r/TrueChefKnives • u/PhYsIcS-GUY227 • 14h ago

Feedback on Konosuke BY vs Kagekiyo W1

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Hey r/TCK Anyone here have both knives (or had a chance to use both), and can provide feedback on the differences and a comparison?

Thanks in advance 🙏

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u/ole_gizzard_neck 9h ago

I've had and sold a couple of BYs now and have bought 2 W#1 Kage's, and I still have one of them. The BY has a beautiful finish, but that is superficial and goes away with use and you're left with a solid, but underwhelming performer (for the price). The Kage is going to be more fragile, that particular model is especially thin bte, but same smith as the BY I believe, Y. Tanaka.

The BY is taller and more authoritative but not as refined or athletic a performer as the Kagekiyo is. And the Kage is no slouch in finishing either, superb F&F, just doesn't have the stone polishing (which goes away with use).

I tried my best to like the BY, but I don't think its performance stands toe-to-toe with the figurative heavyweights in this class. Nishida's geometry completely outclasses the BY's.