BrunofromBrazil
Senior Member
I was thinking about this, a couple weeks ago! What would you guys consider the best Yanagiba to have and use? Size, model and maker! No price limit!
What would be the ultimate Yanagiba?
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BrunofromBrazil
Senior Member
I initially thought about shigefusa, tsukasa, kato, genkai masakuni, tatsu ikeda…
kato tamahagane honyaki
Probably anything @knspiracy has and/or is selling. 
I’ve heard the steel is a little soft. Obviously gorgeous pieces of craftsmanship, but as a functional tool I dont think tamahagane is the answer.
I don’t personally use Yanagiba enough to have a strong opinion on use, but by far my favorite has been a 300 shigefusa. The weighting was just sublime - substantial but neutral balance. It’s just felt so natural and well done. The hamaguri on those is also outstanding especially at the tip where I feel like the well above average convexity really helped cuts end gracefully. And the uras are always top on their single bevels.
BrunofromBrazil
Senior Member
I’ve had for a couple years a 240 yanagi kitaeji from shige, sold it recently! It was too small for me! I wanted a 270 yanagi, and only one! Thats why I was talking about the ultimate one hahaha I was thinking about trying something different this time!
BrunofromBrazil
Senior Member
This was mine, with ghe original polish from Mr Lizuka! I asked for a friend to custom make the handle for me!
A visit to Korin's we site would be well spent. Suisin (my fav), Masamoto and others across a range of price points - you can hurt yourself as bad as you want to.
If you like Ikeda blades a lot, maybe contact a vendor to discuss buying one? Here's an example, assuming you're righty. (I can't recommend anything myself because I have no experience with any high-end knives):
https://diretodojapao.com.br/facas-...onyaki-white-3-size30cm.html#/33-tamanho-30cm
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Something from the 1970s-1960s from Sakai, or vintage Sanjo Tadafusa etc those are freaking niceeeee, low lamination lines compared to today. Any size is a good size lol, I like them all from 150mm to 360mm, +. Small ones are like petty, then line knife, then slicer, then tuna and large fish knife
I don’t think you could do much better than a Genkai in white1 for use, something sharpened by Hakui and released by Tadatsuna or Koho.
Katos are nice, but the shinogi going through the neck (sword style) requires the handle to be removed for proper sharpening- a pain. Shigefusa and Toyama also have great geometry and steel, and readily available. Tsukasa stone shapes his bevels and the ura is dead flat with uraoshi thickness being a casualty of the heavy stone work. I have a 240 fuguhiki riverjump that performs amazingly.
Ashi single bevels also look amazing, and I’d guess they are up there with the best, but I’ve never used mine or put one to a stone. I’ve also seen a piece by Yamamoto (Yoshikane) that looked extremely dialed in, but again I wasn’t able to try ( or even buy ). Anything by Nomura is really nice as well.
Katos are nice, but the shinogi going through the neck (sword style) requires the handle to be removed for proper sharpening- a pain. Shigefusa and Toyama also have great geometry and steel, and readily available. Tsukasa stone shapes his bevels and the ura is dead flat with uraoshi thickness being a casualty of the heavy stone work. I have a 240 fuguhiki riverjump that performs amazingly.
Ashi single bevels also look amazing, and I’d guess they are up there with the best, but I’ve never used mine or put one to a stone. I’ve also seen a piece by Yamamoto (Yoshikane) that looked extremely dialed in, but again I wasn’t able to try ( or even buy
). Anything by Nomura is really nice as well.
https://lorenzi.co.at/produkt/masashi-kobo-yanagiba-270mm/
Nice knive whith very good qualiy to a decent price.
Nice knive whith very good qualiy to a decent price.
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aporigine
The slow blade penetrates the winter squash
A fun shop to browse! Lotsa Martin Huber
I’d buy this if I was into single bevels and had no budget. Last I say they are around 5k for the set. Maker is Toyama to my knowledge.
https://www.japanese-cutlery.com/product/sijou01781/
https://www.japanese-cutlery.com/product/sijou01781/
I that case I would use this:
https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/shigefusa-kitaeji-yanagiba-300mm/
But the Masashi is a great yanagiba
maxim
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In my opinion where I have tried many Yanagi I think Shigefusa beats them all by geometry ura and just by how Yanagiba is made from them, But it is not why I am here to comment,I don’t think you could do much better than a Genkai in white1 for use, something sharpened by Hakui and released by Tadatsuna or Koho.
Katos are nice, but the shinogi going through the neck (sword style) requires the handle to be removed for proper sharpening- a pain. Shigefusa and Toyama also have great geometry and steel, and readily available. Tsukasa stone shapes his bevels and the ura is dead flat with uraoshi thickness being a casualty of the heavy stone work. I have a 240 fuguhiki riverjump that performs amazingly.
