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I have a bag of jealous devil, haven’t used any yet, and have never tried the kJ brand. I have used the other three, and I’m in agreement with his assessment. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Are you free hand sharpening? If so, it could be nothing more than the way you happen to hold the cleaver compared to others. I don’t believe it’s the stones necessarily, I use shapton glass on all my Japanese knives with excellent results. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yeah, I did the same. I didn’t realize VG 10 was so hard..I guess that’s why knife makers use it! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I checked out the website, and it claimed a hardness of 58-60 HRC. This will be much harder than your stainless blades. If you use a sharpening angle of 12°-15°, you’ll have a very nice cutting tool that will hold an edge for quite some time. I highly recommend you use only quality edge grain, or synthetic cutting boards, and stay away from bones. It likely seemed easier to sharpen because the harder steel burrs, instead of rolling back and forth, making it harder to actually create an edge. Get a jewelers type magnifying glass and you can see what’s happening while you’re sharpening, or check out you tube..just make sure you’re watching someone using stones. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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I’m not crazy about the table clamp set up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What I did was use a Dixie type paper plate, the type with the waxy side. Top hat shaft through the middle of the plate, wax side towards the gasket, use the top hat for pressure..hold the plate to prevent spinning. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

How bad is your current gasket? I didn’t replace mine until it literally came off. If you choose to change your gasket, there are a number of threads on the subject, but if you can’t find one, I’ll be happy to explain how I did mine. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Asahi are great boards, but I personally use hi soft..no particular reason… Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I’m “in” to hi end knives you might say..and the short story is that the preferred boards tend to be end grain, hinoki, and hi soft, which is a synthetic. There are many reasons to go with various types of boards, but with sharp, often expensive knives, what’s best for the blade is typically the priority. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I haven’t used one, but from what I understand chamber sealers are the deal. I think they’re starting in the $1200 range. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One tiny detail, Dennis sells covers made specifically for kks, so don’t let the uncovered area stop you!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The point of the pot is to get “clean” smoke. When you put your chunks directly into the fire, there’s the period of time that you get “dirty” smoke. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

First and foremost, as to all your questions about are kks that good..yes they are, and then some. There’s not much of a used market, buyers simply don’t get rid of them. Secondly, the warranty doesn’t transfer, but it’s actually fairly rare that that’s an issue. The other issue is that when used ones do appear, the value holds up really well, so it’s unlikely you’ll find a “deal” on a used one. Kks don’t lose tiles, if you’ve seen pics of large patches missing, it’s either a damaged grill, a grill that got moisture under the grout and freezing occurred, typically from not being covered, and most commonly, it’s not even a kk, but likely a Richard Johnson Kamado, which is a story in itself. I highly recommend biting the bullet and ordering a new one from Dennis, because all new grills come with him, almost literally. He’ll help you with a used one, but it’s not the same. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

No worries, it’s a cosmetic coating used to cover the inner material that’s not very attractive..it’ll soon be black as you continue to cook. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You want the smoke to pass through the fire, it somewhat cleans it. Keep in mind that you’re getting clean smoke now, and not the acrid stuff you might be used to. Dennis put it best..if the smoke burns your eyes, you don’t want to cook with it. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I use two layers of heavy duty foil, as many chunks as you care to have, three small holes toward the fire. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

This!! [emoji115] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Uhh, no! I’m a tile guy…bronze tiles actually. It really makes no difference, it’s just a friendly running joke around here. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tiles.. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Additionally, the design of the firebox is such that ALL of the air passes over the coals, which is not the case in other kamados. So even if the kk wasn’t truly insulated, it simply needs less air volume to maintain a given temperature because all the air entering the grill is fueling the fire. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Actually KK’s have no ceramic in them, and it’s the only truly insulated kamado grill available. The insulation prevents heat loss, so less fuel is required to maintain a given temperature..less fuel, less airflow. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m sorry, I didn’t read your post thoroughly. You’re right, the temp shouldn’t climb an additional 10° every time you open it. For 225°, your top vent should barely off the seat. Is it moving slightly when you open? When you light your fire, do you allow the temp to come up slowly? It’s possible the fire is somewhat choked as opposed to having the right lit coal/airflow combination. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Don’t worry about a 10° swing.. it’s insignificant. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I typically don’t wrap my briskets, but I believe this would be an exception. Secondly, I believe this is a textbook candidate for dry brining..basically salt it as much as you would under normal circumstances, let it sit uncovered overnight, then season as you care to minus the salt, and cook normally. Sous vide would be another option if you have that capability. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk