Yoshihiro VG10 46 Layers Hammered Damascus Santoku Japanese Multipurpose Chef Knife (7"(180mm) Rosewood Handle)

First, let me preface this by saying I'm not a professional but I do cook at home for my family daily and like to find new recipes to try. And I think I'm fairly knowledgeable about chef's knives and the different steel they use. I've had a Yoshihiro 9.5in Hammered Damascus Gyuto for a many years. I love it but it is a little too long for daily use. I also have several other more expensive knives from Miyabi and Shun. I have to say the Yoshihiro comes 2nd to my Miyabi knives but the Miyabi's are 2 to 3 times the cost. The Shun is meh for how much it cost. I'm also not a fan of my Shun knife because of the higher curved belly which I do not prefer.So anyways.. I bought their Usuba (aka. Nakiri) and used it for a week before returning it and buying this Santoku. It wasn't that there was a defect with the Usuba but that it just didn't fit my preference. I actually like the straight cutting edge of the Usuba for veggies and other soft foods. The handle comes straight out of the blade with no angle so it sits a bit lower than traditional knives like the Gyuto and Santoku. It's because of that, that it felt awkward using it. I prefer the slight angle of the handles in the Santoku and Gyuto. Funny enough, the angle also affected how I slide the blade under the cut food and transfer them. I just kept catching the blade of the Usuba on the cutting board. No issues with the Santoku and Gyuto or my other knives.Now, with all that out of the way.. the Santoku is a dream to use as is its larger brother, the 9.5in Gyuto. The fit and finish is excellent. The hammered damascus works great with the "sticky veggies". All of their knives came very sharp and packaged nicely if you intend it to be a gift for someone. The included Saya is pretty nice as well. It all looks very high end.It's SHARP! First thing I used it on was to cut up some pineapples and the Santoku had no hesitation in slicing through the tough skin/bark. The VG10 steel they use has been great on my Gyuto for the years I've had it. I've only had to sharpen my Gyuto twice (about 2-3yrs between sharpenings). Most other times, I just use a ceramic honing rod. But then I do use my Miyabi more often than any other knife in my kitchen and that's an SG2 steel and it retains its sharpness for just as long while being used much more often. I'm sure this Santoku will be used just as often as my Miyabi knives but I'm guessing it'll require sharpening a little bit more frequently.. time will tell.For chef's knives at a price range between $150 to $250, I really don't think you can do better than a Yoshihiro. I've also tried a few of the sub $100 knives and they don't even come close to the fit and finish. And I'm not even talking about the longevity. The last chef knife I had before going to the higher end brands was a chinese "damascus pattern" chef knife. Most of the cheaper knives aren't real damascus but laser etched. My cheapo chipped every time I looked at it and ended up getting a hairline crack on one side after about a year.. I threw it away before it broke off and cut up a finger or something. The other knives I tried under $100 just had poor finishing where the handles shrunk and you could feel the metal edges catch your skin.. not very comfortable. Some were just too heavy for a knife IMO.I'm sure I'll be enjoying this Santoku for years to come. If it changes. I'll be sure to update it here.

First, this is a beautiful knife. Yoshihiro Cutlery delivers quite fast and in a very well packed box. The knife is razor sharp. I am writing this review 5 months after my purchase. During my use of the nice, I have encountered zero problems and I am amazed at its quality. At first glance, it is a delicate looking knife. Do not let that fool you. It is a tough slicer, sturdy feel. Mind you, this is not a knife made to challenge bone in breaking down a chicken or an ahi. A deba knife is well suited for those duties. This is the knife for slicing chicken breasts, cutting beef into strips, and doing a julienne cut on vegetables. Over the months, it has held its edge perfectly. I use a honing rod following it each use, maybe a coupe strokes. The finish is just like new. BTW, this was the first of four knives, all from the same line, which I have purchased from Yoshihiro Cutlery on the Amazon site.

One of the best knives a chef/cook can use anywhere at all times!! This knife is built for an all-purpose route so I’ve used it on several foods in kitchens and even outdoors. The sizing is right and the blade is not heavy at all. There are times where the knife feels almost “fake” because of how light it can be but the performance from it changes everything. I love the crevices and the handle. The sheath is also a nice add-on

As I have progressed in my cooking capabilities I needed a new Chef Knife and after looking at Shun and other common name brands I had a hard time justifying buy them. I watched more YT vids on Japanese knifes and this brand came up. I did the good on reddit search and people love them. I decided to give it a try and I love it. The blade is thin, straight and sharp. I hand wash it after each use and it still looks like new.

The knife handle stinks for some reason. No amount of washing seemed to help. I got the rosewood handle, can anyone please help me with how to get rid of that smell? Apart from that, the knife is everything I expected to be.

This is a very versatile knife with a hexagon shaped handle that can be used by both left-handed and right-handed chefs. Great use with vegetables that requires little effort with cutting and slicing. the hammered steel allows less sticking of the sliced material. Smooth action when used with little muscle fatigue with your cutting hand. The magnolia saya is always an added bonus to ensure the knife and edge is protected when stowed for travel or storage.

Yoshihiro knives are top tier. Their reputation is well deserved. The VG10 is an excellent choice for that "sweet spot" of edge, strength, relative ease of maintenance, and looks. As an added note, the packaging is also top tier. The blade is very sharp right out of the box. It feels good in the hand as it slicee effortlessly. It's definitely a pleasure to use, enhancing the cooking experience. This is NOT an inexpensive knife. However, for this class of cutlery, the expense is quite reasonable! I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Very sharp knife out of the box. Light weight and easy to use. Would buy more Yoshihiro knifes. I also own a Deba knife from Yoshihiro and it is very good at filleting fish. Very sharp.