Yup. Not every chef is a knife nerd per se. And not every knife nerd is a chef. I know many chefs that are not into knives, like I am, that's for sure.

You don’t need a great knife to make great food, but man it sure does help. Also, I think different cuisines focus on different skills… the Japanese and some Chinese foods really emphasize on knife skills. Maybe @chefknivesenthusiast can weigh in

I like to think I was a good cook before I had my first Japanese knife. Fast forward 15 years, my collection of almost 50 knives does make my chef's life easy, efficient, and joyful. I might not need all these knives, but they sure make a difference to me. You have tools, and you have usable pieces of art. Any functioning car will bring you from A to B. Not everyone drives a Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Tesla, Corvette, etc. But nobody would take the Lambo for a race in the desert or off-road . The same goes for kitchen knives. Japanese traditional knives are specifically made for certain tasks in the kitchen. Knife skills and techniques that are rarely used in Wester cuisine. A traditional trained Chinese chef can do everything with a huge Chinese cleaver that any Western Chef does with a Gyuto. It's not the knife but the level of skill and technique of the user that counts the most. I had a mentor who'd Tourne stuff faster and more precisely than me with a 270mm Gyuto while I was using a, one might think more appropriate for the task, Pairing knife. That being said. I'm a helpless knife enthusiast. Let me enjoy my knives like they are my super cars.

I've done my homework on this knife. I've read and watched all previous existing reviews on it, plus my own experiences with the knife, to compile this one.

Yes, I agree with all of the above! It's such a classic beast. The Japanese were like: let's take your best Western Chef knife and take it just a little bit further. 'Japanize' it a bit for you. How you like them onions? We like!

My man...as usual you're supporting my efforts like only you can. Much appreciated man! And because of you I WILL be making more videos of my knives until I covered my whole collection.

Wow! Thank you for binging my vids and subscribing 🙏🏽 I'm planning to make videos on all of the knives in my collection, whenever I get the chance.. Still have about 20 vids to make, but I have 4 new knives on the way...so, I'll have to make new videos faster than I buy new knives, otherwise it'll never stop 😉

I didn't even know about that custom thumbnail function. Going to look into that. 🙏🏾🤗

It sure is a great knife to work with. Thanks for watching and liking my videos, much appreciated! 🙏🏾

You can't go wrong with a Masamoto KS. Enjoy!

I've had my 240mm misono carbon for like 3 years now. Working full time in a kitchen, sometimes 2 full time jobs. I've never had to sharpen it. I just hone it before and after use.

It does leave a sharp, toothy edge and pretty fine finish with no stray scratches. Perfectly fine working edges on my go-to knives in the rotation.

I'm definitely wanting to add an Ashi Hamono monosteel blade to the collection.

cut like a dream@@chefknivesenthusiast

Thanks for watching, much appreciated!

That Misono definitely could be considered a KS clone if I may believe the owners. And if you don't mind a bolster and full tang, the original Sabatier is an even cheaper option I think.

Congratulations man! The 240mm is more like a 250mm, I don't know if the 270mm will be 280mm but don't be surprised if it is. I do like the blonde ferrule better than the black or marble, did you order at JCK? I think that's the only vendor that let's you choose between the 3 optional ferrule's. Anyway, enjoy the knife. It is fantastic!

@@chefknivesenthusiast It arrived. It is 280 mm. I am surprised the profile is just slightly different. I am sort of concerned as to whether I got a real Masamoto KS or a fake. I bought it on ebay from Japan. It has all the markings... came with a Saya, but no pin... New. Black ferrule... with some character. Paid $380 and then $20 shipping so $400 total. It is very very nice.

@@shawnhampton8503 its just the new profile of the blade, i got one from a reputable shop and mine isnt as pointy as all the videos i watched showed them to be, its less round than a typical gyutoh at the tip, but it seems less aggressive than the older ones used to be

Me too. I mean, this re-iteration is already a phenomenal knife. Makes me wonder how amazing the original KS would be. Thanks for watching, your support and the kind words buddy! Much appreciated 🙏🏽

Thanks for watching, will keep making these whenever I get the chance.

The original KS blades were hand forged by Ashi and have hand engraved Kanji on them. The newer iteration of the KS are roll forged and stamped knives with the Kanji embossed on them. Other than that, they are pretty much exactly the same (profile/geometry). The 300mm is a large blade for a home cook I can imagine. But here in Amsterdam, water melon season has started. 😁

@chefknivesenthusiast thank you much!

That's awesome, thank you for watching and hope you'll like watching my earlier and upcoming vids too!

