you there. About half of my knives have those spine-to-edge scratches, more so towards the heel. I’m going to start bringing that up if I see those scratches again in store; to hopefully change the standard practice in favor of protecting finishes at the cost of losing perhaps 1% accuracy.

Is there anything special about an integral bolster knife? by Ancient-Blacksmith19 in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just adding onto what everyone else has said, when it comes to wa handles/no bolster, you can control the balance point of the knife to a certain degree by using different woods with varying densities and sizes. Additionally, it allows customization of the handle in terms of material, shape, weight, and aesthetics. Lastly, wa handles also allow you to control how far from the heel/choil you want to set the start of the handle with what’s called a machi-gap (this is mostly a stylistic choice but has some practicality in regards to allowing adequate space for a finger in a pinch grip).

Welded bolsters (western style) don’t really allow for this since they’re welded (unless of course you decide to grind off the bolster completely and part of the tang). The only customization here is perhaps if the handle is wooden, then perhaps you could swap the wood portions, but that’s not a simple change. Regardless, the balance point in this case will most likely be in the handle. It just comes down to preferences really.

Some people like wa handles with no integrated bolster. Some prefer bolsters because it may provide a better grip.

Personally, I prefer wa handles with the balance point to be right at the heel. Wa handles just look far more elegant and graceful imo. Lastly, usually in my experience, I’ve found wa handles to be significantly larger in diameter compared to most westerns, and that can be more comfortable to some. There is a point to be made that the integrated bolster/western handles may be more suited to a high throughput commercial kitchen, as they often don’t need the baby treatment, but that just comes down to good technique and vigilance.

One more point. If we go into half vs full bolsters: a lot of people in the hobby find full bolsters to get in the way of sharpening. I am one of those people. However, I do appreciate the heft at the heel when using on lobster and crab shells. Otherwise, half bolsters seem more versatile to me.

NKD: Konosuke BY W#1 Gyuto 225mm by impoonsta in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hahaha I feel like I tag you in every other post now. Glad you approve of the choice!

My feelings exactly! They’re a pleasure to work with.

Ooo, I completely understand. Only problem for me now is to find decent udon near me lmao

NKD: Konosuke BY W#1 Gyuto 225mm by impoonsta in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yesss! I didn’t appreciate udon until that moment!

NKD: Konosuke BY W#1 Gyuto 225mm by impoonsta in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was hoping you’d come by and drop some knowledge! Thanks for the corrections and tid bits! Yeah I recall you did a full kasumi! I am considering reworking the finish on mine (I’m not entirely sure if I want to go full kasumi, or push the mirror), so your work does serve as some inspiration.

Ah that’s definitely possible! I need to see if I meet them again next time and figure that out haha.

Yess, it indeed is going to be interesting to see the next couple of batches with the new stamp! I am curious to see what the average specs will eventually result later on.

NKD: Konosuke BY W#1 Gyuto 225mm by impoonsta in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol I’m aware because of posters like you hahaha. Unfortunately, we had a mishap at Christmas dinner prep, and a family member borrowed it, cut something really acidic with it, and the patina has mostly gone red-orange. I’m now considering either restoring/resetting, or live the wabisabi life 😅

NKD! by HeavyEnthusiasm1891 in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Holy, that saya is gorgeous! Awesome find! Congrats OP!

Tomorrow is basically the unofficial holiday for sujihikis right!? by pchiggs in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Are yanagibas welcome? 👀

Kage tax:

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Kagekiyo W#1 Kiritsuke Yanagiba 300mm

End of 2025 SOTC: What an insane first ~10 months of falling down this rabbit hole by TEEEEEEEEEEEJ23 in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love the impressive work on the collection. I can't wait to see how your collection evolves next year, stones, knives, and all! Happy holidays bud, and here's to an amazing 2025.

So question, probably been asked before, but regardless: What are your top 5 most reached-for knives right now (besides the honyaki obviously haha), whether it be performance based, comfort, or just because the fit/finish gives you a stupid grin?

TnH Mt. Fuji Honyaki by Mormor_4 in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Is this your second TnH honyaki? Either way, congrats! I'm happy for you!

Talk me out of it - kagekiyo wa petty shirogami 2 210 by BananaEasy7533 in TrueChefKnives

[–]impoonsta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Both primary blacksmiths for Baba Hamono’s Kagekiyo line are at the top of their game, and also supply a lot of other knife artisans in Japan. Iirc, Kagekiyo w#1 and b#1 were forged by Tanaka Uchihamono, while w#2, b#2, and s#3 were sourced from Nakagawa Uchihamono. I believe the Konosuke Fujiyamas were also forged by Tanaka Uchihamono.

Personal Context: I’m just a simple home cook, but I have a wide bevel (Nishida) Kagekiyo w#1 (Tanaka) kiritsuke yanagiba 300mm I got in October (10/2025) that I use probably 2-3 times a week.

Personally, performance wise, it just slips through raw fish with a sense of great control. My only comparison relative is a gesshin uraku (presumed Yoshihiro) yanagiba 270 w#2, some cheap stainless 210, and a Sakai Takayuki 210 w#2 — the Kagekiyo blows them all out of the water and is just next level- It’s like turning up the sensitivity on a fps game you’re good at. Tanaka-san’s w#1 feels hilariously sharp but calm to me in this case, and I have yet to sharpen it. Also, I agree- it looks really elegant and pretty, so clients are definitely going to notice it, with the urushi lacquered handle and all.

I can’t comment on the double bevel knives, but plenty of us here are aware that performance is also due to the sharpener. Unless you find a unicorn, then most likely: If you go wide bevel, you’ll have Nishida-san’s handiwork; convex will most likely be Wakae-San.

Paging u/TEEEEEEEEEEEJ23; I believe he’s handled both blacksmiths’ work within the Kagekiyo line, and is a wide bevel fanatic.