# Comparative Review: Konosuke HD2/Yoshikane SKD & Ouka/Rika/SP5K



## ModRQC (Feb 14, 2021)

*PART 1*

Let’s start with the Yoshi, and base ourselves on my review of the Santoku of the very same line back in October 2020:
Yoshikane Tsuchime Santoku

We had a score of 8.5/10 for the Santoku with my old review system. This year I introduced a new review formula with the Toyama, and intend to keep true to it.

*Yoshikane Tsuchime 210mm*


*MAKER*​*Yoshikane (Sold: BST)*​*TYPE & LENGTH*​*Gyuto 210mm*​*FINISH & STEEL*​*Tsuchime SKD-12*​*WEIGHT / BALANCE*​*140g / +25*​*HANDLE MATERIAL*​*Ho Wood & Buffalo Horn*​​​TOTAL LENGTH​355​BLADE LENGTH​227​EDGE LENGTH​*214*​​​HEIGHT AT HEEL​*47*​HEIGHT AT MID BLADE​38​HEIGHT 35mm TO TIP​25​​​*SPINE THICKNESS*​(4.1mm out of handle)HEEL​*3.9*​MID BLADE​2​35mm TO TIP​1.7​10mm TO TIP​*0.7*​​​*THICKNESS OVER THE EDGE*​@ 10/5/1mmHEEL + 10mm​1.1 / 0.5 / < 0.1​MID BLADE​0.9 / 0.5 / < 0.1​35mm TO TIP​0.8 / 0.4 / < 0.1​TIP​0.7 / 0.4 / < 0.1​

Same box, had given the average score, would still stand here but not part of the score anymore.







*Handle: 0.5/1*

Here what mostly kills this handle is being too bulky, which doesn’t combine very well with the blade being on the narrow side: knuckle clearance is really sparse. Balance walks the fine line of being too forward to suit the knife but still acceptable. If it wasn’t that in use I didn’t find any problem with either my knuckles or the balance, this was aiming for bottom marks real quick.

*Blade: 0.5/1*

It seems not all Yoshikane are made the same: here I have a well-rounded spine, but somewhat botched smoothing of the choil, indeed left rather rough out of it. Average marks where the Santoku had earned full mark – and still would in the new formula.






*Finish: 0.5/1*

There again, not all Yoshikane are made the same: I admit, as I did back with the Santoku, that it is a rather cheap finish. However, when perfect like on the Santoku, there’s really not much to say against it, where even aesthetically it remains rather pleasing, but this time I find ugly scratches here and there from grinding; nothing really disturbing but the fragile equilibrium to satisfaction is lost – average marks.

*Performance: 2/2*









Grind and geometry are excellent: these are the things that work tremendously well for any Yoshikane. I myself am not so inclined towards a long flat spot on a 200-210mm blade anymore, but it has definite advantages and the Yoshikane still sports a nice balance of flatness and curve to tip. Profile does not count towards the score in the new review formula.







*Overall Score: 3.5/5*


*****

*Konosuke HD2 210mm*


*MAKER*​*Konosuke (From BST: Traded)*​*TYPE & LENGTH*​*Gyuto 210mm*​*FINISH & STEEL*​*Hairline "HD2" (Taller)*​*WEIGHT / BALANCE*​*122g / +15*​*HANDLE MATERIAL*​*Ho Wood & Buffalo Horn*​​​TOTAL LENGTH​356​BLADE LENGTH​213​EDGE LENGTH​*199*​​​HEIGHT AT HEEL​*49*​HEIGHT AT MID BLADE​38​HEIGHT 35mm TO TIP​24​​​*SPINE*​*THICKNESS*HEEL​*2.7*​MID BLADE​2​35mm TO TIP​1.6​10mm TO TIP​*0.8*​​​*THICKNESS OVER THE EDGE*​@ 10/5/1mmHEEL + 10mm​0.9 / 0.6 / < 0.1​MID BLADE​0.9 / 0.6 / < 0.1​35mm TO TIP​0.9 / 0.5 / < 0.1​TIP​0.9 / 0.6 / < 0.1​

I like this box and it would have earned full scores with the old formula: simple neat looks, impressively rigid and sturdy, friction fit is very tight, the box fits the knife length to a T, and the carton sheath for the blade fits snugly on the plateau, the handle just as snugly fits in its depression – nothing moves.




+

*Handle: 1/1*

Beautifully done Ho handle. Balance is nice and I like the machi a lot, AND the machi gap as it suits the short blade length well and has that bit more style out of it. Ultimately, I wouldn’t dislike a handle 20 grams heavier that would about make balance neutral while giving more body to a knife I find rather a bit light, but where I am a sucker for plain looks this Ho got on my very best side. Terrible pun, I know. 

