# Konosuke YS



## labor of love (Jan 16, 2019)

Has anybody tried one here? I’m looking for some insight. This line is so overshadowed by other kono offerings I haven’t really found much info about the knife other than what vendors have to say. 
On a related note I’ve been using a Yoshikane SLD dammy KU gyuto the last couple of days and I’m curious how similar or different these 2 knives are.


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## Jville (Jan 16, 2019)

I don't have a Yoshi sld to compare it to. Also the YS is still on the newer side, so I don't have a ton of experience with it yet. What comes to mind in my initial impression is a love child between a kioshi and a kono ginsan. The steel feels hard but stable. It has just enough spine to not feel frail in the cuts, but it's still ultra nimble and light. Profile has a huge flat like my kono ginsan had. It has some decent distal taper and the tip is thin and works well, but it's not as wispy as the kono ginsan. Altough, if I remember correctly the tip still blazes through product. It feels like a better pure cutter than the kioshi I had, but has that cool look to it. It a short gyuto gives a suji/gyuto like feel similiar to a KS or the kono ginsan. The steel hasn't reacted much at all, maybe some slight patina, I'd have to check. But no initial reaction to food or kicking off any smells. Ootb edge was fantastic, easily one of, perhaps best, I've had. Food release seems pretty decent. It feels like a knife that you want to pay attention to technique and not get to heavy handed with. Even though it's flat, it feels like one that does better with a little motion. I have to remind myself of this. Im really digging it initially. I think it's going to be one I use a ton. Let me know if there is something specific you are looking for. Just a little rambling to get the conversation started.


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## ivnj (Jan 16, 2019)

Definitely a suji/gyuto, not reactive at all, intentionally left it for 15 mins after slicing beef and nothing happened, very nice distal taper and like most konosuke, it has a nice fit and finish. I prefer it over my HD2 in terms of profile. The initial batch had this gold/greenish residual on the kuruochi which makes it super cool, the newest ones don’t have it anymore.


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## Jville (Jan 16, 2019)

Mine has that goldish/ greenish effect on the kurouchi. I'm curious how it got changed? Also when I say kono ginsan, I'm referring to fujiyama ginsan.


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## labor of love (Jan 16, 2019)

Cool cool. Yeah, I’m sorta looking for something thin but also wanted to try something new(instead of just another wakui or something) with good/great retention.


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## dan (Jan 17, 2019)

Somewhat of an aside, but what are your thoughts on that yoshi damascus?


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## labor of love (Jan 17, 2019)

dan said:


> Somewhat of an aside, but what are your thoughts on that yoshi damascus?


It’s a serious knife. I dropped $580 for a 240mm western gyuto made w sld and pretty dammy, but after using it I’d easily pay more to own it if I had to.


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## labor of love (Jan 17, 2019)

Furthermore I’ve only been using the Yoshikane for a couple of days so I can’t really elaborate. I will say it has a certain smoothness about it, like the way it moves through food that I really enjoy.


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## Omega (Jan 17, 2019)

I'm not sure if Tosho still lists it as such, but the Konosuke YS are made by Yoshikane; so if you're liking your other Yoshi knife, this one might be a winner for you too.

I don't own one, but got a good chance to cut with one while at Tosho a few months back. Feels thin and light, very nice geometry. They had stupid-thick carrots as test-cut-produce, and it was super easy. Thicker overall than the HD2s- a little more substantial geometry, but still nice and thin behind the edge I thought. The one I used seemed a hair shorter than the HD2s.. so maybe 48-49 for the 240mm. Tip was nice- I could do horizontal cuts on the carrot no problem. All in all, I really enjoyed it.


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## Wdestate (Jan 17, 2019)

labor of love said:


> Furthermore I’ve only been using the Yoshikane for a couple of days so I can’t really elaborate. I will say it has a certain smoothness about it, like the way it moves through food that I really enjoy.