🙏🏾Nice to hear that bro! And yeah, no need for a Masamoto. KS if you already have the Ashi 🤷🏾‍♂️ Arguably the best 'KS clone' out there! 🔪

You could fix that Shun's profile or use it as the perfect excuse to go Masamoto. So yeah. You are correct!

@@chefknivesenthusiast I have been meaning to get into whetstone sharpening for years now. I'll probably keep the shun for a rainy day when I finally have whetstones. Just while we're at it, what's the best website to purchase a KS internationally? I assume Hocho Knife?

Thank you for watching! I'll have a look at that knife whenever I get the opportunity. As I mentioned in the video, there are MANY knives by now that look like a KS. But looks and performance are two different things.

Yeah, that was epic.! I think he mentioned that he would keep one for himself and sell the rest to his subscribers for $1 in one of his other videos. I'm not sure if that ever really happened. The original KS is still pretty hard to get, but the new itteration is usually and readilly available at www.japanesechefknife.com But even though the KS is not that limited anymore and is now a stamped monosteel blade with embossed engravings, it is still more valuable than a Miyabi to me. Not that Miyabi are bad knives, I used to own 3 of them. But the KS is just a classic knife and still one of my most used Gyuto's in the collection.

@@chefknivesenthusiast never knew . You really are knive wizard. Keep up I will be looking forward to your videos. It was entertaining and soothing at the same time. Thank you for the link. Never thought we have Japanese exclusive store in mid east region. Only issue was that the country where I live does not allow any weapon like coming to the country via parcel but allows it checked in baggage. I worked in dubai before and I think I will ask a friend there to take it when they go for vacation.

You must be a Sushi Chef then, if that was your first knife. You still use it?

It has a flat grind, but because of its thinness, it is almost a full flat grind.

I'm not an expert sharpener by any stretch, but I think with this steel and hardness it is possible to even go 10, without being it too brittle (if used correctly). I sharpen free hand and for this knife usually somewhere between 15 and 10, with a 40/60 bevel. Since the blade geometry is more or less a laser, I only need a sharp microbevel on this edge and preferably with a little toothiness to it. And that's most important. What type of edge do YOU prefer to work with for the tasks at your hand? If you're thinking that you need a thinner edge on your knife, then there's only one way to find out.

Also have a few VG10 blades, pretty good stainless steel. Love my VG10 Yu Kurosaki Houou 240mm! Who was the bladesmith of your VG10 210MM Gyuto?

@@chefknivesenthusiast i am beginer at japanese knives, but Yu Kurosaki is one of the first that i want to buy :D Greetings from Poland :D

It was 1,5 years ago. In the past year, I have added 6 kick-ass Gyuto's to my rotation. My work environment changed as well. I don't have a restaurant anymore, but I mostly do private chef gigs. So I'm using my show ponies a lot more. That being said. I still use the KS occasionally, and I still love it. But it is not my most used Gyuto anymore.

Only if they sell them with magnetic Saya's (they do exist), but a Saya usually has a pin. They are easy to loose. That's why I do like the magnetic Saya's.

Depending on the size and steel, probably somewhere between €350 - €700. Prizes vary at different vendors too.

@@chefknivesenthusiast …took delivery of the KS 270mm…today! I’m over the moon, it’s like holding something special, light, precise, nimble while huge. This is artwork.

@@edwardrutledge2765 Excellent! Congratulations and enjoy using this amazing knife!

Tetsujin Metal Flow.

@@chefknivesenthusiast awh their all sold out of them figures :P

Kanji is not hand engraved

Me personally never heard of a maker doing that. I did see a Nigara shirogami#1/Aogami Super coreless prototype Yanagiba made by Nigara and a similar one done by Ryusen. But there must be a maker out there that makes monosteel blades from shirogami#1, I guess.

That is called a "Machi". Some knives have Machi and others don’t. For this reason, some people often mistake Machi as a design flaw or think the blade isn’t properly connected to the handle. However, Machi is not a design flaw at all, and it plays an important role. www.globalkitchenjapan.com/blogs/articles/unravel-the-mystery-of-machi-a-joint-of-blade-of-japanese-knives

@@chefknivesenthusiast Bedankt for the reply. Have to admit, I still do not like the looks of it, even though now I do understand the purpose of the machi. Keep up the good work!

Any of the 4 examples I give in the video, if you really want a similar shape/profile/geometry. Otherwise, go for any Gyuto by Anryu or Takamura. Great performing knives for around or under 200 euro.

I agree with you! They are too expensive. Still wanted to have one, and I'm using it quite a lot.

You do you!