Ashi single bevels also look amazing, and I’d guess they are up there with the best, but I’ve never used mine or put one to a stone. I’ve also seen a piece by Yamamoto (Yoshikane) that looked extremely dialed in, but again I wasn’t able to try ( or even buy
It is about Kato "shinogi going through the neck (sword style) requires the handle to be removed for proper sharpening- a pain"
That is big misconseption that you have to sharpen Shinogi I even talked about it with Shigefusa, it will be same if you want to sharpen middle part of your gyuto, If you look at your Shigefusa Yanagiba very closely you will see on shinogi some parallel scratches and horizontal, horizontal is actually there where you are suppose to sharpen your Yanagi, you will never go higher up, it is about same hight as your core steel is, if you do above your angle will be way to low and will just make wire edge instead of the edge. To many people sharpen they Yanagiba wrong
So Katos Shinogi is just higher up to make it thinner behind the edge but you are not suppose to sharpen up there like for Super long Time
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BrunofromBrazil
Senior Member
Oooh thats really interesting! Thanks for the information and the your thoughts on the Yanagi!
Yeah I agree and should have qualified this better. No reason to touch the shinogi unless you were polishing or restoring geometry (and all yanagi will need handle removed to touch the hira).
For every day maintenance you definitely wouldn’t need to go all the way up the bevel, and I think the shinogi first approach to single bevel sharpening can be counterintuitive. If the edge is straight and it’s thin behind the edge, it’s good to go.
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I was thinking about this the other day as I’ve got one foot in the market.
For me, geometry more or less goes out the window if you’re going to be using it in a professional environment. So for me, I’d say it’s about the steel. So I’ve been torn between Y Tanaka blue 1 and togashi Shiro 1.
Personally, I think I’m going to go Damascus togashi Shiro 1 300mm.
For me, geometry more or less goes out the window if you’re going to be using it in a professional environment. So for me, I’d say it’s about the steel. So I’ve been torn between Y Tanaka blue 1 and togashi Shiro 1.
Personally, I think I’m going to go Damascus togashi Shiro 1 300mm.
shobudonnie
Well-Known Member
Steel: blue 1 by satoshi nakagawa is the best. Shig steel is sharp, but the edge retention for a full time sushi chef is inadequate. Same for blue 2, white 1, white 2.
Grind: again, satoshi Nakagawa’s yanagibas tend to come with the best grinds. Shigefusa’s is good too.
300mm is widely considered the best for sushi chefs. Stick to basic yanagis. Don’t go for kiritsukes or sakimarus.
Grind: again, satoshi Nakagawa’s yanagibas tend to come with the best grinds. Shigefusa’s is good too.
300mm is widely considered the best for sushi chefs. Stick to basic yanagis. Don’t go for kiritsukes or sakimarus.
You’re taking Nakagawa b1 over Y.Tanaka b1?
Also, isn’t the edge retention on blue 2 better than blue 1?
shobudonnie
Well-Known Member
I’m just going off of personal experience. I like nakagawa blue 1 better than y. Tanaka blue 1. The difference is small, but you can tell if you use these tools everyday for many months.
Blue 1 is superior to blue 2 in terms of edge retention and sharpness. Blue 2 tends to be tougher.
Whats the difference between edge retention and toughness? Are they not related?
I appreciate your perspective! I’ve never tried Nakagawa blue 1. That’s why I’m so curious. I’ve only got a Nakagawa ginsan, but I absolutely love it
shobudonnie
Well-Known Member
Edge retention is how long a knife can maintain a cutting edge. Toughness refers to resistance to chipping and warping.
BrunofromBrazil
Senior Member
Hey guys, how are you?
Just an Update, got myself a Genkai Masakuni Sakimaru 270, to try it out. Gorgeous blade, awesome handle, but discovered that Sakimaru are not for me.
Next steps:
Try something new, was thinking about Shigefusa Kiritsuki, but not sure yet, what do u guys think?
Best,
Bruno
Just an Update, got myself a Genkai Masakuni Sakimaru 270, to try it out. Gorgeous blade, awesome handle, but discovered that Sakimaru are not for me.
Next steps:
Try something new, was thinking about Shigefusa Kiritsuki, but not sure yet, what do u guys think?
Best,
Bruno
BrunofromBrazil
Senior Member
Lurkernomore
Well-Known Member
The best and most consistent knives in my opinion are masamoto sohonten ks and ka. They look unassuming but the grinds are excellent which is all important if you can sharpen and actually use the blade. Yamawaki blades are up there as well. Suisin is ok but relies too much on old people in my opinion (out of necessity ofc).
There are great honyaki out there but I have found none to be as consistently good as high level awase knives
In general I’d say if possible go for younger craftsmen over old people. Sharpeners peak at 60 when they’re experienced and still physically strong. After that it’s a long and unforgiving decline until 80.
It’s not like they can’t put out perfection, it’s consistency that suffers first. For online sales that’s where it matters.
There are great honyaki out there but I have found none to be as consistently good as high level awase knives
In general I’d say if possible go for younger craftsmen over old people. Sharpeners peak at 60 when they’re experienced and still physically strong. After that it’s a long and unforgiving decline until 80.
It’s not like they can’t put out perfection, it’s consistency that suffers first. For online sales that’s where it matters.
aporigine
The slow blade penetrates the winter squash
nice honyaki!
Curious … what about the sakimaru do you not like?
BrunofromBrazil
Senior Member
It seem to be a bit too fragile, apart from that, the lack of a tip is something that I didn’t like at all. It makes the knife a bit less versatile!
I think those were the main points for me! For someone that will use it only to cut sashimis of delicate fishes it would suit them really well, but for someone that will only have one Kataha, for all functions, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense!
Thats my opinion, would love to hear some other!
