# The New KS Inspired Mizuno Tanrenjo 240mm Gyuto



## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

I would like to share the final product of the KS inspired Mizuno gyutos that I had been working with Koki of JCK. I requested this to be specially made back in November last year as I had no luck getting a hold of a Masamoto KS (KS3124) previously. It was finally finished and received the knives yesterday. I purchased 2 white #2 honyakis and a san mai blue #1. The handles are African blackwood with 2 white spacers and the other 2 handles are ebony with a white spacer.

Mizuno honyakis:






























Mizuno Blue #1:









The family:


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

Pictures didnt work. Heres the links:

https://imgur.com/a/J6k1K
https://imgur.com/a/xJwpC
https://imgur.com/a/kyuwO


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## panda (Mar 7, 2018)

Looks nothing like a ks


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

Hence, the title of KS inspired. I will post a photo of the KS and Mizuno outline in a bit.


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## DitmasPork (Mar 7, 2018)

Andreu said:


> I would like to share the final product of the KS inspired Mizuno gyutos that I had been working with Koki of JCK. I requested this to be specially made back in November last year as I had no luck getting a hold of a Masamoto KS (KS3124) previously. It was finally finished and received the knives yesterday. I purchased 2 white #2 honyakis and a san mai blue #1. The handles are African blackwood with 2 white spacers and the other 2 handles are ebony with a white spacer.
> 
> Mizuno honyakis:
> 
> ...



Thank for posting, I've been waiting to see images of the Mizuno KS. What I like about them, visually, is that they look to be Mizuno's interpretation of the KS, instead of trying to mimic Masamotos knife. What's the weight compared to the Masamoto? What's the length, they look longer than the Masamoto? Love to hear your observations on how they perform. 

What's the price tag on those through JCK?


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## brooksie967 (Mar 7, 2018)

I'd bang that on a board.


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## HRC_64 (Mar 7, 2018)

Need some reviews


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## Barmoley (Mar 7, 2018)

Blue #1 sanmai looks similar to KS. Give us the specs, how's the grind?


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

Heres the outline of the Mizuno vs the KS with the specs:


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

Review must have to wait. Unfortunately (fortunately), I will be out of the country for 2 weeks as of Saturday for a much needed vacay. Im afraid I wont have time to play with it until I come back. But I will definitely give my opinion of the knives when I get the chance to use them.


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## HRC_64 (Mar 7, 2018)

any info on weights?

edit: just saw post on travel conflicts


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## labor of love (Mar 7, 2018)

Barmoley said:


> Blue #1 sanmai looks similar to KS. Give us the specs, how's the grind?



That one is San mai?


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## GorillaGrunt (Mar 7, 2018)

Cool! The sanmai looks pretty KS-ish to me. The honyaki look more Kato-ish but Ive only ever seen Katos in pictures, can anyone confirm or correct?


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## Marek07 (Mar 7, 2018)

Enjoy your break. Looking forward to your review.


Andreu said:


> Review must have to wait. Unfortunately (fortunately), I will be out of the country for 2 weeks as of Saturday for a much needed vacay. Im afraid I wont have time to play with it until I come back. But I will definitely give my opinion of the knives when I get the chance to use them.


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## StonedEdge (Mar 7, 2018)

brooksie967 said:


> I'd bang that on a board.


So far my fave 2018 kkf post


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

Marek07 said:


> Enjoy your break. Looking forward to your review.



Thanks, my fave nephew. We need to have another chat soon to catch up on things. &#128512;


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

GorillaGrunt said:


> Cool! The sanmai looks pretty KS-ish to me. The honyaki look more Kato-ish but Ive only ever seen Katos in pictures, can anyone confirm or correct?



Here you go. But Kato is a 210. When I first got the Mizuno honyaki, it reminded me of the Kato but with a flatter profile.


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## pete84 (Mar 7, 2018)

Oh my oh my... can't wait till mine comes in. Thanks for putting this together, Andreu

Sweet gyuto collection, really digging that Kato Dammy


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

DitmasPork said:


> Thank for posting, I've been waiting to see images of the Mizuno KS. What I like about them, visually, is that they look to be Mizuno's interpretation of the KS, instead of trying to mimic Masamotos knife. What's the weight compared to the Masamoto? What's the length, they look longer than the Masamoto? Love to hear your observations on how they perform.
> 
> What's the price tag on those through JCK?



Got mine at $1350 for the blackwood handle, $1315 for the ebony handle and the san mai with ebony handle is $685.


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

pete84 said:


> Oh my oh my... can't wait till mine comes in. Thanks for putting this together, Andreu
> 
> Sweet gyuto collection, really digging that Kato Dammy



Aha! So youre the third one. Lol. Did you get yours shipped yet, Pete? Did you get the honyaki or san mai? Congrats either way. &#128512;


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## pete84 (Mar 7, 2018)

Got the honyaki White 2, still waiting on word from Koki on ready date. Really excited and looking forward to your review comparing the OG KS to the new Mizuno models. Curious about the San-mai vs honyaki differences as well

Ordered mine with a plain-jane ho D-handle, looking at yours I shoulda sprung the extra $ for the ebony or blackwood. Gorgeous!


