# Konosuke Fujiyama Kiritsuke Gyuto ...ramblings and pics.



## macmiddlebrooks (May 8, 2012)

Ok, so here's my new 240mm Kono Kiri gyuto and my initial impressions using it in a pro. kitchen as my main tool. As I already have had the reg. version as my house knife for a couple months, I knew pretty much what to expect from Konosuke in regards to fit/finish/etc...ie.fairly close to flawless. A couple hours into my first shift with the knife, I looked down to notice that I'd somehow managed to break off the very tip of the tip doing something..:shocked3:, but no worries I tell myself, my first trip to the stones should erase this unseen fail on my part (it did)."So what's up with the tip", my co-workers ask...
Here's what this profile is good for:
-brunoise
-julienne
-chiffonade basil
-moving through pots and similar foodstuffs that I typically use my suji for.
-dicing onions...here is where it really shines..just easy and very precise!
-portioning cooked meats like pork tenderloin..again a job I'd typically use my suji for but didn't need to break it out.

I'm guessing that the idea behind the design is a cross between a flatter profiled blade like a nakiri and a gyuto. So, I reckon it's no wonder it really shines with veg prep...kinda like a long nakiri with a wicked fine point. As a side note I did dremel and then sand/polish the choil (which was beveled inward, but not rounded all the way) as well as lightly sand down the handle for a smoother feel. All said, I'm very happy with the knife so far and it really fits my needs in this particular kitchen. Thanks for looking .


----------



## bieniek (May 8, 2012)

Very good photos. 

Nice and juicy knife. 

Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Crothcipt (May 8, 2012)

I think I am becoming a fan of this style. It seems to make sense for almost all things. I am just not sold on it yet. 

Great write up. Nice patina.


----------



## labor of love (May 8, 2012)

nice review! nice knife too. I would like to try a kiritsuke sometime, looks like alot fun.


----------



## dmccurtis (May 8, 2012)

It looks narrower than its gyuto counterpart. What's the difference in height between the two?


----------



## labor of love (May 8, 2012)

dmccurtis said:


> It looks narrower than its gyuto counterpart. What's the difference in height between the two?



yes. after taking a second look at the pics I noticed it also. that spine isnt a thick as I figured it would be. which isnt a bad thing at all.


----------



## tgraypots (May 8, 2012)

I do like the look of a well used knife. Character.


----------



## macmiddlebrooks (May 9, 2012)

The kiri is about 4.5mm shorter at the heel compared to the gyuto version. I also just noticed the kanji is slightly different on the bit that's not the standard Konosuke....perhaps another person worked on this? I'm not sure how that process works.


----------



## phan1 (May 9, 2012)

Nice. Did a great job fixing your tip too!


----------



## labor of love (May 9, 2012)

Whats the difference in performance between the white 1 and 2 fujiyamas?


----------



## macmiddlebrooks (May 9, 2012)

labor of love said:


> Whats the difference in performance between the white 1 and 2 fujiyamas?



I haven't been able to determine any noticeable difference between the two..they both take a super sharp edge easily (feels very smooth on the stones) and hold it almost as long as the HD I used to have. I only had to sharpen my HD about once every two weeks (poly boards/ much prep) and I'd say I'll have to sharpen the carbons every 10 days or so. Not a huge difference and that's taking into account my desire to have the edge perform close to 100%...if I was not as so picky, I could prob. double the time between sharpening on the stones (taking into account regular honing).


----------



## phan1 (May 9, 2012)

From my experience white #1 is an incredible "pure" steel. It feels really nice and smooth when sharpening on the stones and has the ability to get screaming sharp provided you have the fine stones to bring that edge out. It also leaves little to no wire edge. It's the only knife that I can't really microbevel because 1) the edge is already really clean coming off the stones and 2) I just end up rounding out the edge of my knife because my edge is so clean. White #1 is really really nice. But to be honest in a practical working environment, the difference between the two is not noticeable. Only knife nuts and knife sharpening nuts can really tell the difference, as both steels get screaming sharp and will rust if not taken care of.


----------



## john2680508 (May 3, 2013)

Sorry to point out, but the knives are nasty. They are dirty - they need to be scrubbed.


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (May 3, 2013)

john2680508 said:


> Sorry to point out, but the knives are nasty. They are dirty - they need to be scrubbed.



Ah, just what we need around here - someone with a sense of humor. :rofl2:


----------



## eaglerock (May 3, 2013)

:lol2:


----------



## ruscal (May 3, 2013)

i'm starting to like patina... how very odd...

lovely knives. what happened to your HD btw? did you get rid of it?


----------



## chinacats (May 4, 2013)

I too like patina, but the knives posted look to me to be getting too close to rust...all I use are carbon knives but that rust color makes me think of rust. I believe it would make me scrub my knives down and start over as well. I like the blues and purples--even a nice dark gray can look sexy as hell, but orange freaks me out. Curious how others feel--am I just paranoid or ?


----------



## Chefget (May 4, 2013)

I have the same knife, and it's screamin'... gets a great edge! I'd say in the top three that I own.

That being said, guess there's a fine line between oxidation and patina... :juggle:

Wish I knew more about patina and bacteria also....

-Michael


----------



## WiscoNole (May 4, 2013)

holy rust, Batman!