+1 moves through product incredibly well while still being nice and strong


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## ivnj (Jan 17, 2019)

Interesting....my YS is actually longer than the HD2







Omega said:


> I'm not sure if Tosho still lists it as such, but the Konosuke YS are made by Yoshikane; so if you're liking your other Yoshi knife, this one might be a winner for you too.
> 
> I don't own one, but got a good chance to cut with one while at Tosho a few months back. Feels thin and light, very nice geometry. They had stupid-thick carrots as test-cut-produce, and it was super easy. Thicker overall than the HD2s- a little more substantial geometry, but still nice and thin behind the edge I thought. The one I used seemed a hair shorter than the HD2s.. so maybe 48-49 for the 240mm. Tip was nice- I could do horizontal cuts on the carrot no problem. All in all, I really enjoyed it.


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## ashy2classy (Jan 17, 2019)

ivnj said:


> Interesting....my YS is actually longer than the HD2



Yep, the YS is a true 240. Nice comparison photo! I really dig the profile of that YS.


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## rogue108 (Jan 19, 2019)

The YS is the favorite knife of the owner of Ai & Om knives. He's a former chef turned knife retailer if that helps. His go to was an HD for years until the YS was released. He convinced me to buy it but I didn't have the coin. It's a stiff stout blade compared to the much thinner Konosukes.


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## zizirex (Jan 29, 2019)

rogue108 said:


> The YS is the favorite knife of the owner of Ai & Om knives. He's a former chef turned knife retailer if that helps. His go to was an HD for years until the YS was released. He convinced me to buy it but I didn't have the coin. It's a stiff stout blade compared to the much thinner Konosukes.



Yep, Doug loves the YS, and always bugging me to buy it. it is a wonderful blade, I have tried and it blew my mind on how effortless to cut with it. too bad it comes with a crazy price tag.

what makes it different than the normal Yoshikane is the grind is a little bit better and have a more pronounced distal taper, and the steel.


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## Chicagohawkie (Jan 29, 2019)

Does anyone know the steel? I know kono doesn’t disclose this, but I remember tosho disclosed it initially. Anyone remember. SKD, SLD?


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

Chicagohawkie said:


> Does anyone know the steel? I know kono doesn’t disclose this, but I remember tosho disclosed it initially. Anyone remember. SKD, SLD?


Well, SLD is basically stainless and SKD will pick up patina fairly easily. If anyone can chime in about how reactive the core steel is-that would be tell tell sign.


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## Jville (Jan 29, 2019)

I didn't finfd the core steel to be very reactive at all. No smells, no initial reaction to onions etc., maybe a little patina and that's about it. I know semi does not often react with onions and such, but some semi can have an initial reaction.


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## zizirex (Jan 29, 2019)

The Semi Stainless SKD is SKD12, the SLD is Hitachi's name of SKD11 which is stainless. GS+ use SLD if I remember, and the YS use the same steel as HD2 but in the stainless cladding.


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

I think Mark said the YS is a semi stainless steel similar to Kono HD steel. I would expect YS steel to have much better retention, with it being a much harder steel.


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## Ivang (Jan 29, 2019)

It has much better retention than the hd


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## HRC_64 (Jan 29, 2019)

YS seeems awefully flat and not very tall, so i'd be curious to hear more comments on the best ways to cut with it.
i'd be concerned its a niche knife, not a main knife (user/workhorse type), which also makes its expense more tricky to justify.
So, I guess I can see why its a model for Kono that has been a little slower on the uptake, people are gunshy to jump in on it...etc.


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

Yeah, the combination of narrowness and flatness reminds me of munetoshi. and that’s a profile I didn’t enjoy.


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## Chicagohawkie (Jan 29, 2019)

Interesting. Looking at the YS and a dammy SLD Yoshi. Don’t mind the flatness, but like over 50mm at the heel and max 240 length. Craig, hows the length on your SLD? I may have asked you this already, but can’t recall.


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

My sld western is oversized in length. Maybe 247mm. It also has quite an upsweep before the tip with majority of the blade being pretty flat, like a less extreme masashi profile. I enjoy it a lot.


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## Ivang (Jan 29, 2019)

My YS is 49.6 mm tall, 243 mm from heel to tip. Thecprofile is not as flat as it may seem, especially for a sanjo knife, if anything, its curvier than the 2 skds ive had. The grinds are also taller and thinner than my other yoshikanes. I really like this knife, would love to compare to a yoshi sld


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

Also @HRC_64 a vendor filmed the cutting action w the YS (maybe tosho?) I’m sure it can be found on YouTube if you want to see how the profile works on the board.


