Konosuke MM 210mm Gyuto (Blue#2) - Khii Laurel

Konosuke MM 21 cm gyuto in aogami-2 - handle in laurel wood

"Baddest knife in town" - a cheeky description that completely covers the knife here. Konosuke from Sakai forges some of the absolute best knives on the market - and among Konosuke's knives, the MM model stands out from the field as the best cutting knife.

There are three different knives in the MM series from Konosuke; respectively a 210, 240 and a 270mm chef's knife - each of these is available with an ebony or laurel handle.

The blade is made of three layers of steel, the core of which is aogami-2 (blue-2), which is one of the classic Japanese carbon steels.You can read all about steel types in our article on steel here , but if you don't feel like it, you can briefly describe aogami-2 as a relatively hard alloy that rusts. On each side of the core there is one layer of mild steel which will also rust. You must therefore remember to rinse this knife as soon as you have cut something, and you can possibly lubricate the blade in acid-free cooking oil after finishing cooking to protect against rust.

Konosuke is primarily known for building light, thin knives such as the GS+ and HD2, and the MM differs quite strongly from these in being a relatively thick knife. It is something you might think should be done that the knife thus cuts worse than the other models, but this is by no means the case. The geometry of the blade on the MM is sharpened so that the knife, despite its thickness, does not split what it cuts, and it gives a fantastic feeling of quality that the knife has just a little more weight than usual.

As expected from Konosuke, the finish is absolutely top class. The back of the blade is rounded and polished - which it is also on the right side of the blade at the heel. It is therefore very comfortable to hold if you are the type that has your fingers all the way out on the blade when handling the knife. We rarely see these small details and in any case only on the most luxurious knives.

Foodgear always advises against cutting all kinds of bones and frozen goods. Knives must not be washed in a dishwasher, as this removes sharpness and provokes rust - even in stainless alloys!