# Getting a Masamoto KS from Rakuten?



## Bef (Feb 1, 2013)

Hi,

I've been reading a lot about Masamoto KS Gyuto in the last days. This knife ain't cheap : ~$320-$350.

However, I had a look on Rakuten (the Japanese website), and searched for "masamoto-ks3124". I ended up on a page with what appears to be the same knife, but they sell it for about $218...!?

Has anyone tried to buy some "high-end" knives like the Masamoto from this site? Would you buy there with confidence?


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## DeepCSweede (Feb 1, 2013)

I have bought Shigefusa from Rakuten. They are a reputable seller and there were no issues with my purchase. The hardest part is that most communication is in Japanese but is easily run through a computer translator. I would buy from them again.

Now that you have let the membership know about this fantastic deal, I would get on the site and buy one immediately. That is a heck of a deal.


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## Bef (Feb 1, 2013)

DeepCSweede: Thanks. I've just placed my order. I'll see what happens now...

I'll update this post once I receive the knife.


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## jayhay (Feb 1, 2013)

Just did my taxes, and I've been wanting a KS for a while, so I snagged one up. Holy shite, I have almost no self control


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## chinacats (Feb 1, 2013)

Crap, two new gyutos this month means no KS for me, but what an exceptional deal! And Rakuten is very reputable, albeit a bit confusing at times.


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## Dave Martell (Feb 1, 2013)

Guys just remember that Rakuten is like Amazon in that it's just a website that let's vendors list and sell their products through so when you order you're dealing with the vendor - not Rakuten. So if you order three different knives you may be ordering from three different dealers. This is relevant in that it's not safe to say that Rakuten is reliable to buy from because one dealer might be where another might not be. 

I've ordered quite a few stones through Rakuten over the years and never had a problem but once there was some communication issues and a double charge along with a very s-l-o-w shipment. 

I just want to point this out for those thinking about purchasing through them. I believe it's relatively risk free but we should make note of the dealers used when making recommendations.


BTW, doesn't JapaneseChefsKnife sell Masamoto KS? I knew they used to have the yanagiba but I haven't looked in a long time and I'm to lazy to go there now too.


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## chefwatson (Feb 1, 2013)

JCK does sell them, Dave. About $341 plus shipping and you get to choose the color of ferrule you want.


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## cclin (Feb 1, 2013)

you can special order KS from Korin and get 10% off! last time Mari give me a quote around ~$285+s/h....if I remember it right!?


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## Dave Martell (Feb 1, 2013)

cclin said:


> you can special order KS from Korin and get 10% off! last time Mari give me a quote around ~$285+s/h....if I remember it right!?



There ya go


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## DeepCSweede (Feb 1, 2013)

Dave Martell said:


> Guys just remember that Rakuten is like Amazon in that it's just a website that let's vendors list and sell their products through so when you order you're dealing with the vendor - not Rakuten. So if you order three different knives you may be ordering from three different dealers. This is relevant in that it's not safe to say that Rakuten is reliable to buy from because one dealer might be where another might not be.
> 
> I've ordered quite a few stones through Rakuten over the years and never had a problem but once there was some communication issues and a double charge along with a very s-l-o-w shipment.
> 
> ...



I should have stated that Dave. I only figured that out on my last purchase through them and never really had noticed it before. I don't know if they have the same protection policy as amazon as I have never had any problems and don't read Japanese so haven't had to.


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## JBroida (Feb 1, 2013)

its more like ebay than amazon


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## wsfarrell (Feb 1, 2013)

JBroida said:


> its more like ebay than amazon



You can bid on stuff at Rakuten?


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## JBroida (Feb 1, 2013)

sometimes, but its more like a lot of the e-bay buy now thing... amazon is much more strict about its sellers than ebay


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## chinacats (Feb 2, 2013)

Nice to know, I have ordered twice and it was the same vendor Takashi though both orders were for Shig's. I was kind of picturing what Newegg has turned into, either way definitely appreciate the heads up as I would have considered them very safe. I guess the purchase still is as long as you use paypal?
Cheers


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## MikeHL (Feb 2, 2013)

I got my sugimoto cleaver from the same vendor on Rakuten. 
It was shipped though EMS and came in one week. No problems to report other then shipping was a bit more then expected ($30), he shipped the knife in a pretty large box. Took a week to get to Canada, pretty fast imho.


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## rdpx (Feb 2, 2013)

Having a quick look through knives and stones on the site it seems they are having a general sale at the moment. 35% off most items, 25% off some others.... (Some of the auto translations are brilliant)

eg: Masamoto HS less 35% =

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/yamakawa/item/masamoto-hs2024/


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## franzb69 (Feb 2, 2013)

thanks for the info on the sale


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## Duckfat (Feb 2, 2013)

cclin said:


> you can special order KS from Korin and get 10% off! last time Mari give me a quote around ~$285+s/h....if I remember it right!?