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## Chicagohawkie (Jan 29, 2019)

I’m gonna hit up Bernal and epic to see what the shortest length is available on the SLD. How’s the taper to the tip and how thins the tip Craig? Not super excited about the cost vs the YS but starting to think the SLD May be the better choice. Probably gonna get 2 knives this year, one being a Heiji and leaning towards this as well.


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

Ivang said:


> My YS is 49.6 mm tall, 243 mm from heel to tip. Thecprofile is not as flat as it may seem, especially for a sanjo knife, if anything, its curvier than the 2 skds ive had. The grinds are also taller and thinner than my other yoshikanes. I really like this knife, would love to compare to a yoshi sld


Maybe we can borrow each other’s knives soon?


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

Chicagohawkie said:


> I’m gonna hit up Bernal and epic to see what the shortest length is available on the SLD. How’s the taper to the tip and how thins the tip Craig? Not super excited about the cost vs the YS but starting to think the SLD May be the better choice. Probably gonna get 2 knives this year, one being a Heiji and leaning towards this as well.


Uhh...good taper but not extreme. Thin tip but not delicate. Phenomenal edge retention, but I’ve never messed w PM steels or the like. I did notice microchips today when sharpening. This would be the first time I’ve had micro chips in maybe 6 years. Might’ve been used by a co worker when I wasn’t looking.


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

BTW the wa version is readily available. Bernal even has the 270mm on sale for a great price. For reference 
My 240mm western was $588 and the wa 270mm is $496 right now.I’m curious if they’re ground the same. Bernal says they are but I’m skeptical, this knife is overall a little thicker than I was expecting, however I like it just the way it is.


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## Chicagohawkie (Jan 29, 2019)

You guys need to do a face off between these two knives. Need to see the report!


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

Chicagohawkie said:


> You guys need to do a face off between these two knives. Need to see the report!


I can promise you if nothing else the SLD western is thicker, it’s absolutely nothing like a laser.


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## Ivang (Jan 29, 2019)

The YS is ground very thin behind the edge, and the grind is very tall, by the time the grind hits the spine, the spine is only 1.5mm thick, that is well over 4 cm away from the tip. The spine hits 1 mm thicknes 24 mm away from the tip. The distal taper on this knife is virtous.


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## Ivang (Jan 29, 2019)

labor of love said:


> I can promise you if nothing else the SLD western is thicker, it’s absolutely nothing like a laser.


Ive read before that the western yoshikanes are way thicker than their wa counterparts, at least coming out of the handle.


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## Chicagohawkie (Jan 29, 2019)

All good and valid points, more questions to ask at Bernal and epic tomorrow, if I don’t freeze to death tonight!


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## Chicagohawkie (Jan 29, 2019)

Ivang said:


> The YS is ground very thin behind the edge, and the grind is very tall, by the time the grind hits the spine, the spine is only 1.5mm thick, that is well over 4 cm away from the tip. The spine hits 1 mm thicknes 24 mm away from the tip. The distal taper on this knife is virtous.


 Pictures are a must!


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## Chicagohawkie (Jan 29, 2019)

labor of love said:


> I can promise you if nothing else the SLD western is thicker, it’s absolutely nothing like a laser.



Toss some pictures up!


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

Ivang said:


> Ive read before that the western yoshikanes are way thicker than their wa counterparts, at least coming out of the handle.


It cuts with confidence. Also the cladding is nice, it’s not soft stainless doesn’t seem like it will scratch easily.


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## Ivang (Jan 29, 2019)

Yeah, yoshikane uses some good cladding. The one on the YS is also on the harder side. Ill se how it goes when its time for thinning, though with how thin the knife already is, plus the excellent edge retention, i don't expect it to be any time soon.


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## labor of love (Jan 29, 2019)

Hawkie I’ll come through w some pics tomorrow.


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## daveb (Jan 30, 2019)

I recently picked up a 270 HD and while initially skeptical it's made it into the keeper pile. It's not a laser like a Tad, SIH or Gesshin Ginga but is pretty thin. I've had no issues with retention - a little high grit stropping and once on the G2K and G4K keep it coming back for more. 

So Readers Digest version of difference between HD, HD2 and YS? I'm gleaning more from this thread than I found searching but I'm a simple guy and like simple explanations.


