Sub-$250 Sanjo Showdown: Wakui, Mazaki, Yoshikane Reviewed

[timebard]

Or: "Three Gyutos Enter, No Gyuto Leaves! (so far)"

I've been meaning to put together a quick head-to-head comparison of three of the most frequently recommended reasonably priced knives that come up in discussion around here. Obviously there are many other great knives in the $250 or less price range, but as they get mentioned again and again in threads like What's your favorite 240mm Gyuto under $300 I put it on my knives to-do list to obtain all three and then do a direct comparison of these makers. So... here we go!

The Contenders

Yoshikane 210mm SKD Gyuto
Vendor: Epicurean Edge (stock ca 2019, bought secondhand elsewhere)
Weight: 124g
Spine at heel: ~3.2mm
Heel height: 46mm
Length: 214mm
Balance point: +27mm from heel
Handle: D-shaped ho

Mazaki 210mm white #2 Gyuto
Vendor: CleanCut (2019 version, bought secondhand via BST)
Weight: 174g
Spine at heel: 4.5mm
Heel height: 50mm
Length: 219mm
Balance point: +18mm from heel
Handle: octo keyaki

Wakui 240mm white #2 Gyuto
Vendor: Epicurean Edge (purchased direct in 2021)
Weight: 177g
Spine at heel: 3.1mm
Heel height: 49mm
Length: 244mm
Balance point: +33mm from heel
Handle: octo ho

Just to clear up the baseline for each of these knives, the Wakui is reasonably close to fresh from the box, whereas the Yoshikane has been sharpened several times and thinned once before I received it. And the Mazaki has seen a couple light thinning sessions, been sharpened a number of times, been badly refinished, etc. Before the cutting comparison, all three knives were touched up on a Shapton Pro 2k. I'm not a super discerning sharpener but all of them are pretty easy to work with on the stones.

Choil shots (L: Mazaki, middle: Yoshikane, R: Wakui)

In Hand

Yoshikane: to start off--at just 124g, this sample is a lot lighter than the typical Yoshikane 210 (based on weights cited by others here). However, it doesn't feel flimsy, whippy, or insubstantial in hand. If I'm not mistaken, Kippington coined the term 'comfort laser' and that phrase seems apt for this knife. The spine is over 3mm out of the handle and over the heel, and tapers down over the first third of the blade before holding even up to the last ~1.5" closest to the tip. The balance point, for me, is very well placed, just in front of my pinch grip, which gives it a very nice just forward of neutral balance that's simultaneously nimble and aggressive. It's the shortest at the heel of the three at 46mm; I don't find this to be overly short in use but I certainly wouldn't want it any shorter. Another 2-3mm of height would be very welcome.

The hammered kurouchi finish is very smooth and comfortable in a pinch; aesthetically, it's a little less to my liking, but by no means badly executed. Like all three of the knives, the spine and choil are nicely rounded off and quite comfortable in hand. The D-shaped ho handle is perfectly comfortable and fairly nice as ho wood handles go, but feels just a little bit smaller than I'd like.

Mazaki: the most solid of the three knives in hand, the Maz comes out of the handle at over 5mm but tapers steadily down the proximate half or so of the length of the spine, holds an even thickness for a few inches, and then tapers down to a very thin tip in the last inch. As a consequence of this 'laser in the front, workhorse in the back' approach, the balance point is surprisingly far back, right at or slightly behind a pinch grip. This balance point translates to a very comfortable feel in hand, but also a less powerful feel than I'd expect for the weight.

The finish on this iteration of Mazaki's knives was rather unpolished, with a lot of remaining grinding marks on the blade roads. I took this as an invitation to practice thinning and mess around with (badly) attempting to refinish it... hence it currently looking like garbage. Someday I'll get around to refinishing it properly, I swear. The keyaki handle is a nice upgrade from ho wood.

Wakui: at the risk of comparing apples and oranges by looking at a 240 next to a couple 210s, the Wakui stands out as the most forward balanced of the three knives, with a balance point well in front of my pinch grip. It has the least distal taper of the three knives, with a quick taper from the handle to a little past the heel and then holding that width nearly the full length of the knife. The tip is also a little less thin than either the Maz or the Yoshi. At just a little over 49mm at the heel, it's tall enough to feel well proportioned, but I did ask EE for the tallest example they had in stock--others might come in a bit shorter.

