270mm or 300mm yanagiba?

[10160]

Been a sushi chef for a little while and want a yanagi. Question is length.

The 270mm will be easier to control and sharpen, and keep straight, however..

I've heard people swear by the extra 300mm length saying they end up using the full thing... Cons: Harder to keep straight, and sharpening.

looked at every google result debating this... even called some knife stores for opinions... still cant decide. HELLPPPP

The one im looking at is the Tojiro white #2.

 

[Qapla']

What do you currently use?

Does your boss, or do any longer-standing workmates, have any recommendations?

10160

Is this a reference to New York City? If yes, then perhaps you can visit MTC Kitchen and handle a few yanagiba's for yourself as part of your search.

 

[10160]

What do you currently use?

Does your boss, or do any longer-standing workmates, have any recommendations?


Is this a reference to New York City? If yes, then perhaps you can visit MTC Kitchen and handle a few yanagiba's for yourself as part of your search.

My boss doesn't use a yanagi so no.
Not a reference to NYC. I'm in west coast us
Cutting board is of average size 23"x12" at home. At work it's a table length board, maybe 16" width

 

[stringer]

Pro but not a sushi chef. For home use only I would go with the 300. For work or something I take back and forth I would go 270. Longer is almost always better in my mind for slicing knives. However, keep in mind, most knife rolls will only accommodate knives up to 270. So figure out how you will transport it if you decide to go to the bigger one. And then there is your workspace too. A 300 might feel clumsy if you are cramped and could turn into a 270 soon enough if you tip it.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Paging @Ochazuke

 

[Ochazuke]

I judge it not by cutting board size but workspace size. I can slice sashimi on a tiny cutting board with big knives, but if my workspace is tiny I’m going to worry about bumping in to other things.

Longer does work better for slicing. It’s easier to get better results with a 300 (especially if you’re a beginner).

270 works just fine though. And as @stringer said there’s the transport issue also.

 

[Qapla']

What do you think of these as possible alternatives to the Tojiro? (The vendors sell scabbards separately.)

https://global.ichimonji.co.jp/coll...-kasumi-yanagiba-knife?variant=37089770569884
https://bernalcutlery.com/collections/yanagi/products/hitohira-gorobei-300mm-yanagi-aogami-2-ho-wood
https://global.ichimonji.co.jp/coll...-kasumi-yanagiba-knife?variant=37089805107356

 

[shobudonnie]

I’ve done sushi for over five years. I swore by 240mm gyutos and 300mm yanagibas. I was intimidated by the extra length of the 300mm yanagiba at first, but after having tried both 270mm and 300mm, the 300mm is definitely more practical. And please don’t use yanagibas to cut rolls. Use gyutos. Go with satoshi Nakagawa’s blue 1 stuff. Costly, yes. But very much worth it.

 

[hien]

First yanagi. 270 for sure

Its best you get used to the yanagi first then go longer. You might find it a bit hard to use first on longer yanagi and end up not using it

 

[shobudonnie]

And also, once you start cutting fish with yanagibas, there is no going back to sujihikis. Yanagibas are straight up better for that task. You can start with a white steel yanagi at 270mm. It’s almost a guarantee that you’ll ruin your first yanagiba. So maybe it’s not a good idea to invest big money into a 300mm blue 1 yanagi at first. But you’ll quickly realize that white steel edge retention for yanagis is poor. Heck, I find even blue 2 steel retention to be inadequate for single bevels. Blue 1 yanagis forged from the top guys in Sakai is the sweet spot.

 

[Ochazuke]

Everybody's got decent advice. The only thing I would add is that I would buy from a reputable vendor. Making sure you have a yanagi that doesn't come to you warped or uneven along the edge is super helpful because it can be tricky to fix. Some vendors are very good at this, and some don't know what they don't know. These days, qc has gotten better across the board, so you shouldn't run in to too many issues I hope.

I personally also use different steels for different types of service. I use my Togashi W1 for low volume, high price events (private parties, tasting/pairing events) and either my Masamoto W2 or Toyama B2 for more high volume restaurant nights that require a bit more toughness. I don't necessarily think there's a right or wrong answer so much as figuring out what works best for you. I actually use B1 for one of my gyuto. I really think that the other advice you received can work for you too! It just depends on what you find fits your style.

Depending on who your coworkers are and the type of menu you have to work with, stainless options like ginsan are also worth considering.

 

[Beerzebub]

It’s almost a guarantee that you’ll ruin your first yanagiba

How would one go about not ruining it?

 

[Ochazuke]

How would one go about not ruining it?

The biggest thing is just not to oversharpen the ura.

 

[shobudonnie]

How would one go about not ruining it?

It’s unavoidable. Yanagi sharpening is only mastered through trial and error.

 

[blokey]

Don’t duel using Yanagiba with fellow chef or customers

 

[Beerzebub]

Don’t duel using Yanagiba with fellow chef or customers

 

[Budrichard]

As you acquire expertise you knife length will grow.
I have 240mm,(Factory), 270mm (Custom Kenichi Shirikai) and currently using 330mm(Custom Takeda).
Choose the longest you are comfortable using with the knowledge that your comfort level will probably change.
-Richard

 

[Yoshi]

Hope OP won't mind if I highjack the thread. Seeing so many pro sushi chef here, just want to know if there's any major difference with cutting sashimi with yanagiba vs sujihiki

 

[Ochazuke]

Hope OP won't mind if I highjack the thread. Seeing so many pro sushi chef here, just want to know if there's any major difference with cutting sashimi with yanagiba vs sujihiki

Yes and no.

People with a lot of experience will notice a difference. The majority of sushi chefs in the states are doing more American style sushi and so there’s less need for different styles of cutting. Good luck getting a beautiful usugiri with a suji.

For general purpose tuna/salmon/hamachi sashimi I don’t think most chefs or customers will notice.

 

[shobudonnie]

Hope OP won't mind if I highjack the thread. Seeing so many pro sushi chef here, just want to know if there's any major difference with cutting sashimi with yanagiba vs sujihiki

For me, it’s night and day. Once I started using yanagiba, I could never go back to Sujihiki for slicing raw fish. And once I started using blue 1 yanagibas, I could no longer use yanagibas of any other steel.

 

[Ochazuke]

I will also say that in Japan, I’ve seen plenty of fish mongers and izakaya chefs slice sashimi with deba, gyuto, or basically whatever is on hand. It’s been delicious and fine.

I’ve rarely seen a kaiseki chef or itamae sushi chef use anything other than a sashimi hocho for sashimi.

Basically I think it depends on context and what you’re aiming for also.

 

[superworrier]

I actually saw the chef Shion at 69 Leonard St (who apprenticed at Sushi Saito in Tokyo, one of the hardest places to book in the world) using a Takamura Hana 240mm (I think) suji as his main knife. So it shouldn't hold you back, unless it's dependent on his style.