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## Barmoley (Jan 30, 2019)

The difference between HD and HD2 is the steel, or possibly a different heat treat of the same steel. Some claim that HD was better, but there are no specifics and it sounds more like nostalgia than a real difference. Both are semistainless are somewhat soft but have pretty good edge retention, easy to sharpen. Both used to run short, but HD2 in a recent year or a bit over ran truer to size. Both are thin and profiles are similar they are mono construction.

YS is very different, San mai construction. Core steel seems to be HD2, but some claim HD since we don't know what HD or HD2 is, who knows.... What is known is that whatever the steel it is heat treated much harder 63-64 hrc, where hd/HD2 seemed to be around 59-60. YS is supposed to be made by yoshikane. Profile is different too and the knife is thicker, so the grind is different as well. It also seems to run a bit long. Clading is stainless.

I only have experience with HD and HD2 so YS info is just from what I read.


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## labor of love (Jan 30, 2019)

Considering the YS is forged in sanjo I don’t think it’s HD steel, But what do I know?
@daveb it’s interesting that your HD2 isn’t a laser. Is it wa or western?


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## labor of love (Jan 30, 2019)

@Chicagohawkie


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## Chicagohawkie (Jan 30, 2019)

Thanks Craig. In a moment when I thaw out, gonna get on the horn with Bernal and epic.


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## Timthebeaver (Jan 30, 2019)

labor of love said:


> I can promise you if nothing else the SLD western is thicker, it’s absolutely nothing like a laser.



Can remember the old days when the Western Yoshikane SKD hammered was dismissed out of hand for being "way too thick" In the current era where thin is no longer in, and "workhorse" knives are fawned over, is anyone still toting one of these? The 270 in particular was an absolute monster.


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## labor of love (Jan 30, 2019)

Timthebeaver said:


> Can remember the old days when the Western Yoshikane SKD hammered was dismissed out of hand for being "way too thick" In the current era where thin is no longer in, and "workhorse" knives are fawned over, is anyone still toting one of these? The 270 in particular was an absolute monster.


I started a WTB thread, would love to track one down.


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## Barmoley (Jan 30, 2019)

labor of love said:


> Considering the YS is forged in sanjo I don’t think it’s HD steel, But what do I know?
> @daveb it’s interesting that your HD2 isn’t a laser. Is it wa or western?



Yeah, don't know. Some theorized that HD/HD2 was SKD12/A2, if true then it could very well be similar/same steel with different heat treat, or could be very different. All that is known for sure is that all of these are semi stainless.


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## Timthebeaver (Jan 30, 2019)

I don't believe the monosteel HD was the same steel as the core of the SKD12 (laminate) coming out of of Yoshikane for one second.


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## dan (Jan 31, 2019)

Wow, I handled a Wa Yoshi SLD Dam not too long ago and the choil is shockingly different than its Yo counterpart. The difference looks significant, I would guess the spine on the Wa was around 2.25-2.5 mm thick at the handle, that Yo handled one must be over 3... I wonder if all the Yo handled Yoshis are similar in grind, but considerably different than the Wa handled counterparts.


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## Omega (Jan 31, 2019)

The HD and HD2 knives are monosteel, and the YS is indeed clad. I've asked a number of different people, and never gotten a straight answer as to what the YS core steel is- closest I've been told was "a semi-stainless similar to HD2". 

As far as the differences between HD and HD2? I honestly have a hard time.
I own a couple knives in both the original HD steel, and the HD2.
The switch came when Konosuke ran out of the initial quantity of HD, and didn't have any more available. 

How it feels on stones; how it feels cutting, how it reacts to ingredients / water, I honestly can't tell much of a difference. The biggest difference comes down to the sharpening- when I've compared two that had fresh-out-of-the-box-from-Konosuke edges, if I closed my eyes, I couldn't tell. 


@Dave was your 270 HD a Yo or Wa? And interesting you felt it was different from a Ginga in grind and feel.


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## labor of love (Jan 31, 2019)

I believe HD2 was supposed to have more wear resistance and less reactivity. I’ve also used plenty of HD and HD2 and couldn’t really detect much difference. Never used them side by side though.


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## Omega (Jan 31, 2019)

@Labor And that very well may be true! When I've used the HD and HD2 side by side, it certainly wasn't for marathon prep.