The hairline finish on this knife is definitely my favorite of the three--to my eye it's both the best-looking and the easiest to hide marks from use. The stainless cladding did seem to pick up a bit of patina from use early on in one spot. As far as the handle goes, there's a small gap between the ferrule and wood portions of the handle; it's not noticeable in use but still a bit disappointing. The handle also feels just a little bit chunkier than I want, but for someone with bigger hands I bet it'd be just right.

continued...

 

[timebard]

On the Board

I put all of these knives through some varied meal prep tasks, both directly side-by-side and doing whole meals with each knife.

Yoshikane: the best word I have for how this knife cuts is "aggressive." While very light, the blade-forward balance makes it feel like just a hint of forward motion for it to propel into and through softer product. Horizontal or radial cuts to dice onions are a breeze. With a fresh edge it falls through pepper skins like they're not even there. It feels nimble enough that mincing garlic with the tip is no problem, while the other two knives feel a little less suited to this task. It generally slides through carrots without hesitation or a hint of wedging, although every once in a while it gets slowed down mid-cut--not sure if this is subtle wedging or stiction or a little of both. Food release is just OK, but as a home cook this isn't my primary concern. The profile is quite flat at the back, such that push cutting feels great but pull cuts feel a little more awkward for some reason. A tiny bit of upsweep at the heel would be welcome to prevent the 'hard stop' feel it can sometimes give, but I've gotten used to it enough that this no longer feels like such a big deal.

I have not done any kind of rigorous testing on how it performs slicing meats, as I prep a lot more veggies than slicing-ready chunks of meat. I did do a little side-by-side prepping chicken cutlets with the Yoshi vs. my Ashi Ginga suji, and it acquitted itself rather nicely, shorter blade length notwithstanding.

If I had to point out a weak spot, it's that even after several sharpening sessions without thinning, it feels just a little bit delicate on the board. Not enough that I hesitate to pull it out as an everyday knife, but early on I had some minor issues with microchipping and I'm not going to be pitting avocados with it anytime soon.

Mazaki: I don't reach for it quite as naturally as the others, but it still puts a smile on my face to use. The Maz doesn't have either the forward balance of the other two or as flat a profile, which requires a bit of adjustment in cutting style--sort of a modified push cut with a hint of rock to avoid accordions. Quick chopping something like scallions ain't it's strong suit. It was the most liable of the three to wedge in carrot, but also the only one to reliably 'pop' carrot rounds off the back portion of the blade face in a very satisfying fashion. It does a nice job of shedding diced/sliced product with a quick shake--however, the workhorsey grind is only really operative in the back half or so of the knife, which isn't a huge sweet spot even in an oversized 210. Profile quibbles aside, though, the 220-ish length is really nice for home use.

The tip is not quite as good at swiping through onions and shallots as the Yoshikane but really close and quite a ways ahead of the Wakui. Despite a couple light thinning sessions, it still feels a little bit lacking in thinness behind the edge, and I've been a little hesitant to thin too aggressively lest I flatten out the convexity too much. Lastly, a quick note about reactivity: I don't have a lot of reference points in terms of iron-clad knives, but the Mazaki is my highest-maintenance knife and will make you aware if you're getting sloppy with leaving it out damp. I've had no issues with outright rusting (though I live in a pretty dry climate) but unless it's fed a very meat-heavy diet early on, it has a way of developing a pretty unattractive patina.

Wakui: I came to the Wakui with very high expectations and in light of those, it didn't blow me away as a cutter at first. But after a quick touch-up, it started growing on me. With a lower grind than the Yoshi, it doesn't fall through food quite as effortlessly, but the same characteristic helps reduce suction/stiction through the cut on dense product that slows down the Yoshi at times. It push cuts really nicely but needs just a hair more forward motion vs. the Yoshi to dig into product. Between the blade-forward balance and a very smooth cutting feel, it feels very confident in use and puts in a very respectable performance. The tip isn't as quite as fine as the other two bring, and that's apparent when doing fine tasks like mincing garlic--unlike the other two, I'd probably reach for a petty instead for that task.

The Wakui's profile is the best of the three (probably in part because of the extra length giving more room to work with), with the big flat spot of the Yoshi but also that hint of upsweep at the heel that the Yoshi is missing.