This is a great option IMO. I'd much rather deal with some one I know I can trust and count on.


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## franzb69 (Feb 2, 2013)

got my hankotsu from mari of korin. and yes i'd rather spend a little extra on someone i know.


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## jayhay (Feb 4, 2013)

Just got an email saying they can't fulfill the order, bummer. If anyone is interested in selling one, send me a pm


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## DeepCSweede (Feb 5, 2013)

Jay - I would call Mari, she should be able to hook you up with a discount and you know they are reliable. Was anyone able to get one through Rakuten?


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## NO ChoP! (Feb 5, 2013)

Salty has commented that he's thinking about downsizing and he has a KS and honyaki; I'm sure the honyaki will be the keeper....I think it may just take a little bugging, since I don't think he's a fan of packaging and post offices in general...but I'd say it may be worth a try?


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## mhlee (Feb 8, 2013)

Any word from those who tried to get these through Rakuten?


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## Andrew H (Feb 25, 2013)

What happened to this, guys?


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## jayhay (Feb 25, 2013)

My order was canceled a day after I put it in. I ended up getting one off a gracious forum member


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## labor of love (Feb 25, 2013)

pretty lame. it should be listed out of stock if its out of stock.


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## Bef (Mar 18, 2013)

It's back in stock!

Ordered mine (Masamoto KS Gyuto 240mm) on Sunday, and it was shipped on the same day (Monday in Japan).

Shipping price, going to Canada, was $22.


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## schanop (Mar 18, 2013)

That's pretty dang good deal.


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## rdpx (Mar 18, 2013)

Some good looking deals on there - idly looking at sujihikis I found a Misono UX10 270mm for about $225, compared to $350 on JCK.


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## rdm_magic (Mar 18, 2013)

Bef said:


> It's back in stock!
> 
> Ordered mine (Masamoto KS Gyuto 240mm) on Sunday, and it was shipped on the same day (Monday in Japan).
> 
> Shipping price, going to Canada, was $22.



How much did you pay? Link?


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## schanop (Mar 18, 2013)

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/yamakawa/item/masamoto-ks3124/

Someone was quick. It was available a few hours earlier.


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## don (Mar 18, 2013)

There were 2 for sale earlier.


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## Bef (Mar 18, 2013)

rdm_magic said:


> How much did you pay? Link?



You can look at the first post of this tread to find this info.


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## WiscoNole (Mar 19, 2013)

I just went on the site and couldn't find many knives at all, much less the KS. what am I doing wrong?


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## James (Mar 19, 2013)

http://global.rakuten.com/en/search?st=&tl=0&k=masamoto+ks
Does this link work? I saw a 240 gyuto available earlier, but as of now, all gyutos are sold out.


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## Crothcipt (Mar 19, 2013)

a little off subject but future knut here

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/comkids/item/1g-209/


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## Bef (Mar 19, 2013)

*wisco: *You can find this info on the first post of this thread. You need to search for "http://global.rakuten.com/en/" on Rakuten (http://global.rakuten.com/en/).


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## jayhay (Mar 19, 2013)

They won't fulfill guys, me and a couple buddies tried. Too good to be true I guess. We are in the states, so maybe it is different elsewhere.


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## MikeHL (Mar 19, 2013)

I can comfirm , looks like they will ship to Canada. I managed to snag one before they where gone. Ordered yesterday morning ,got my shipping notice this morning. 

I got my sugimoto no 7 cleaver from the same store (didn't end up saving that much). Took around a week to get in. I'm a pretty satisfied customer.


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## Bef (Mar 19, 2013)

Jayhay: well my Masamoto KS 240 gyuto is in the mail right now. Already out of Japan. I will post an update when I receive i. Shipping price, going to Canada, was $22.


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## jayhay (Mar 19, 2013)

Bef said:


> Jayhay: well my Masamoto KS 240 gyuto is in the mail right now. Already out of Japan. I will post an update when I receive i. Shipping price, going to Canada, was $22.



Nice :doublethumbsup: Glad someone got one! Enjoy the knife, it's good fun. Not a huge fan of the handle, besides aesthetics. Steel gets very sharp and holds it about as long as most whites. Great profile if you don't like a lot of belly or a tall heel, which is me. The knife feels and looks sexy too. One of my friends doesn't like knives much, kinda fears them. But he LOVES this knife! He picks it up and actually admires it. It has a certain special quality to it.

Hope you enjoy it.


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## mpukas (Mar 19, 2013)

You guys are killin' me! Gotta me a KS...