...and uhh.. I might have too many knives to quickly find out edge retention..


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## labor of love (Jan 31, 2019)

BTW I already asked if @daveb HD was wa or western. I guess he’s blowing us off


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## labor of love (Jan 31, 2019)

dan said:


> Wow, I handled a Wa Yoshi SLD Dam not too long ago and the choil is shockingly different than its Yo counterpart. The difference looks significant, I would guess the spine on the Wa was around 2.25-2.5 mm thick at the handle, that Yo handled one must be over 3... I wonder if all the Yo handled Yoshis are similar in grind, but considerably different than the Wa handled counterparts.


Yeah it’s an interesting grind. Not thin at all, but it’s not thick either. The blade road is evident but there is no crisp shinogi kinda like mazaki. Ofcourse it cuts nothing like mazaki. But still it’s just unusual. I love how strange it is.
I really want to check out the wa version.


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## zizirex (Jan 31, 2019)

Barmoley said:


> Yeah, don't know. Some theorized that HD/HD2 was SKD12/A2, if true then it could very well be similar/same steel with different heat treat, or could be very different. All that is known for sure is that all of these are semi stainless.





Timthebeaver said:


> I don't believe the monosteel HD was the same steel as the core of the SKD12 (laminate) coming out of of Yoshikane for one second.



It may be A2 or SKD12, but it could be from different manufacturers with a slightly different composition. YS maybe use a Takefu VS1 or Chromax, since Masashi use that steel as well, or other makers of SKD12.
For example, most of Takefu's Blacksmith Aogami Super knife is not from Hitachi, they probably used Takefu V1 Special, where it has slightly lowered carbon content and give a lower HRC around 62~, and their Blue 2 is not Hitachi's and probably use Takefu V2 Special. There is some steel from a different manufacturer that is not famous (like Daido, Aichi, Kobelco etc..) they could use.


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## daveb (Jan 31, 2019)

My HD is a Wa. Not thick by any means just not quite as thin as a GG , SIH or Tad. (I'm alternating between it and a SIH K Tip right now)

On Yoshi, I had a western handled, SKD from when Maxim was selling the Zensho variant. Best western ever. Loaned it and lost it. Phuck, don't like remembering that.


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## labor of love (Feb 15, 2019)

Well, thanks to Ivang I’ve able to test a kono YS for the last few days.
Here’s my impressions:
The handle is light and small. Pretty good quality finishing on it, but it’s the least wide handle I’ve used in a while. This might be normal for all kono 240mm gyutos. Atleast the HDs.
The profile, regardless of how it looks in photos isn’t to flat at all to be an all arounder. When I was prepping bell pepper curls the other day I was simply lifting the heel of the blade while keeping the front half of the blade on from board to make cuts. The curvature did the work on its own.
The blade has a typical sanjo thickness where the spine meets the handle. The taper along the spine all the way to the tip is real nice. Very nice thin tip. The blade is also pretty stiff all over sorta like how a Masakage Koishi or Kochi might be. Completely different cutting experiences though.
The thing that impressed me the most about the YS is the steel. It took a really really nice edge.. I really have no idea what the steel is. The steel core seems to be less reactive than HD knives and SKD knives I’ve used in the past. I don’t think it’s SLD either. I could be very wrong here but whatever steel it is Yoshikane did an excellent job working with it.
Food release is pretty good too. Hammer pattern on a thin ground blade makes a lot of sense here.
I’m not sure I’d buy one myself, although I wouldn’t mind it. The tiny handle would have to be changed for my tastes. Very good looking knife in person.
Ivang, thanks for loaning it out to me!


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## daveb (Feb 15, 2019)

I think you should buy one soonest. Then send it to me[emoji41]


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## labor of love (Jul 4, 2019)

Konosuke just released the Konosuke YS-M.
Looks like a 2.0 version of the YS.

https://www.toshoknifearts.com/products/konosuke-sanjo-ys-m-gyuto-210mm-khii-enju-handle-midnight

https://www.aiandomknives.com/products/konosuke-ys-m-wa-gyuto-210mm-khii-enju-handle


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## Jville (Jul 4, 2019)

labor of love said:


> Konosuke just released the Konosuke YS-M.
> Looks like a 2.0 version of the YS.
> 
> https://www.toshoknifearts.com/products/konosuke-sanjo-ys-m-gyuto-210mm-khii-enju-handle-midnight
> ...