Wrapup

The Yoshikane has easily won a long-term spot in my lineup. The SKD is nearly as hassle-free as stainless but sharpens like carbon, and the thin grind and forward balance cut super aggressively. A little more height and heft would be welcome for it as a do-everything blade... but that's what other gyutos are for, right?

How about the others? Time will tell but I have a hunch that I may let go of one or both the Maz or Wakui to open up a slot and funds for something more interesting, but I'm really not keen to give up either of them. The Mazaki has a lot of character--the strong distal taper, a really nice length for home use, a very comfortable feel in hand--but also doesn't fit my cutting style quite the way I want. Conversely, the Wakui is basically everything it's cracked up to be for its price point and has a profile that just clicks for me, but also has a middleweight build that's just not as exciting as either a near-laser like the Yoshi or something with more authority.

 

[Penan]

Nice review

 

[SeattleB]

I have the Yoshikane in 240. The grind is flat over the back third of the blade. At first I was also put off a bit by the 'stop' that happens when doing a slice cut for onions, etc. I thought it was my inexperience with knives. Whatever the cause, my brain adjusted and now it doesn't seem to happen. I love the knife, btw. It's very comfortable and nimble.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Nice write-up.

Call me weird but of the three, I dig the look of the Mazaki the most.

 

[timebard]

Nice write-up.

Call me weird but of the three, I dig the look of the Mazaki the most.

Thanks! I like the Maz's look too though it's nobody's idea of a refined finish. I got a little too excited about my first jnat and tried polishing it with no real gameplan--result was weird streaky scratches all over it. Turns out polishing with an undersized, uneven, maybe kinda fussy stone doesn't give ideal results... who woulda thought? If I don't sell/trade it soon I'll have to try putting a proper finish on it. I really have enjoyed it (alongside my Munetoshi petty) as a rustic knife that I can treat as a blank canvas to tinker with.

 

[captaincaed]

I've had both the Maz and Yoshi, both top cutters, but the Yoshi was the one that stayed for me as well. I had a Maz from that batch/era, and it cut more easily than its size suggested. Would have kept it with stainless cladding.

Nice nuanced view overall depending on product type.

The hesitation on the Yoshi is definitely stiction from my experience. If you can get past it, nothing cuts easier that I've found. If you ever try the black damascus line, it's even thinner. Really nice knife. No avocado pits

If you liked these and the price bracket, also think about the Hiragatake. It's full stainless (or nearly) and a great cutter for the price. Not talked about much, but I bought one for a buddy 4 years ago, and I sharpen it for him every 6 months or so. Great cutter, and sharpens and deburrs more easily than any other SLD I've ever tried. It's got a face only a mother could love, but it really works.

 

[timebard]

The hesitation on the Yoshi is definitely stiction from my experience. If you can get past it, nothing cuts easier that I've found.

Any advice on reducing the stiction? Would a mid grit sandpaper finish help any or is the factory sandblast finish already about as good as it gets? I've been hesitant to mess with the grind any but maybe adding a little convexity higher up the secondary bevel?

Also good call on the Hiragatake, I've had my eye on maybe picking up the 180 from that line as a low-maintenence smaller knife for quick tasks, travel, etc. But I think my next purchase might be a little further up the price scale rather than staying in the shallow end forever...

 

[captaincaed]

Any advice on reducing the stiction? Would a mid grit sandpaper finish help any or is the factory sandblast finish already about as good as it gets? I've been hesitant to mess with the grind any but maybe adding a little convexity higher up the secondary bevel?

Also good call on the Hiragatake, I've had my eye on maybe picking up the 180 from that line as a low-maintenence smaller knife for quick tasks, travel, etc. But I think my next purchase might be a little further up the price scale rather than staying in the shallow end forever...

From limited experience, I find a difference in drag and food release depending on the finished texture of the blade road. I'm just learning about how this works myself. I know that a 220 finish both drags and sticks. Going to an Aoto (about 2k?) after that seems to help both drag and release. A mirror can help glide through wet product, until you get a sudden stick. Patina also matters. I had a mirror finished honyaki that stuck horribly without a patina, but had some of the best overall performance of any knife I've had once a light patina formed.

My Bazes knives may not always fully release, but they never stick. I think you need at least a little convexity, but a well executed kasumi finish is a common factor in many of my best performing knives. Which is frustrating to me, because I'm still not really sure how to do it well myself.