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## mpukas (Mar 20, 2013)

Can anyone tell me how the length on the KS's run - long, short, true?


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## wenus2 (Mar 20, 2013)

I dont own one, but they run notoriously long. Many people have reported the 240 at ~250.


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## jayhay (Mar 20, 2013)

They run a tad long. More like 250ish, but they don't feel large at all.


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## rdpx (Mar 20, 2013)

I see they have a 270 KS yanagiba for about $220

Tempting to double my budget on the sujihiki I am thinking about - I wonder if a yanagiba would be good for roast slicing and other general tasks....


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## mpukas (Mar 20, 2013)

rdpx said:


> - I wonder if a yanagiba would be good for roast slicing and other general tasks....



Check out this thread


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## rdpx (Mar 20, 2013)

mpukas said:


> Check out this thread



spoilsport.


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## mhlee (Mar 21, 2013)

rdpx said:


> spoilsport.



That thread doesn't even get into the differences between sharpening a single bevel knife vs. a double bevel knife.


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## Benuser (Mar 21, 2013)

For the record only: sharpening a single bevel is not so much a problem, initial sharpening, 'opening' it, is.


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## mhlee (Mar 21, 2013)

Benuser said:


> For the record only: sharpening a single bevel is not so much a problem, initial sharpening, 'opening' it, is.



I agree with this somewhat. I don't find that sharpening them is a problem, but the technique and equipment differ. You need a finer stone to do uraoshi sharpening and you need a stone flattener to ensure that your stones are flat. 

And, my single bevel knives have an upper and lower bevel. From what I've learned, you have to learn to sharpen both and also use proper technique so you don't mess up the shinogi line.


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## Bef (Mar 21, 2013)

Just received my knife!

Beware of customs and duties ~$70 for a $218 Gyuto in Canada!!

This is my first gyuto ever, and I am quite impressed so far.


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## mpukas (Mar 21, 2013)

Congrats! You've made a helluva good choice for you first gyuto. You're quickly going to become jaded.


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## mhlee (Mar 21, 2013)

Bef said:


> Just received my knife!
> 
> Beware of customs and duties ~$70 for a $218 Gyuto in Canada!!
> 
> This is my first gyuto ever, and I am quite impressed so far.



So, including shipping, customs and duties it was $310 ($218 for the knife, $22 for shipping, $70 for customs and duties)?


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## rdm_magic (Mar 21, 2013)

Seems that way, but being in Canada, wouldn't he have had to pay 70$ duties buying from the states, ontop of the knife already costing 300$?


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## chefwatson (Mar 22, 2013)

Mine was a total of $234 shipped and delivered. I had ordered one from Koki and was told that it would be 3 weeks for it to get to them and then ship to me. I got a refund, ordered it from Rakuten and it will be here tomorrow.


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## DeepCSweede (Mar 22, 2013)

Since it appears that Marko and Marios current backlog on knives will not allow either of those to be hitting my cutting board in the near future, I broke down and picked one of them up too. I figured at a minimum it gives me something I can play with it until those come in. I will let you know if I get hit with any additional charges on delivery, but I have not from previous purchases.


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## Bef (Mar 22, 2013)

mhlee said:


> So, including shipping, customs and duties it was $310 ($218 for the knife, $22 for shipping, $70 for customs and duties)?



That's right. There were the duties, some taxes and handling fees (?!) as well.


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## Mike9 (Mar 22, 2013)

Man that blows chunkies - just sayin'


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## sashephe (Mar 23, 2013)

Jeez, I just barely missed this opportunity. I was filling out the order form, went back to check and see if there was some duties to pay for US shipping, and I guess someone got that last one while I was doing that! I hope everyone that was able to get one enjoys their new knife. hopefully they will come back in stock soon!


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## Anpanman (Mar 23, 2013)

mpukas said:


> Can anyone tell me how the length on the KS's run - long, short, true?



My 270 is long - 282 mm edge.


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## DeepCSweede (Mar 23, 2013)

Mine just came in. LOVE LOVE LOVE the Japanese delivery system. I have never waited more than two days for a delivery after shipped. No extra duties or taxes due.

If I keep it long term, this knife will definitely be getting some Mike Henry love. Standard Japanese handles are just not made for my big mitts. Can't wait to take it for a drive.


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## wenus2 (Mar 23, 2013)

Anpanman said:


> My 270 is long - 282 mm edge.



Sweet avatar pic Anpanman!


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## Johnny.B.Good (Mar 23, 2013)

mpukas said:


> Can anyone tell me how the length on the KS's run - long, short, true?



My "240" is 250.


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## Anpanman (Mar 25, 2013)

wenus2 said:


> Sweet avatar pic Anpanman!



Cheers wenus2, yours is pretty too!


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