The YS is very good. Im curious how different the new ones are. It looks mostly like a finish change. I know heji semi stainless is very well regarded. I suspect this ys steel is also very, very good. I havent had to sharpen yet, so i cant say for sure. But it was as good, if not tbe best ootb edge ive come across. It seems to hold an edge very nicely and i think its going to sharpen very well.


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## labor of love (Jul 4, 2019)

To me the handle looks a little larger too. Yeah, that YS steel is really good stuff. One of the websites I shared had the 210mm YS-M listed at 49mm tall, if memory serves the YS 240mm is 49mm tall. Hopefully this means a YS-M 240mm could be like 51mm tall. Which would be a game changer for me.


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## Jville (Jul 4, 2019)

labor of love said:


> To me the handle looks a little larger too. Yeah, that YS steel is really good stuff. One of the websites I shared had the 210mm YS-M listed at 49mm tall, if memory serves the YS 240mm is 49mm tall. Hopefully this means a YS-M 240mm could be like 51mm tall. Which would be a game changer for me.



Oh, that makes sense about the heel height possibly being taller. If thats the case, then thats definetely a change. I actually like the shorter heel height for that knife, but i know thats a deal breaker for many. For me, it just adds variety to my knives and i find it functional as a it becomes a little nimbler. I wouldnt want all my gyutos to be short like that, but i dont mind having a few.


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## Michi (Jul 4, 2019)

Sadly, no information on how it differs from the YS? From the photos, the Kurouchi finish on the YS-M is black and has lost the brownish hue of the YS, but it's difficult to be sure without physically having the knives side by side, or seeing side-by-side photo at least.


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## WPerry (Jul 4, 2019)

Looks like the M stands for Midnight, which would have to reference the dark black finish. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't any other changes.


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## Ivang (Jul 5, 2019)

I believe its just a finish thing.


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## drsmp (Jul 28, 2019)

AI&OM has both YS and YSM on their webpage 
Specs for YSM (top pic) blade ht 49 and length at 218
YS ht 47 length 215


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## drsmp (Aug 8, 2019)

Just recieved my YSM, my measurements are ht 46 and length 215


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## Rotem Shoshani (Mar 14, 2020)

I recently bought one of these in 210mm, as others mentioned, I was very impressed with the OOTB edge, it is my first high end knife.

How should I go about sharpening it? I'm scared to **** touching this beauty but it chipped in 2 places, and I'm really scared I won't be able to get it factory sharp again.

I own a Chosera 400, 800, 3000 and a Kitayama 8k.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.


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## Michi (Mar 14, 2020)

Rotem Shoshani said:


> Any suggestions?


Start sharpening, and don't stop until it's sharper than it was when you started.

Seriously, I'm only being half sarcastic here. The way to learn to sharpen is to do it. You won't ruin your knife by trying.

Just give it a shot. The videos by @JBroida and @Sailor are a great place to start. But, no matter what you do, you won't make things worse.

After your first session, use the knife, and notice what you like and don't like. Then have another go, changing one thing at a time. You'll fairly quickly home in on the point where you have a knife that's sharper than what most people ever dream off. Rinse and repeat, and you'll have permanently sharp knives, always, with little effort.


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## Midsummer (Mar 14, 2020)

Rotem Shoshani said:


> I recently bought one of these in 210mm, as others mentioned, I was very impressed with the OOTB edge, it is my first high end knife.
> 
> How should I go about sharpening it? I'm scared to **** touching this beauty but it chipped in 2 places, and I'm really scared I won't be able to get it factory sharp again.
> 
> ...



Great advice from Michi, this steel is a good starter steel. You will be able to get it 'screaming sharp'. The blade is already thin behind the edge so it will not need thining right away. If you bought a YS, thining and or careless sharpening will 'mar the finish'. I have given my whole wide bevel a ground finish that looks like the YSM above. I prefer that look and I prefer a sharp knife. All my knives are to work.


