Yoshihiro NSW 46 Layers Hammered Damascus Usuba Vegetable Chef knife 6.3 IN (160mm) Shitan Rosewood Handle with Saya Cover

holds its edge longer than any german blade. true craftsmanship

The craftsmanship in this knife is truly amazing. The 46 layer, hand hammered Damascus is beautiful and the rosewood handle is solidly attached and the octagonal shape has great hand feel, providing a solid grip during cutting, while also being beautiful. The knife is incredibly light and razor sharp out of the box. It is well balanced and comes with a Saya sheath and holding pin.

Like with every Japanese, handcrafted product I have ever dealt with, every detail is executed with care and great attention to detail even down to the external packaging. The desire being to provide the best experience possible.

This is my first knife from Yoshihiro Cutlery but it will definitely not be my last. Can’t recommend this highly enough as a professional Chef level product that will be a permanent addition to your fine cutlery.

You will not be disappointed.

The knife arrived super sharp out of the box. The great thing about this nakiri is that the blade is straight and not rounded. This mach for a better chopping knife because more of the knife’s surface is in contact with the cutting board. It is exactly what I was looking for.

All in all, I highly recommend this knife. It’s perfectly functional, being sharp right out of the box, and it has a lot of aesthetic charm to it. In comparison to my Shun Premier knifes, this one is more “rustic.” The blade is less polished and refined looking (IMO) than those on the Shuns, but it has a rustic beauty that I happen to really like. The handles on the Shuns are treated, finished, and perfectly smooth right out of the box. The wooden handle on this one, in comparison, is completely untreated and wasn’t sanded very well out of the box. Outside of color variations in the bolster (which are clearly stated in the description to happen), my knife looks exactly like the images here – so the description is spot on.

I’ll start with the blade. The steel has a good sturdy feel to it, and the fit and finish are consistent along the whole length. The edge was sharp right out of the box – which should always be the case, but hasn’t been on every brand that I’ve bought. The layered steel on the bevel is very attractive and polished, and the hammered upper area is an excellent look.

The shape of the blade is what got my attention and inspired me to buy it, as I’d never used a knife like this before. My Shuns come to a very fine thin tip, and I find myself worried that I’m going to bend the tip (which certainly could be unreasonable, but I am nervous about it) when I’m cutting through something and the tip hits the cutting board with a lot of force. The lack of a sharp tip at the end makes it easier for me to cut with simply because I’m not worried about damaging the tip, and I can fly right through cutting veggies. Shun makes this same type of knife, and I might like it just as well.

Now for some notes on the handle. The wood is completely unfinished, as least as far as I could tell. That surprised me, so I was disappointed. It might be traditional, so I might have had the wrong expectations – but I wanted to note it in case you were also thinking that it would be treated in some way. Although the shape was spot on, the surface roughness was sub-par, IMO. Honestly, I would have gotten a “B” at best in eighth-grade shop class if I had left it like that. Due to the outer finish, I felt compelled to lightly sand it down. After sanding, which took very little time, it looked and felt much nicer. Being untreated, though, it just soaked up water when I washed it. I applied mineral oil three times, and it soaked it up quickly each time. The mineral oil improved things, but it still looked too unfinished to me so I ordered some 

Howard Butcher Block Conditioner

 because it contains waxes that coat the surface. After using it, the handle is starting to really look and feel nice to me. I wish that it had been treated with something before it arrived, considering the cost of this knife. Since that might be traditional, I didn’t deduct a star – but I did deduct a star because it required sanding.

I agree with Rubbertoe that the handle feels light compared to my other knives. That said, I find cutting vegetables with this knife to be very easy and…I’ve got to say…enjoyable. I’ve learned to grip it higher up on the handle, which puts it into balance for me.

I wanted to make sure that you knew about the handle being unfinished, but I do recommend this knife. The handle can be treated once you get it, and the overall feel and look of the knife is great.