Samurai Series - 10.5" Yanagiba Knife Japanese Sushi Sashimi Knives - Superior Japanese Steel - Wenge Wood Handle - with Case

Alright, gather 'round, ye culinary warriors and kitchen ninjas; I've got the scoop on a blade that'll make you feel like you've just won the lottery, but without the ensuing family drama over who gets the money. I'm talking about the KYOKU Samurai Series - 10.5" Yanagiba Knife. This isn't just a knife; it's like if a lightsaber and a samurai sword had a baby, and that baby decided to become a sushi chef. First off, let's talk about the blade. Made from superior Japanese steel, this thing is sharp enough to cut through the tension at a family reunion. It's cryogenically treated, which, in layman's terms, means it's been through some sort of space-age cold therapy to make it harder, more flexible, and resistant to rust and corrosion. In other words, it's like Superman if Superman were a knife. Now, the Wenge wood handle. It's not just a handle; it's an experience. Holding this knife feels like you've been chosen by a wise old tree to wield its power. The design is ergonomic enough that you won't feel like you're in a hand-wrestling match with a bear after slicing through your 100th piece of sashimi. Plus, it looks so good, you might just display it next to your samurai posters rather than in your kitchen. The length, at 10.5 inches, is perfect for those of us who fancy ourselves as the sushi chefs of our own little galaxy. It's long enough to give you that professional "look at me, I'm making sushi" vibe but not so long that you'll accidentally slice through your countertop because you got too into the moment. But what really has me doing a happy dance is the price. This knife comes with a case, mind you, because this isn't just any knife; it's a knife with its own hotel room. And for the price, you're getting what feels like a high-end, top-shelf, "should I really be allowed to own this" piece of culinary art. It's like finding out your favorite expensive restaurant has a secret affordable menu that's just as good. Performance-wise, this knife slices through fish like it's butter, or if butter were sentient and decided to be fish. The single bevel edge ensures that your sashimi slices are so thin, they could be used as bookmarks in a book about the art of sushi. In conclusion, if you're looking for a knife that'll make your sushi prep feel like a ninja ritual, the KYOKU Samurai Series Yanagiba Knife is your new best friend. It's quality, it's affordable, and it looks like it should be part of a museum exhibit titled "Knives That Could Potentially Cut Through History." Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility, or at least, the responsibility to not accidentally use it as a letter opener.

Ok, hear me out. I’m usually a knife snob. However, one of my favorites that I would use for skinning and fine slicing had a mishap involving a drunk relative (unfortunately, the relative was fine. Sadly, my knife was not). While my knife was out to see if it was repaired, I was gifted a side of salmon of sushi quality, but wanted a knife to do it justice while mine was out to (hopefully) be repaired. I did a bit of research, and this one was highly recommended, I was a bit skeptical, especially given the price, but decided to give it a try. I will say it was slightly heavier than I had anticipated, but I cleaned it and put it to work. I can not accurately explain how much I loved this knife. I skinned the side, separated the belly from the loin, did a basic cure, then sliced the belly portion into sashimi, used the loins for poké bowls and a couple salmon rolls I rolled crooked (only my second attempt to make sushi at home 😅). The salmon was amazing, but this knife was the real star. It sliced through the salmon with no resistance, clean lines, no issues slicing the awkward sushi rolls, and the weight was perfect once the knife was in use. I had thought I would have to sharpen it when I opened it, and I was presently surprised. If it hold an edge, I will have a new favorite brand.

I bought this knife for cutting fish. Mainly sashimi and it works great! It has a great weight to it and very well balanced. I did sharpen it on a whetstone and its razor sharp edge that stays. Cuts trough fish like butter. Very impressed for the money...and its beautiful!! I'd love to try one of your chef knives for cutting sushi rolls. I currently have a Guyto knife 210mm for sushi and am curious how y'alls chef knife would do as well during busy service .

I just got the knife today. I make knives, so my eye sees a lot of things that others may not appreciate. I will say that $40 is an AMAZING VALUE for a knife like this! Contrary to what I've read in past reviews, my knife came razor-sharp. I test it on paper and it make smooth cuts throughout the whole of the edge - NOT AT ALL BLUNT! The knife has excellent heft to it - something that I've been unable to find in the knives sold at the big Asian marts around Seattle. The spine is a hair over 1/8" thick! The balance is a bit front-heavy, which is appropriate for a knife like this. The forging quality of the blade is better than what I can make in my shop. It passes the file hardness test while retaining mild flexibility. I am rating it 4 stars out of 5 due to some visual imperfections in the handle. It is sad that a blade like this did not have just a bit more attention paid to handle assembly. There is a half millimeter gap between where the handle starts and the blade begins. Second, the wood part of the handle is just a hair undersized compared with the front turion and the pommel. Finally, there is a bit of uncleaned epoxy from where the wood meets the pommel. All of these issues are cosmetic. I am overall very happy with the knife and would have paid $100 for it at a store if I was able to hold and feel it. I am very happy with this purchase.

Solid Japanese sushi knife, very sharp and effective seamless cutting. Nice and heavy for smooth cutting.

This is a thick heavy knife that arrived not really sharp, which ends up being a good thing. When I received the knife, I used various grits of wet stones to thin out the concave backside, and then refine the cutting edge. After working carefully, with the various grit stones I ended up with a lighter, and wickedly sharp sushi knife. Of course there are sushi knives that come out of the box in perfect, ready to go condition, but you will pay a lot more money for them. If you are willing to spend a bit of time with this knife, you will end up with a sushi knife that rivals knives costing ten times more

Decent knife (10.5" Yanagiba) for the price. But I'm going to invest in something more towards my preference and donate this one. The knife looks good and feels pretty well made. Some Issues though: - It was fairly sharp out of the box, but there were visible scratches on the blade from sharpening. - The edge of the knife also had a pretty drastic twist or rotation. It was sharpened, but not evenly. The front portion of the knife edge leaned heavily on the bevel side while the base portion near the handle leaned heavily towards the flat side. You could easily feel it with your fingers, and it couldn't be honed out. It made cutting sashimi a mess. I had to grind it down and resharpen. - Balance is fine. It right about where the knife branding is on the blade. Or where you typically pinch the knife when you're doing that half handle half blade grip. Not sure why people make a big deal about balance unless it's seriously messed up. This seems like an issue that was solved in mass production a century ago. - Heavy. This knife weighs around 265 grams. That's about 50 grams heavier than most cheap Japanese and Chinese knives and it's fairly noticeable. As an extreme, It's twice the weight of some Japanese blades. It still cuts fine but feels like I'm driving a truck vs a compact car. I think this knife served its purpose. I wanted to get into sushi and sashimi without spending a lot and this knife taught me a lot. I now know that I prefer a thinner/lighter knife.

Very sharp knife, perfect for sushi nights at home. Gifted to brother and he has used a handful of times and shared it works well.

Very sharp and a good knife for sushi

An amazing knife..ultra sharp..I love it.

Really good quality than price. I love it.

This knife is quite beautiful and luxuriously presented in its own box, with velvet sleeve. However, I decided to return it without having tried it. I ordered a Japanese knife and received one made in China. In addition, Samurai is an <entry level> knife sold at $38US ($50 Can) on the Kyoku web site.

Needed a long blade to cut 20cm Brownies in one shot. Well made but not a collector thing.