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## Rotem Shoshani (Mar 14, 2020)

I've been sharpening for 3 years, so it's just a problem of confidence. I've been sharpening to shaving sharpness before, it's just that as Midsummer mentioned, the knife is so staggeringly beautiful I'm really afraid of uglying it quickly, and also, I'm really not used to this thin edges. I have a VG10 Tanaka, when I cut with it, just gives you that confidence that the edge is here to stay, moreover, by the time I realized I'm just sharpening it rather than keeping it top shape AND sharpening it, the knife became quite a thick lady, so I've thinned it just a bit, but it was so thick, I've only gotten it just a tad bit better, I just ordered a Shapton Pro 120 to see how fast will it go as opposed to the hours I spent on the Chosera to get to well... Almost nothing lol
I'm also really hating the finishing process after the scratches from low grit stones.

Funny, when I first crawled down this rabbit hole I was thinking "ah, I'll probably spend no more than an hour or so a month". Right...


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## Rotem Shoshani (Mar 14, 2020)

Midsummer said:


> Great advice from Michi, this steel is a good starter steel. You will be able to get it 'screaming sharp'. The blade is already thin behind the edge so it will not need thining right away. If you bought a YS, thining and or careless sharpening will 'mar the finish'. I have given my whole wide bevel a ground finish that looks like the YSM above. I prefer that look and I prefer a sharp knife. All my knives are to work.



Also, regarding that mesmerizing finish, how do they make that matte looking part?

The F&F on it is really something to behold.

I've since got a Masakage Yuki (I think I'm becoming an addict), and although the finish is nice, it's nowhere near the YS


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## M1k3 (Mar 14, 2020)

Just to add, get your knife sharp on your 800 stone. Use it. Get your knife sharp on your 3k stone. Use it. Get your knife sharp on the 8k. Use it. You can also play around with progressions. Like 800->8k stone.


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## Rotem Shoshani (Mar 14, 2020)

It's been hard for me to get an 8k edge that lasts more than a day without having to touch up at the end of that day, I'm checking the edge after some prep and can see light reflecting in some spots, I'm adding a microbevel lately, but that doesn't seem to prolong use that much.
I might be doing wrong


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## daveb (Mar 14, 2020)

Rotem Shoshani said:


> I might be doing wrong



Not wrong but perhaps unrealistic expectations for retention of an 8K edge. You're not going to shave with your knife (I hope), stay with a working grit.


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## Rotem Shoshani (Mar 14, 2020)

daveb said:


> Not wrong but perhaps unrealistic expectations for retention of an 8K edge. You're not going to shave with your knife (I hope), stay with a working grit.



I tend to blame myself a little less after reading some of the members' experience with those kind of edges.

Is it safe to assume that a laser like the YS (although a bit thicker at the heel), with the same sharpening technique and angles will lose its edge faster than a thicker knife behind the edge?


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## labor of love (Mar 14, 2020)

YS has pretty good edge retention. Even for a thin knife.


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## friz (Apr 16, 2020)

Don't want to bring up to life an old thread, but looking around I couldn't find a single YS-M at 240mm length, only 210mm. Anyone have info about this?


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## NotThinEnough (Apr 16, 2020)

friz said:


> Don't want to bring up to life an old thread, but looking around I couldn't find a single YS-M at 240mm length, only 210mm. Anyone have info about this?


none exists yet with YS-m finish. 
with the original YS finish (imo much nicer and more complex than the new one), you can easily find the 240mm.


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## friz (Apr 16, 2020)

NotThinEnough said:


> none exists yet with YS-m finish.
> with the original YS finish (imo much nicer and more complex than the new one), you can easily find the 240mm.


Do you think is worth checking out the ys with prototype finish tosho has?


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## labor of love (Apr 16, 2020)

friz said:


> Do you think is worth checking out the ys with prototype finish tosho has?


That prototype looks very nice. Also, there is a 240 YS for sale on the other forum that’s pretty cheap right now.


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## NotThinEnough (Apr 16, 2020)

friz said:


> Do you think is worth checking out the ys with prototype finish tosho has?



if you really like the burnt chest nut handle, sure. the finish itself does not look that different otherwise.


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## labor of love (Apr 16, 2020)

The enju handles are nice but their on the small side. That YS prototype is priced a little higher than what I would want to pay but I still like it. The grind on that one looks stellar. But like I said you can go grab that used one for $350-370


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