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## pd7077 (Mar 7, 2018)

The honyakis look like they have a nice flat spot. Cant wait until mine arrives...Im hoping by Friday &#129310;&#127995;


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## brooksie967 (Mar 7, 2018)

StonedEdge said:


> So far my fave 2018 kkf post



:knife:


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

pd7077 said:


> The honyakis look like they have a nice flat spot. Cant wait until mine arrives...Im hoping by Friday &#129310;&#127995;



It does have a very nice flat spot. Did you get the honyaki, too?


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

pete84 said:


> Got the honyaki White 2, still waiting on word from Koki on ready date. Really excited and looking forward to your review comparing the OG KS to the new Mizuno models. Curious about the San-mai vs honyaki differences as well
> 
> Ordered mine with a plain-jane ho D-handle, looking at yours I shoulda sprung the extra $ for the ebony or blackwood. Gorgeous!



Nice! The good news is, theres a lot of folks here who will be able to rehandle your honyaki.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Mar 7, 2018)

Nice. Very, very nice. 

Enjoy your vacation!


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## Kippington (Mar 7, 2018)

Is that your floor, or an insanely huge cutting-board? :wink:


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Nice. Very, very nice.
> 
> Enjoy your vacation!



Thanks, Rick!


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

Kippington said:


> Is that your floor, or an insanely huge cutting-board? :wink:



You made my day with this comment. &#128512; And no, that is not my floor.


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

Barmoley said:


> Blue #1 sanmai looks similar to KS. Give us the specs, how's the grind?



Specs are very similar to the honyaki. Honyaki has some heft into it but not sure about the exact weight as my kitchen scale has no batteries. I know, I can afford these knives but cant even buy some batteries. Ill give an update on the weight once I get the scale going. In the meantime, heres some photos of the Blue #1.

Blue #1 choil shot:





Blue #1 on the left and honyaki on the right:





Blue #1:


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## HRC_64 (Mar 7, 2018)

Now we need 2up distal taper shots !


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## Andreu (Mar 7, 2018)

HRC_64 said:


> Now we need 2up distal taper shots !



Geez. Demanding, arent we? &#128512;

Blue #1 on the left:


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## HRC_64 (Mar 7, 2018)

awesome pics ... cheers

this helps to visualize/
see a bit more about
how they are built up

of course will be interesting
when you get to cut w/them
too


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## Gregmega (Mar 7, 2018)

Wowowowow thumbs up. Knives aren't half bad either[emoji12]. 

Really, great post though. Great project.


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## pd7077 (Mar 10, 2018)

My knife arrived yesterday, and shes a beauty. I was able to put her through a few ingredients last night to get an initial feel. I am partial to heavier knives with thicker grinds so this knife feels very nice in hand. Im more of a 240 guy so while this edge rings in at 258mm, the weight seems to balance out the length so that the tip doesnt feel floaty. The heavily convexed right side seems to work well in separating ingredients. The release is what you would expect from a knife with this level of polish, but speed will definitely be your friend in this regard. The thick grind required a bit of force to get through sweet potatoes, and I wasnt surprised that there was a bit of cracking/snapping. The OOTB edge was just okay so maybe things will smooth out after I put an edge on her. 

So far I am really pleased with this knife. The handle (ebony, horn ferrule & white G10 spacer) is nice enough, but Ill most likely get a custom some time down the road. 

Note: The knife didnt come with the kiri wood box. That was a gift from my brother.


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## khashy (Mar 10, 2018)

pd7077 said:


> My knife arrived yesterday, and shes a beauty. I was able to put her through a few ingredients last night to get an initial feel. I am partial to heavier knives with thicker grinds so this knife feels very nice in hand. Im more of a 240 guy so while this edge rings in at 258mm, the weight seems to balance out the length so that the tip doesnt feel floaty. The heavily convexed right side seems to work well in separating ingredients. The release is what you would expect from a knife with this level of polish, but speed will definitely be your friend in this regard. The thick grind required a bit of force to get through sweet potatoes, and I wasnt surprised that there was a bit of cracking/snapping. The OOTB edge was just okay so maybe things will smooth out after I put an edge on her.
> 
> So far I am really pleased with this knife. The handle (ebony, horn ferrule & white G10 spacer) is nice enough, but Ill most likely get a custom some time down the road.
> 
> Note: The knife didnt come with the kiri wood box. That was a gift from my brother.



Thank you for posting the photos and letting us know your impressions.

I can see that the two knives we have seen photos of are very consistent in terms of profile and grind.

I have found this write up and photos along with the original write up and photos set very useful in deciding whether or not this knife is for me.

Thank you both.


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## Kippington (Mar 10, 2018)

Yeah that's a really good review: Short, but speaks volumes as to how the knife behaves, and some really high quality pics too.
Without a point of reference, the knife looks smaller in the pics then it actually is (you say it's 258mm), which means the heel height must be quite tall too. Is taller than the one on the first page (51mm)?
The box it came in is pretty sweet too haha!

Is there much distal taper, and what's the weight?


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## pd7077 (Mar 10, 2018)

The edge measures 258mm from heel to tip, and its 50mm tall at the heel. No appreciable distal taper: 4mm at the tang; 3.5mm above the heel; holds at 3mm for a majority of the length until it hits the grind at the tip. Not sure about the weight as I dont have a scale

The kiri box is definitely cool. The knife came in a standard cardboard box (unlabeled), but my brother had that kiri box from a previous JCK purchase. He knows that Ive been eyeing it so he packaged the knife in it before shipping it to me.


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## steelcrimp (Mar 10, 2018)

Andreu said:


> Heres the outline of the Mizuno vs the KS with the specs:



Are these free drawn or are you using them as a trace?


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## mantrarxidia (Mar 11, 2018)

I might be retarded, but I can't find the blue #1 on jck, only mizuno gyuto in #1 I can find is this one https://japanesechefsknife.com/coll...-wa-gyuto-with-shinogi-210mm-to-270mm-3-sizes


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## Anton (Mar 11, 2018)

mantrarxidia said:


> I might be retarded, but I can't find the blue #1 on jck, only mizuno gyuto in #1 I can find is this one https://japanesechefsknife.com/coll...-wa-gyuto-with-shinogi-210mm-to-270mm-3-sizes



https://japanesechefsknife.com/prod...ies-white-steel-no-2-wa-gyuto-240mm-and-270mm


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## mantrarxidia (Mar 11, 2018)

I didn't realise the blue #1 is a honyaki aswell, my bad


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## pd7077 (Mar 11, 2018)

Anton said:


> https://japanesechefsknife.com/prod...ies-white-steel-no-2-wa-gyuto-240mm-and-270mm



Those arent it. The KS profile Mizunos, both the W#2 honyaki & B#1 sanmai, were a special project that are not currently part of Kokis regular offerings. I believe that this current batch only had 6 honyakis and probably the same number of sanmais, all of which have already been spoken for. The only way to get them is to contact Koki directly to get on the list. At least thats my understanding.


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## mantrarxidia (Mar 11, 2018)

How much does the blue #1 cost?


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## pd7077 (Mar 11, 2018)

Andreu said:


> Got mine at $1350 for the blackwood handle, $1315 for the ebony handle and the san mai with ebony handle is $685.



According to Andreu, the one that started the project with Koki.


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## mantrarxidia (Mar 11, 2018)

pd7077 said:


> According to Andreu, the one that started the project with Koki.



I swear I went through every post twice but just missed this bit, thank you


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## Von blewitt (Mar 12, 2018)

View attachment 38837


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## Andreu (Mar 12, 2018)

Von blewitt said:


> View attachment 38837


Very nice! Is that your knife?


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## Von blewitt (Mar 12, 2018)

Yes it is


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## pd7077 (Mar 12, 2018)

The OOTB edge on mine was just okay. Not bad by any means, but not anywhere near where I would want it to be. So before I put my own edge on her, I decided to remove the patina (what little had developed) and play around with the hamon a bit. Heres what I got so far, but I think I can get it to be better.


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## Anton (Mar 12, 2018)

that's nasty good


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## steelcrimp (Mar 12, 2018)

gonna attempt to make the a similar profile knife with a smaller tip


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## Andreu (Mar 12, 2018)

Von blewitt said:


> Yes it is



Nice! When are you expecting it? I assume custom handle is in order here. &#128512;


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## Andreu (Mar 12, 2018)

pd7077 said:


> The OOTB edge on mine was just okay. Not bad by any means, but not anywhere near where I would want it to be. So before I put my own edge on her, I decided to remove the patina (what little had developed) and play around with the hamon a bit. Heres what I got so far, but I think I can get it to be better.



That looks great, bro! Cant wait to work on mine.


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## pd7077 (Mar 12, 2018)

Thanks! It was a bit of a rushed job, and I accidentally polished away some of the hamon near the tip. Ill re-etch the entire hamon sometime in the future and then really get a good polish near the spine. For now, Im just gonna put her back to work on the board.


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## Kippington (Mar 12, 2018)

How are you etching it, hot vinegar?


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## pd7077 (Mar 12, 2018)

Not sure what Ill use to etch this time. Ive used hot vinegar as well as lemon juice, but Ive never tried FeCl so I may play around with that. Worst case, Ill repolish and then etch with vinegar since I know how that acts/reacts.


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## pd7077 (Mar 12, 2018)

@Andreu: I just noticed that one of your honyakis has kanji on the right blade face. Why is that? Mine doesnt have anything on the right side.


