Sekizo Yanagiba Sashimi Knife 210mm

I think this knife is a good value if you want this specific kind of specialized knife. You might want to know that I'm a bit of a sharpening geek, and I spent some time getting the edge just how I wanted, but now that I have it slices like nothing else in my knife drawer (of about 20 knives). I'm not sure I would be this satisfied if I hadn't known how to resharpen the edge to my satisfaction. Others have noted it doesn't hold up to multiple re-sharpenings which I'm sure means they haven't known how to restore the edge properly. The steel is just fine. It's not super high-grade knife steel perhaps, but it takes a keen edge just fine and holds up when ground at the right angle. I'm sure it's not for everybody. I'm not sure how long the factory edge would hold up without some loving care. And it's a very specialized knife, really optimized for slicing fish into sashimi-sized slices. But I wanted to try out this style of knife and the next price point for a knife of this style was about $100, more than I wanted to pay to experiment. For those who might care about the sharpening details, I started by flattening and then polishing the back to 2000-grit (actually just the edges of the back get flattened and polished since the back is hollow-ground). This is a must-do step to get a really keen edge since the edge is only ground on one side (like a plane iron). Then I trued up the primary grind on the other side to 15 degrees (seemed like it was about 17 to start), then put a secondary edge at about 20 degrees when the 15 degree edge wouldn't hold up very well. With the secondary edge polished to 2000-grit, the edge cuts (slices, not chops) extremely well, better than any knife I've ever used, and seems to be holding up well with a gentle (ceramic) steeling before each use. I feel like I have a good feel for this style of knife now and might invest in a higher-end model later if the spirit moves :) Do note that this knife is shorter than described and as it appears in the picture. The blade length is 200mm, not 300mm, and the overall length of the knife, including handle, is 320mm. Knife length is properly described by the length of the cutting blade, not including the handle.

Hard to beat for the price. It is single beveled as is traditional to this style of knife, something to be aware of so you can look into how to sharpen it properly. Beyond that, it is a cheap version of the traditional knife. The back side of the blade does not have a concave grind to it or the traditional edge profile. Due to the unfinished handle and as I am not sure of its tendency to rust yet, I would never put this blade in a dishwasher. For someone who just wants a basic knife for cutting sushi and sashimi with, you do get a good blade for the price. It is light and comfortable in the hand. My sushi making skills do not warrant a $400 knife, so this will do me well for quite some time I am sure.

I saw this knife at several local Asian stores for over $20, but it was the cheapest here so I got it after seeing all the good reviews. I'm very pleased that I got it. This is easily the sharpest kitchen knife that I've ever owned. It makes slicing through onions, cucumber, etc. very easy. It's even better than using a serrated knife to cut through fresh European-styled loafs of bread that are too soft for mechanical slicers, the slices are so thin that I can see through them. My only concern is losing the knife's sharp edge. I've been careful to avoid dulling the blade by cutting through plastic and such. I also dread the day that I'll have to resharpen it, but I have a friend that has offered to help me when that day arrives. I've had it for about about a week of daily use and the blade is holding up just fine so I think I should be okay. Would definitely recommend it, even for just the experience of slicing with such fine an instrument.

Pour le prix il n’y a rien de mieux!!

First off, this knife is priced anywhere from $16-24 at the local asian stores, so I feel like I got a good deal at $11. I really only bought the knife to increase my order total and get free shipping. Knife came in on time, and was super sharp straight out of the box. It looks just like the pictures, which alleviated my concerns after reading other reviews. Fitting of the blade to the handle is good. The handle itself is rough and needs some light sanding and clear coat to really feel nice, but I haven't done that yet. I use this knife almost exclusively for meats at work; breaking down pork shoulders, stripping skin from meat, cutting fish, beef, chicken, etc. It works great. I haven't done any sharpening or honing, and the knife is holding it's edge well. It cuts through pig skin like a pencil drawing on paper. The lightweight feel of it makes it super precise for cutting around bones. For $11, I'll see how long it keeps that nice edge, and when it's gone, I'll just buy a new one. When that happens, I'll probably put a new finish on the blade, sand and polish the handle, sharpen it up again, and sell it for more than I paid.