----------



## labor of love (May 4, 2013)

ive owned a number of carbon, usually clad carbon that seems to take orangish/brown patina. In my case it certainly wasnt rust, however it was definitely unappealing.


----------



## JBroida (May 4, 2013)

this is one thing that always weirds me out... i dont leave my carbon knives with patina, nor do any of the chefs i trained under in Japan... i understand some people like it here, but it will never appeal to me


----------



## Chefget (May 4, 2013)

lus1:

-Michael


----------



## cclin (May 4, 2013)

JBroida said:


> this is one thing that always weirds me out... i dont leave my carbon knives with patina, nor do any of the chefs i trained under in Japan... i understand some people like it here, but it will never appeal to me



lus1:I can't agree more!!


----------



## chinacats (May 4, 2013)

I understand those who prefer no patina. For those who do, I think it is important to make sure you are achieving that and not seeing rust. It may be the lighting of the original pics but I don't think that is patina, I think it is the beginning (or worse) of a rusty blade.

Just my 2 cents, but seeing that on my blades would make me immediately take down the surface and refinish.


----------



## john2680508 (May 5, 2013)

shinny luster is so much better than yellowish green ore residue.


----------



## rdm_magic (May 5, 2013)

JBroida said:


> this is one thing that always weirds me out... i dont leave my carbon knives with patina, nor do any of the chefs i trained under in Japan... i understand some people like it here, but it will never appeal to me



I agree to a point, but do you dislike all patinas or just some? I can't help but appreciate some of the ones in the patina thread..


----------



## JBroida (May 5, 2013)

while some look cool... it will never be something on my knives


----------



## WiscoNole (May 5, 2013)

I personally don't understand _not_ wanting patina. it gives the knife character and the contrast between a well-patina'ed blade face and a mirror polished edge is extremely aesthetic.

That said, the patina in the pics above has gone too far. I take any orange off immediately with a green scrubby.


----------



## turbochef422 (May 6, 2013)

I like my misono bc its dark grey but has a polished edge. Doesn't look any better than right after its sharpened.


----------



## daddy yo yo (May 6, 2013)

same for me, i enjoy looking at some of the patina pics in the patina thread, but i don't think that i will let this happen to my knives... :scared4:


----------



## Salty dog (May 6, 2013)

Most of my working knives look just like that. 

Eventually they get shined back up.


----------



## Justin0505 (May 6, 2013)

I like patina.. If it gets to orange red or brown, its gone too far imo. I will also periodically clean it back to mirror polish just so that i can watch the process start over again. 

However, that said if i was using my knives in a pro setting where customers would see them, Id definitely keep them shinny. Most ignorant people see patina and think "dirty" and most people are ignorant. 

Ironically a good stable patina is actually "cleaner" in that the steel will leave less oxide in the food...


----------



## labor of love (May 6, 2013)

Patina is patina. Some like it, so dont. Ive seen plenty of orange and brown patina, and it is just that....patina. Ive owned carbon in the past that would only produce brownish and orange patina, which was unattractive but still not even close to rust. I see no right or wrong answere here, seeing as patina doesnt effect performance and I really dont worry about it until i have the free time to clean it off.


----------



## Sambal (May 6, 2013)

JBroida said:


> this is one thing that always weirds me out... i dont leave my carbon knives with patina, nor do any of the chefs i trained under in Japan... i understand some people like it here, but it will never appeal to me



As a newcomer to carbon knives this is an issue that has been ding-donging in my brain: Patina or clean and polished. I can imagine that if you work professionally in a kitchen it'd be such a chore to maintain clean and polished carbon blades. 

Jon, can you give a 101 on your maintenance routine? Or point me to some previous threads that have covered this? Thanks.


----------



## JBroida (May 7, 2013)

in addition to being on top of constantly wiping it down, i do something similar to what i used to do while working in japan... in japan, we would take a round slice of daikon and put some cleanser (non-bleach powdered cleanser) on one side... then we would rub the knife clean with that at the end of each day. You can also use rust erasers if you want, but just make sure to follow the steel grain.


----------



## G-rat (May 7, 2013)

JBroida said:


> in addition to being on top of constantly wiping it down, i do something similar to what i used to do while working in japan... in japan, we would take a round slice of daikon and put some cleanser (non-bleach powdered cleanser) on one side... then we would rub the knife clean with that at the end of each day. You can also use rust erasers if you want, but just make sure to follow the steel grain.



Does this keep the knife reactive to things like onions and cabbage or does it actually help keep the knife 'inert'?


----------



## stevenStefano (May 7, 2013)

I know I've probably mentioned it before, but does anyone else put baking soda on their carbon blades? I always remember boar_d_laze saying that's what he always did and it eventually neutralised the reactivity of the blade and gave it a really cool glow. Perhaps that is similar to Jon's method?


----------



## JBroida (May 7, 2013)

my knives are more reactive than those with patinas, but i also tend to work really clean, wiping down the knives consistently, so reactivity has not been a problem for me


----------



## Mike9 (May 9, 2013)

I have the Kono HD kiritsuke gyuto in 270 and it's an amazing knife.


----------



## stereo.pete (May 9, 2013)

turbochef422 said:


> I like my misono bc its dark grey but has a polished edge. Doesn't look any better than right after its sharpened.



What this guy said...I love the look of a crazy patina and then that super polished edge.


----------