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## Andreu (Mar 13, 2018)

steelcrimp said:


> Are these free drawn or are you using them as a trace?



Sorry for the delay in response. This is a trace of the new Masamoto KS and the new Mizuno Honyaki.


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## Andreu (Mar 13, 2018)

pd7077 said:


> @Andreu: I just noticed that one of your honyakis has kanji on the right blade face. Why is that? Mine doesnt have anything on the right side.



Are you referring to this?





If so, this was requested by Koki to Mizuno as a gift to me for coming up with the idea and working with him on this new project. It is a hand chiseled kanji which says ichiban. It means number 1 as this is the first knife that Mizuno made for this specific project.


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## fujiyama (Mar 13, 2018)

That kanji is very cool.

Thanks for posting your thoughts and photos. This one is not quite what I was looking for. I'm giving up my reserve for a KS inspired Mizuno honyaki with magnolia handle. Contact Koki directly if you want to buy it; I believe the price is just north of $1,200 USD.


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## pd7077 (Mar 15, 2018)

Finally got around to buying batteries for my scale. Mine rings in at 266g (9-3/8 oz).


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## MrChen (Mar 18, 2018)

Wow wonderful knives! 
Can we group some of us to give another order? Batch orders can get price break?


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## QCDawg (Mar 18, 2018)

Thats bad ass. Sos my B1 regular c/o @bigkev2828

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YKNTaJ8l5J6kj8Ou2


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## Anton (Mar 18, 2018)

QCDawg said:


> Thats bad ass. Sos my B1 regular c/o @bigkev2828
> 
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/YKNTaJ8l5J6kj8Ou2



That's quite nice, Bill


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## QCDawg (Mar 18, 2018)

Anton said:


> That's quite nice, Bill



Gracias, grazie, merci, thank ya!


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## Von blewitt (Mar 19, 2018)

View attachment 38915


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## Andreu (Mar 19, 2018)

Von blewitt said:


> View attachment 38915



Very nice, Huw! Whats your impression of it?


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## Von blewitt (Mar 19, 2018)

I like it, it doesn't remind me of a KS at all, but it's a nice knife.


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## Andreu (Mar 19, 2018)

I agree that it doesnt really remind you of the KS. It is Mizunos interpretation of a KS. The new blue #1 sanmai, on the other hand, is more KSish.


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## HRC_64 (Mar 19, 2018)

'Interpretation' is very loose word :rofl:
tho I agree they look wicked.


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## chinacats (Mar 19, 2018)

Upside I see is the length...I love mizuno but they are always short.


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## panda (Mar 19, 2018)

regular mizuno white#2 honyaki at a proper length would be oh so sweet... the ks inspired one doesnt really tickle me but i havent handled one.


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## HRC_64 (Mar 19, 2018)

panda said:


> regular mizuno white#2 honyaki at a proper length would be oh so sweet... the ks inspired one doesnt really tickle me but i havent handled one.



I wonder if koki can order them like this?
with say 245 or 250 cutting edge?


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## labor of love (Mar 19, 2018)

HRC_64 said:


> I wonder if koki can order them like this?
> with say 245 or 250 cutting edge?



Evidently Miz is down for whateva


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## dmccurtis (Mar 20, 2018)

Von blewitt said:


> View attachment 38915



Not seeing anything here, Huw.


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## Von blewitt (Mar 20, 2018)

dmccurtis said:


> Not seeing anything here, Huw.



I'm having trouble posting pics at the moment


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## dmccurtis (Mar 20, 2018)

There it is!


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## bkultra (Mar 20, 2018)

Von blewitt said:


> View attachment 38925
> 
> 
> I'm having trouble posting pics at the moment



Type your message and then go back and Edit to add your picture(s). If you try to upload picture(s) in your initial post they won't display properly.


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## HRC_64 (Mar 20, 2018)

crazy patina on that KS, btw


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## Von blewitt (Mar 22, 2018)

This is my favourite of all the Mizuno honyakis I've owned


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## labor of love (Mar 22, 2018)

Von blewitt said:


> This is my favourite of all the Mizuno honyakis I've owned



Because of the profile and blade height?


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## panda (Sep 25, 2019)

panda said:


> regular mizuno white#2 honyaki at a proper length would be oh so sweet... the ks inspired one doesnt really tickle me but i havent handled one.


to clarify i was only referring to the honyaki version which i still believe says nothing like KS to me. however when i got to try the san mai version i fell in love with it right away and had to have it. here is the kicker, it was the grind that sold me on it, not the profile.


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## panda (Oct 2, 2019)

Here is mine in action from a friend of mine @Donald Roe who is rounding the spine/choil for me.


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## panda (Nov 17, 2019)

i FINALLY took it through a full prep day and i can fully commit to saying i am in total LOVE with this knife. holy moly does this thing cut so freaking sweet!!