*Blade: 0.5/1*

Narrowly missing full marks, where the spine is well rounded and the choil luxuriously smoothed from the right side while eased enough in the center– but then, I remarked it wasn’t smoothed at all coming from the left side, pretty angular and somewhat sharp there. Too lightweight and overall smooth finished to be any cause of stress, but shameful for a geometry that’s just about perfectly symmetrical: lefties welcome, but just not as comprehensively.






*Finish: 0.5/1*

Hairline finish, pretty well done while not as finely as my former Sukenari for example, but close enough. Fingerprint/scratches magnet as always, but I quite like nice hairline finishes for their simplicity and easy maintenance – even where they will obviously never warrant full marks.

*Performance: 1.5/2*









The Konosuke sure fares better than average: doesn’t stick, nice travel, rather pleasant food release due to a moderate but stringent convexity. It does carry however that slight friction where it cuts, felt in about any produce that has a certain density. Not unpleasantly so ultimately, provides for additional feedback more than hindrance to the cut, but still. Being a very lightweight knife isn’t exactly helping, where you do have to impart a certain additional momentum at times: not much will of its own. For a nimble tool with great cutting abilities and control it’s excellent. Where ultimate performance is concerned however I found better abilities with either great convex or thin and high enough wide bevels, where most produces feel like cutting through dense air. As great as the Kono is, and as subjective as this may be, for the price I think my score reflects it for what it is. I still think it’s a killer knife as a quick prepper you can let aside without much of a worry – which is exactly why I decided it was a keeper vs. Takada/Y. Tanaka, despite the latter being so much better for a similar price: iron cladded W#2 was too far remote of this kind of serviceability I think suits a shorter knife best.







*Overall Score: 3.5/5*


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## ModRQC (Feb 14, 2021)

*Part 2: see HERE*


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## big_adventure (Feb 14, 2021)

Comprehensive and well-explained reviews as always. One comment on the Konosuke's choil: you mention that it's well-rounded on the right and flat on the left - I wonder if that wasn't intentional, given right-handed bias prevalent in J-knives. If you pinch grip as a righty, your middle finger will be in firm contact with the smoothed side and the other side really doesn't matter, except aesthetically.

Not saying it's a good reason _not_ to smooth it, mind.


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## ModRQC (Feb 14, 2021)

Of course it is - and a Sakai trait surely, as my Takada No Hamono/Y Tanaka had the same preferential treat despite a pretty symmetrical grind. Then again the Kono is even more symmetrical, which I think makes it a shame. Also the BST I got it from was from a fellow Canadian lefty user. Not disclosing him he was exactly the type of user I had in mind. I'm sure he was happy still - kept it long enough, gave it a custom handle at one point. But I'm sure he saw the preferential treatment too, and if I were him I would have been like - well let's not use gross idiom.


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## big_adventure (Feb 14, 2021)

ModRQC said:


> Of course it is - and a Sakai trait surely, as my Takada No Hamono/Y Tanaka had the same preferential treat despite a pretty symmetrical grind. Then again the Kono is even more symmetrical, which I think makes it a shame. Also the BST I got it from was from a fellow Canadian lefty user. Not disclosing him he was exactly the type of user I had in mind. I'm sure he was happy still - kept it long enough, gave it a custom handle at one point. But I'm sure he saw the preferential treatment too, and if I were him I would have been like - well let's not use gross idiom.



Well, this is why, despite being ambidextrous, I almost always (more than 99%) cut right-handed. Habit also, of course, but there just isn't much incentive to going southpaw with a knife when every single Jknife on my wall has a distinct righty bias. 

I also find that smooth rounding and such are things I instantly note when I admire a knife, and barely notice when using said tool. There are a few exceptions - what's life without those - but in hand, during prep, I don't generally feel the difference in normal use. I have a couple of knives with relatively hard angles on choil or spine that I look at daily and think "I should round that off" but instantly remember that I don't notice those details at all in use. Mileage obviously may vary, and aesthetics _are_ important. Especially here: none of us NEED most of the knives we have. One Vic Fibrox would take care of 99% of my prep needs with aplomb. But it would be 0% fun.


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## ModRQC (Feb 14, 2021)

Hey, it would at least be 0.5% fun.


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## big_adventure (Feb 14, 2021)

ModRQC said:


> Hey, it would at least be 0.5% fun.



That's fair. In any case, I'd make a family of leek ends and have them go through life living some adventures or something.


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