The Best Chefs Knife I've Ever Owned: The Yoshihiro Gyuto Chefs Knife

I'm not a professional chef, but you'd never know that when you see me chopping, slicing, and cutting my way through dinner prep with the beautiful and elegant Yoshihiro Gyuto. This is a knife that is the perfect embodiment of Japanese artisan craftsmanship complimented by the best features of western chefs knives. It combines the long legacy of Japanese knife making and a spectacular Damascus steel blade with a more traditional western chefs knife handle, blade shape, and design. This combination makes the Yoshihiro knife one the most beautiful and functional chefs knives you could ever own.

Loosely translated, Gyuto means Beef sword. Although this style of Japanese chefs knife might have origins exclusively for cutting beef, this knife is really a perfect all-around chefs knife and is a must have for your kitchen. It is perfect for cutting fish, chicken, pork, and beef, as well as fruits and vegetables. This is really one of the most versatile knives you can have in the kitchen and will be your heavy hitter wherever your adventures in your kitchen might take you.

The Gyuto knife is the Japanese take on the western chefs knife, and has adopted 3 western chefs knives' traits vs traditional Japanese knives. You'll find each of these deviations from tradition are well thought out and help with ergonomics of the blade. Even though the Yoshihiro Gyuto Chef's Knife deviates from a pure traditional Japanese Knife design elements in a few ways this knife still has the look and feel of an exquisite Japanese knife.

The first departure from the traditional Japanese knives is the slight curve that runs down the length of the blade of the Yoshihiro Gyuto Chef's Knife. The cutting edge on traditional Japanese knives, especially sashimi knives like the Yanagi, is straight and flat down the entire length of the blade. The long straight cutting edges makes it easy to slice through just about anything, no matter how big, in one smooth stroke. Imagine how useful this would be for slicing a giant Tuna filet. For those who won't be preparing a giant Tuna, Gyuto knife adopts the more versatile western chefs knife cutting edge profile which has a gentle curve throughout. This curved cutting edge makes quick cutting and chopping actions easy as you can rock the blade back and forth as you go.

Second, most western knives have a blade edge with a bevel on both sides whereas many Japanese knives have a bevel on one side. The single bevel knife edges are extremely sharp as the cutting edge is a much smaller angle. This makes the Japanese single edge knives perform well in small precision cuts and long uninterrupted slicing. The Gyuto knife adopts the western style of a double edged knife, which although may not be as acutely sharp, performs better in a wider range of cutting, chopping, and slicing activities. The double edge is more versatile and can be used as an all-around chefs knife that will work wonderfully in any task.

Finally, the Gyuto knife adopts a western style chefs knife handle that has a curve down the length of the handle, instead of the more traditional straight hexagonal or "D" shaped handles on Japanese knives. The western curved handle compliments the slight curve in the knife blade to make rocking and chopping easy and has a more familiar feel in the hands of western chefs. Although, the shape and design is is a departure from the standard Japanese knives, the Yoshihiro Gyuto handle is expertly crafted out of beautiful mahogany as one would expect from Japanese craftsmen and ties the whole look and feel of the knife together.

Yoshihiro delivers on what is expected from Japanese knives; beauty and utility. Starting with the 16 layer VG-10 Hammered Damascus Steel communicates elegance and refinement. The Hammered Damascus texture has a very attractive near mirror finish that has the additional functional purposes of eliminating friction while cutting and preventing food from sticking to the blade. Each knife is handcrafted for a truly unique, one-of-a-kind look. The Hammered Damascus is also incredible sharp and slices the most delicate food with ease and precision. The shape of the blade is perfect for nearly every cutting or chopping task you throw at it and the beautiful and ergonomic handle is the perfect finishing touch.

I love using the Yoshihiro Gyuto knife and look for any excuse to use it to chop, slice and cut in my dinner prep. Recently, I chopped 2 gallons worth of blanched carrots from my garden. Usually, this would be a tedious chore that I would try to put off, but this year I was excited to put this knife through the wringer. I found myself thoroughly enjoying chopping through each carrot with speed, ease and precision. And did I mention the knife is incredible sharp. I was enjoying myself a little too much and a small errant movement with my knife barely touched the top of non-cutting hand and I ended up with a decent slice on my finger. But even this couldn't take the fun away from the task at hand.

Since then I have used this knife in a dozen different situations and it has excelled every time. For those who are interested in stepping up their chef's knife game, you should definitely consider the Yoshihiro Gyuto knife.

Post by Absolute Peak Products

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