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## ian (Nov 17, 2019)

Ditto. My full prep is a bit different than yours, though. Say, 4 carrots, a couple onions, and some sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts...  But man, is my life improved with this tool. Mine came kinda thick, but after significant thinning it’s bomber. It’s got a full, stable patina now, too, which seems to make it just glide through everything. I’m convinced that I should buy only full carbon from now on just for the eventual nonstick coating.


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## labor of love (Nov 17, 2019)

@ian how does it sharpen up?


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## ian (Nov 17, 2019)

Well. Super easy to touch up. Around 6 edge leading strokes on an Aizu today and it's good as new. Great bite.

@panda, I think maybe I wasn't spending enough time opening up the Aizu before use before. Now it's consistently awesome, and I have you to thank for getting me to try it again. Btw, I just noticed _"You have to sharpen Jigane, not only edge. The black slurry from Jigane is important." _on Watanabe's page of Aizus. Interesting.


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## refcast (Nov 17, 2019)

yeah, its super important for harder stones to sharpen some jigane. it acts kinda like a nagura somehow. then when you have enough swarf and mud (but theres not much mud cause its hard) then you can just sharpen the hagane but with greater speed. my tsushima is like this.


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## labor of love (Nov 17, 2019)

I’m glad you’re enjoying the Miz KS. I still want one


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## ian (Nov 17, 2019)

refcast said:


> yeah, its super important for harder stones to sharpen some jigane. it acts kinda like a nagura somehow. then when you have enough swarf and mud (but theres not much mud cause its hard) then you can just sharpen the hagane but with greater speed. my tsushima is like this.



Yea, I was using another stone to open it up. Why do you think he emphasizes using the jigane, though? Is it somehow better to use the knife as the nagura than an actual nagura? Or maybe it’s just that you aren’t introducing other stone particles? Probably I’m reading way too much into these two sentences. And way off topic...


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## panda (Nov 17, 2019)

i just use atoma to start slurry..


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## refcast (Nov 17, 2019)

For me it was mostly by experience that I found jigane works well. Maybe for him, too, or the stone dealers told him so. The tsushima was slow as heck compared to other stones. I tried nagura and atoma but the stone surface still didn't want to swarf inky black. It would just turn a bit greyer upon sharpening. Whereas with the jigane method, it swarf to inky black and continue to cut and make more inky black swarf even when sharpening mainly or even only the hagane.

Materially speaking, I don't really know whats going on. nagura make loose particles that hopefully abrade the stone surface so the stone cuts.

I don't know if its the presence of the swarf on the stone surface, or the action of making the swarf that changes how the stone operates. I'm leaning toward the action of making of swarf . . . cause the stone surface does feel slightly different when I touch it. Kinda like matte feeling like kasumi. Which is funny. Cause while the stone makes kasumi on the knife, the knife makes a kasumi on the stone (no contrast of course, but still . . . ). even after the stone dried and powder carefully wiped off.

Whereas when I used a nagura, the surface would feel chalky and powdery. . . and slippery. though I dunno. I feel that the jigane - method has a greater increase on the stone surface's own cutting power. With nagura or atoma I would have to recharge the slurry. It would not self-sustain its slurry. In my experience and use.

So far I like using jigane more than using nagura. Though I have like 8 nagura.


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## ian (Nov 17, 2019)

refcast said:


> For me it was mostly by experience that I found jigane works well. Maybe for him, too, or the stone dealers told him so. The tsushima was slow as heck compared to other stones. I tried nagura and atoma but the stone surface still didn't want to swarf inky black. It would just turn a bit greyer upon sharpening. Whereas with the jigane method, it swarf to inky black and continue to cut and make more inky black swarf even when sharpening mainly or even only the hagane.
> 
> Materially speaking, I don't really know whats going on. nagura make loose particles that hopefully abrade the stone surface so the stone cuts.
> 
> ...



Yea! I'd used an atoma before like panda, but for some reason or another, I never got that revelatory experience and edge until I happened to try a wide bevel sharpening. I was actually just testing what the Aizu would do to the polish, but then the stone completely transformed. Anyway, maybe each stone is different, too. @panda apparently gets awesome results the way he does it.


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## panda (Nov 17, 2019)

well what you guys are talking about, i naturally do that while sharpening anyway as i thin a little bit during each session instead of doing major thinning a few times, just go gradual. hitting the cladding means you are using WAY more surface area on the stone vs just the edge. more surface area = more slurry build up.


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## refcast (Nov 17, 2019)

Atoma totally does cut faster than without when i use my normal techniques. Also for the wide bevel stuff I had to add extra pressure -- way more than what I was doing normally with synthetic stones. It feels like I'm shaving metal off, as opposed to scratching it off via sandpaper. Which is to say, much finer feeling, hence the inky swarf. Or when the stone is really hard and doesn't cut much otherwise, which feels like glass or granite -- its not cutting much. And this is only for really hard stones -- harder than I would recommend for beginners.

yeah, I thin regularly too and helps a lot


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## Chuckles (Nov 17, 2019)

I purposely try and avoid jnat threads. Easter eggs like this one can be fun. When they sync up with WTS threads for Aizu it’s really not good for me. 

