Bunmei 1804/270 - 10 1/2 inch Yanagi Sashimi Knife

I recently began working in a Sushi Bar, where I was required to invest in my own knives. I wanted a good knife but didn't want to pay an exorbitant amount. Some Yanagiba and other sushi knives can cost upwards of $1000 a piece! I purchased this 10.5" Bunmei Yanagiba Knife and have found it exceeded my expectations. The blade is constantly exposed to moisture from fish, vegetables, fruit, and cleaning, and is rust free thus far. It's easy to care for, and holds a great edge.

I use this yanagiba mainly for slicing sashimi and sushi rolls. It cuts effortlessly through most things and the grip is comfortable, even when my hands are wet. As a bonus it arrived with a mean factory edge! I didn't even have to pre-sharpen it and haven't had to sharpen it once after a week of moderate to heavy use. Highly recommended for starters who've never worked with Japanese cutlery before.

Extreme caution advised! These really are RAZOR sharp. I sell knives at Williams-Sonoma and I have cut myself on the Bunmei twice already. I take my job very seriously and am extremely careful when handling them, but still got cut. These are for pros, sushi chefs and those used to the blade on a Japanese knife. Very dangerous in the wrong hands. Very, very good choice if you really do want to precisely slice a lot of fish.

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looks like a great knife, but not! if you're left handed. it wasn't until i read the enclosure in the package that we saw it was for right handed cooks! doesn't look like something you'd want to try with your non-dominant hand...so order the left handed knife. who knew??

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Just not spectacular.

It's a mass produced knife.

I'd probably get the Yoshihiro

http://www.amazon.com/YOSHIHIRO--Shiroko-Kasumi-Yanagi-Sashimi-Knife/dp/B003WGR8Y0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1362096593&sr=8-9&keywords=yoshihiro

Reason:

1-type of Steel

2-blade

3-me

The steel.

I can't find anything about the type of steel used for this knife. The description for the steel is vague.

The Yoshiro uses white steel clad in a harder stainless.

which i know about

Blade

the blade edge was not perfect form factory. I can rework it, so if you are good with water stones this might no be a problem.

I don't like the finish, so I'll polish the knife. I'm not picky, my favorite knife is a rustic gyuto. Somehow this blade seems cheap.

Me

This is my first knife of this style, I have Gyuto's, Petty's and Santuko's so I might not be accustomed to this style.

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After using a few times, I may convert to Japanese-made knives for all of my kitchen cutlery. It feels borderline weightless compared to my Calphalon Katana chef's and santoku knives, and it cuts "like buttah." Granted the Katanas are excellent for chopping, but the Bunmei is my new go-to blade for slicing. I used it to slice a grilled beef tenderloin roast and was amazed at how effortlessly it glided through the meat. The handle is perfect for my small hands, but even my husband (whose hands are gargantuan) commented on how much he likes the way it feels. He bought this one for me and immediately said "we're getting the 12 inch too." And Yoshihiro Cutlery is an excellent vendor; they snail mailed me a thank you note separately from the knife, which was a very thoughtful gesture. I think I'm a patron for life now...

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