Yoshihiro VG10 16 Layer Hammered Damascus Gyuto Japanese Chefs Knife (8.25'' (210mm))

This knife is indisputably beautiful and I have to admit, although we rarely entertain, the aesthetic was tempting relative to a Misono or Kikuichi gyuto knife, which are also highly regarded and functional. Out of the box it is spectacularly sharp. I have done prep work with it about half a dozen times on bamboo and hard plastic cutting boards and it is incredible, laser sharp. I was incredibly excited with how well it cut when I used it once or twice, relative to our Chicago Cutlery set (which is STILL very solid and excellent for the quality, but requires sharpening after each use and is prone to rust spots), but chose not to impart that excitement to my wife. She used it once and thought it was amazing. The Chicago Cutlery knives compared to a cheap no-name set for $20 from Walmart, these are twice as good again. Spectacular. I can't speak to longevity yet but after about half a dozen uses including meat, fish, all sorts of fruits and vegetables, it's still laser sharp. As an amateur cook who sort of knows his way around the kitchen, enjoys good food, good ingredients, almost every cuisine, and cooks good food that make most folks at work say "you're in the wrong profession!" a couple of times a week, these knives are a revelation. I admit there may be better. High-carbon "blue steel" - I'll try those in a couple of years. But compared to any Henckels, Chicago Cutlery, what have you - you can't compare them. These knives are truly spectacular. Beautiful obviously, but incredibly hard, sharp steel. have a whetstone ready but you wont' need it nearly as often as you will with any mediocre set. Other knives may be good; these are excellent, absolutely. You CAN NOT be disappointed with this. So, take that for what it is. Happy cooking! To compare on another more or less scientific basis, after a decent sharpening on a whetstone, this one could shave almost smooth. Nearly properly razor sharp. The Chroma knife we bought could hardly hack a hair off. Different hardness, different sharpness - that proves itself. With shaving cream, I could shave with the Yoshihiro. This is like cutting with a razor, but much, much harder. Proof in the pudding.

This knife has been great to work with. I am not a professional chef, but I do a lot of cooking at home. I prep all of my meals and cook pretty much everyday--so this knife gets a good amount of use. I have prepared everything with this knife from sushi, to meats, to vegetables. It handles everything. I do not have to worry about the knife rusting during a 4-5 hour prep session. I simply dry it off really well before putting it away and I have never had a problem. I have also not had a problem with food building up on the handle like some other reviewers have reported. My knife had a quite flush finish where the handle meets the tang. The knife came to me quite sharp. I was able to wash the knife and use it right away with great results. I have a LINK KING STONE that I will be using to sharpen it soon. I'm sure I will get good results. If I get anything but good results I will update this part of the review. One thing that kind of surprised me though is that my knife was single bevelled on the right(luckily for a righty like me). I had read a question on here asking about the knife being double bevelled. So I have to wonder if this knife is designed to be double bevelled or single bevelled? Either way, sharpening will be easier and I have seen other sushi knives that are single bevelled. It is possible that this is a purposeful design. The handle is great and is real mahogany. As a woodworker, I love to see mahogany finished the way it has been on this knife. The knife is full tang exactly as shown and has a very solid feel when handled. This knife does not come with a saya(scabbard) so I definitely recommend picking one up. It will help protect the knife for decades to come. I personally got the 8.25inch version of this knife and so I picked up a Yoshihiro Lacquered Magnolia Wooden Blade Protector Saya Cover for Gyuto Chef Knife (210mm) to properly cover it while it is being stored. Dimensions of the knife can be seen in the photos I have attached. The box the knife comes in is very nice and decorative. This would make a great gift box. Pros: *Excellent metal composition *Takes a great edge *Great feel in the handle *Very solid construction Cons: *None Additional Considerations: You can spend many hundreds of dollars on a great Gyuto. This knife definitely hangs with the pros for a superior price. It is still a bit steep compared to the average knife sets you see in North American kitchens, but I wouldn't look anywhere else unless you have a very specific requirement of the knife (like being able to cut bone or something like that). This knife will do most everything you need--even if you are a professional chef. Overall: 5/5 stars (>=.5 rounds up, <.5 rounds down) => 5 stars If you have any further questions regarding the product in my review please leave a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

This knife is as beautiful as it is deadly to meat, vegetables, and whatever else you choose to dismember in your kitchen! It inspired the following haiku: Small samurai sword Thousands of julienne fries Chopping broccoli The Yoshihiro 9.5" Gyuto is the perfect multi-purpose chefs knife. It holds a razor sharp edge like the best Japanese knives, but the temper and weight of the steel lend it the strength to perform all around kitchen duty, and still maintain that edge, more typically associated the Germans. Beyond practicality, this knife looks damn sexy in your hand... almost too pretty to use! I wasn't entirely sold on the hammered damascus at first, but it has grown on me. One thing I hate is when the manufacturer feels obligated to write all over a blade, it's tacky. This knife is elegantly understated, with just a few Japanese characters etched unobtrusively onto the blade. I have no idea what they say, possibly "poultry slayer" or "death by 1000 cuts". Whatever... it looks cool. The rosewood handle is another well crafted touch. It fits comfortably in the hand for a variety of cutting techniques, and the wood has already started to acquire its own distinctive patina that will make my knife unique from everyone else's. After extensive shopping around, I chose the Yohihiro 9.5 because it was the best knife for the money out there. The only problem I have with this knife is that I now find myself having to think of creative dishes to prepare after having compulsively sliced and diced everything in my fridge!

I've owned Wüsthof Dreizack and Sabatier knives. This beats them both hands down. Laser sharp edge. Gorgeous knife. It goes through tomatoes with extreme ease. DO NOT BUY THIS KNIFE IF YOU ARE AN AMATEUR in the kitchen. This is a serious Chef's knife, and just touching the blade to your skin will cut you. It has not yet gone through extremely heavy use, but for what it has done it holds an edge quite well. A few draws across my sharpening steel, and she's good to go again. If I need to dice alot of veggies, this comes out. The balance in my hand is perfect. It's not a heavy knife, and it doesn't need to be. Love this knife.

Got the knife 3 or 4 days after ordering it. It really is beautiful and very sharp. Super happy

Beautiful and functional knife. Extremely sharp out of the box! Care is required to prevent corrosion on the blade. Fit and finish are excellent, very comfortable to use.

Great looking blade and very sharp. Feels well balanced in the hand