Also, if anyone wants to out the sharpener that Mizuno is using please don’t hesitate to shoot me a pm. I adore the grind on these knives. Would love to explore further down this particular rabbit hole.


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## M1k3 (Nov 18, 2019)

The soft cladding tends to grab the abrasive, imbeds and tears abrasive. Whereas hardened steel glides and/or gets scratched. Generally speaking.


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## panda (Nov 18, 2019)

Chuckles said:


> I purposely try and avoid jnat threads. Easter eggs like this one can be fun. When they sync up with WTS threads for Aizu it’s really not good for me.
> 
> Also, if anyone wants to out the sharpener that Mizuno is using please don’t hesitate to shoot me a pm. I adore the grind on these knives. Would love to explore further down this particular rabbit hole.


do you want to borrow my aizu?


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## Barmoley (Nov 18, 2019)

panda said:


> Here is mine in action from a friend of mine @Donald Roe who is rounding the spine/choil for me.




What are the dimensions on yours? Is it really 260x49 labor's was shorter I think.


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## labor of love (Nov 18, 2019)

I believe mine was 255mm. Maybe 49-50mm tall.


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## ian (Nov 18, 2019)

labor of love said:


> I believe mine was 255mm. Maybe 49-50mm tall.



Yea, 255 x 49.


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## captaincaed (Nov 18, 2019)

I also want to try an aizu. Hearing good things recently


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## tgfencer (Nov 18, 2019)

captaincaed said:


> I also want to try an aizu. Hearing good things recently



There’s a Watanabe aizu in non-knife BST at an affordable price.


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## captaincaed (Nov 18, 2019)

I think it sold recently, thank you. I saw it too late.


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## Chuckles (Nov 18, 2019)

panda said:


> do you want to borrow my aizu?





captaincaed said:


> I think it sold recently, thank you. I saw it too late.



@panda Thanks for the offer.

@captaincaed Sorry, I am very trigger happy on BST.


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## panda (Nov 18, 2019)

haha chucks dont play around


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## captaincaed (Nov 18, 2019)

Chuckles said:


> @panda Thanks for the offer.
> 
> @captaincaed Sorry, I am very trigger happy on BST.


It was you!


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## Barmoley (Nov 20, 2019)

@panda @ian what's the weight on yours?


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## labor of love (Nov 20, 2019)

Those Miz KS’s are on sale right now.... @Barmoley


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## panda (Nov 20, 2019)

i dunno, it's heavy though.


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## ian (Nov 20, 2019)

Barmoley said:


> @panda @ian what's the weight on yours?



193 g


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## ian (Nov 20, 2019)

ian said:


> 193 g



Or rather, when I got it it was probably 197 or 198, but I took 5 g or so off thinning it.


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## Barmoley (Nov 20, 2019)

Thanks I got one too, just to see what you, raving lunatics are talking about. Mine is 257x49.5 and 199 g. I wouldn’t call this heavy though. Thinner and lighter than I expected, why I don’t know since specs are right there. Good balance though. @panda you need to hit a gym or something, work on those guns of yours, and I don’t mean the metal ones.


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## labor of love (Nov 20, 2019)

The masa KS is like 161-165 grams so it’s got so heft compared to the original.


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## ian (Nov 20, 2019)

I expected it to feel a bit heavier, because the balance is forward. But it really doesn't. The forward balance is absolutely perfect imo: gives great control, but never feels awkward while chopping. Seems pretty forward when I balance it on my finger, but not so much in practice. I remember the Kochi KU I had always seemed like it was going to get stuck in the board while chopping because it had so much momentum.


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## panda (Nov 20, 2019)

oh i thought you were asking about my aizu lol
weight on my miz is going to be different because i swapped the handle out for a burnt chestnut. i detest the ebony one that came with it originally.


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## Chuckles (Nov 21, 2019)

I think Ian has it right on. The weight distribution is fantastic on these Mizunos. I played with it for a few hours before I looked at the choil and was shocked at how thin it was. The only knives I had used previously to this that had such an elegant balance were much meatier behind the edge.

And now that the handle is off Panda’s I will say that it was not a very nice handle. And I like fancy handles when they are done well. I certainly wouldn’t recommend paying the upgrade cost. The stock handles I have gotten on other Mizunos have been better.


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## Barmoley (Nov 21, 2019)

I got mine with the stock D Ho handle, it is actually better than I expected. I wouldn't mind burnt chestnut though, especially the elusive D variant.


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## ian (Nov 21, 2019)

The one I have is octagonal ho. I’m a real fan of the handle, actually.


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## panda (Nov 21, 2019)

the single best trait of this knife is the grind. my previous grind champion was a custom wat, this miz is on another level.


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## captaincaed (Nov 21, 2019)

How's it compare to the famed honyaki grind?


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## labor of love (Nov 21, 2019)

Thinner blade than Honyaki


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## panda (Nov 21, 2019)

captaincaed said:


> How's it compare to the famed honyaki grind?


the honyaki has way better food release, but the ks version is smoother all around, it's just pure elegance.


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## Chuckles (Nov 21, 2019)

I prefer the San Mai Mizuno KS grind that I have seen to the Mizuno Honyakis (3) I have used. As you could guess the F&F on the Honyakis I have had is better. I would imagine the KS Honyakis would be in par for polish and rounding etc. but haven’t held one.


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## Garm (Nov 22, 2019)

How do these knives perform with dense produce, root veg, large cabbages etc?
I've been looking for a larger knife that would handle these things effortlessly, but I have no experience with Mizuno knives at all.


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## labor of love (Nov 22, 2019)

Garm said:


> How do these knives perform with dense produce, root veg, large cabbages etc?
> I've been looking for a larger knife that would handle these things effortlessly, but I have no experience with Mizuno knives at all.


Regular Masamoto KS should be able to fall through dense food better than Miz KS


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## panda (Nov 23, 2019)

labor of love said:


> Regular Masamoto KS should be able to fall through dense food better than Miz KS


False, Miz ks does.great on dense stuff


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## ian (Nov 23, 2019)

Must be some variation knife to knife. Mine came rather thicker behind the edge than panda's, I'm guessing. Not the best through carrots initially, but after some thinning, it's a wonder.


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## captaincaed (Nov 23, 2019)

I'm considering an expensive decision


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## Barmoley (Nov 23, 2019)

Stop considering, just buy it while on sale, it is surprisingly good.


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## ian (Nov 23, 2019)

Yea, do it.


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## labor of love (Nov 23, 2019)

I do not enjoy making the same mistake twice. Until I figure out how to make Koki select a close to 50/50 grind Miz KS for me I’ll be waiting for here for someone else to sell theirs.


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## captaincaed (Nov 23, 2019)

They all look 50/50 from the choil, but I realize that's only 25% of the story. I'm up for a righty bias honyaki (I HATE Mizuno reactivity). White? Blue? Someone send me a link, I'm impressionable right now. Want some good food release, like truly good.

Edit: or if you're selling one, all lengths may apply. Just no Mizuno iron cladding. Forget that noise.


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## labor of love (Nov 23, 2019)

Pick a handle
https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/mizuno-tanrenjo-akitada-ao-hagane-dx-series


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## captaincaed (Nov 23, 2019)

Are they truly right biased? Do they truly have good release? I feel like the last couple high hopes knives were only so-so.

I've been hurt before. Not sure if I can be lied to again.

Of course I'm bitching to Labor, who as a lefty has way more problems with grinds than me. Oops.


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## labor of love (Nov 23, 2019)

Pandas Miz came from an earlier batch which I’m guessing is a little different. His sounds thinner and more 50/50. Mine which is now Ian’s had enough flat side on the left side to make it perform basically the way a thicker laser would perform for a left handed user. The right side had plenty of convex however.


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## captaincaed (Nov 23, 2019)

If anyone had a vid with a potato, I'd love to see. I'm going to throw one up myself in a day or two with a few recent additions.


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## labor of love (Nov 23, 2019)

Here’s a quick screenshot of a the current Miz KS


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## labor of love (Nov 23, 2019)

Here’s my old FS thread 

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/mizuno-dx-ks-profile.43217/


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## ian (Nov 23, 2019)

Yea, it was too chunky at first for me. Good release, but thin carrots would crack. For someone with a real food release preference, it might be perfect, but I always want my knives to be ever so slightly more biased toward a smooth cut. Interested to see a shot of panda’s choil, if that’s not too personal a request.


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## Barmoley (Nov 23, 2019)

Food release is pretty good. The blade is relatively thin. In the beginning tried to just see what cutting larger pieces would be like. First potato with this knife ever. Original edge, with a few swipes on Gesshin 4k, five sides each...


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## labor of love (Nov 23, 2019)

ian said:


> Yea, it was too chunky at first for me. Good release, but thin carrots would crack. For someone with a real food release preference, it might be perfect, but I always want my knives to be ever so slightly more biased toward a smooth cut. Interested to see a shot of panda’s choil, if that’s not too personal a request.


Ian go back earlier in this thread. Pandas Miz was purchased from Chuckles. He posted photos.

nvmind. I must be wrong. I know chuckles has a Miz photo bomb somewhere. Sorry about that.


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## labor of love (Nov 23, 2019)

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/mizuno-dx-line-non-suminagashi.41927/page-2#post-620326

@ian


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## ian (Nov 23, 2019)

Thanks! That does look thinner to me than the shot you posted. Here’s a choil of your former knife, post thinning. The convexity on the right side (er, left in the pic) is more subtle than it used to be, but the knife is thinner and imo cuts better.


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## labor of love (Nov 23, 2019)

Looks great! As you can tell I’d rather pandas version as it’s more lefty friendly. Left handed version of your would be ideal but certainly unlikely possibility


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## Chuckles (Nov 23, 2019)




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## panda (Nov 23, 2019)

captaincaed said:


> They all look 50/50 from the choil, but I realize that's only 25% of the story. I'm up for a righty bias honyaki (I HATE Mizuno reactivity). White? Blue? Someone send me a link, I'm impressionable right now. Want some good food release, like truly good.
> 
> Edit: or if you're selling one, all lengths may apply. Just no Mizuno iron cladding. Forget that noise.


miz honyaki is stupid good release


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## captaincaed (Nov 23, 2019)

panda said:


> miz honyaki is stupid good release


What's your experience with sharpening? I found Miz clad blue easy to sharpen. I've sharpened two honyaki by Ikeda (one white, one blue) and find them challenging to sharpen, possibly b/c they're a bit thick behind the edge. 

I know you're a white-steel kinda guy so I'm curious about your take on the Miz honyaki, especially vs. Miz clad.


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## panda (Nov 23, 2019)

the white2 honyaki was a JOY to sharpen, easy as hell. i havent put the san mai blue1 ks to stones yet as i have used this for only two days now, lol.

i love good food release, but still prefer the smooth ks grind over the release biased honyaki grind as it still has good release.


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## captaincaed (Nov 24, 2019)

...I'm so conflicted. This seems like a great decision, but I'm also planning a visit to JKI in 3 weeks. I have money for one thing...


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## labor of love (Nov 24, 2019)

Start stripping in the evenings.


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## Michi (Nov 24, 2019)

Chuckles said:


> Picture





Man… that is stupid thin behind the edge!


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## Chuckles (Nov 24, 2019)

I am a little skeptical of this choil shot. I mean I took it so it is accurate. In my hands this particular knife seemed thinner at the heel than the rest of the blade face. Almost like it was ground with that photo in mind. I didn’t use a calipers or anything it was just my hands. It swings like a knife with hips which may have fooled me into thinking it is thicker than it is.


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## ian (Nov 24, 2019)

I think choil shots are often very misleading. Of course, they don’t predict overall geometry, but as a further example, here’s are two choil shots of mine. (One of them was posted above.) Do they look the same? I’m not sure.

Edit: ok, maybe they do. Whatever, guys, leave me alone...


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## Barmoley (Nov 24, 2019)

Yep. Choil shots can be very misleading. On knives with a lot of taper even more so. In addition any angle when taking a picture can make the choil look left or right biased without it being so.


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## labor of love (Nov 24, 2019)

Barmoley said:


> Yep. Choil shots can be very misleading. On knives with a lot of taper even more so. In addition any angle when taking a picture can make the choil look left or right biased without it being so.


Which is why I think it’s important to notice the ferrule in a photo and make sure it’s centered. But even then there’s funky installs.


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## ian (Nov 24, 2019)

labor of love said:


> Which is why I think it’s important to notice the ferrule in a photo and make sure it’s centered. But even then there’s funky installs.



Totally. I think every handle I’ve ever seen has had a very slightly off kilter install, though! You can see it in the second picture above: the line from the middle of the spine to the edge isn’t quite perpendicular to the facet of the ferrule. Not anything that you’d ever notice in use, but it screws up choil shots.


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## panda (Nov 24, 2019)

i dunno, most grinds are not sophisticated enough to be much different from what the choil shows... the choil tells a lot, but in rare instance there is more to it than that like in this miz ks.


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## bahamaroot (Nov 24, 2019)

Choil shots don't tell the whole story but they say a lot. If not then nearly everyone would not always be asking for them.


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## panda (Dec 8, 2019)

i finally took it to the stones and glad to report it feels great! right afterwords, i sharpened my hiromoto white2 honyaki which felt like sh*t in comparison. the blue1 is silky smooth.


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## panda (Jun 6, 2020)

Here is some food release action. still totally in love with this knife.


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## Nemo (Jun 7, 2020)

panda said:


> i finally took it to the stones and glad to report it feels great! right afterwords, i sharpened my hiromoto white2 honyaki which felt like sh*t in comparison. the blue1 is silky smooth.


Wow, it must be great. I enjoyed the feeling on the Hiromoto honyaki on stones.


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## captaincaed (Jun 7, 2020)

Does rust aid in food release ( seriously)?


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## panda (Jun 7, 2020)

captaincaed said:


> Does rust aid in food release ( seriously)?


Makes.food taste better too. #brownpatinamatters


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## captaincaed (Jun 7, 2020)

Haha!


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## M1k3 (Jun 7, 2020)

captaincaed said:


> Does rust aid in food release ( seriously)?


Extra iron oxide in your diet.


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## ian (Jun 7, 2020)

I like rust-ic knives.


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