Yoshikane SKD 240 Gyuto Review

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A

ared715

Knife lover, but true stoner at heart!
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Hi KKF, I’m new as a poster here but have been using this wealth of knowledge and information for years now. I posted some background info on my Welcome to the forums thread. I’m quite sure most here are quite familiar with this knife, but I feel like after reading other reviews here and elsewhere that I either got an outlier (very possible) or, these knives are being produced differently than in the past. I say this because after reading many reviews the knife has been described as a middleweight, medium thickness(spine) workhorse style knife. The one I received from Bernal is very lightweight (163 g), 2.4 mm above the heel, thinner at and behind the edge and tip than my wakui Kasumi. I do own a few lasers and it’s not as thin of a geometry overall than say a Konosuke HD or GS+, but it’s very thin overall. I have mixed feelings about this because on one hand, I’m really liking Sanjo knives that are more substantial overall but thin behind the edge, but on the other hand it’s an extremely good performer, just not what I was expecting. Any one else purchase one of these knives lately and notice this???

Overall, the knife is an extremely good cutter, has excellent edge retention thus far, and sharpens like carbon but with minimal reactivity. I own other semi stainless knives (sld, hap40) and this one behaves more like carbon than the other (lower chromium content). I would definitely highly recommend this knife to anyone looking for a semi stainless thin workhorse that will stay really sharp for a while shift. Anyway, thanks for welcoming me to this community and I really appreciate the wealth of knowledge and information I’ve gathered from here over the years!!
 
Interesting. Thanks for the review.

Is yours the tsuchime (hammered) version? Mine is and it definitely leans towards the thicker/ workhorse grind end of the spectrum. I haven't heard of a thinner one before (although the white steel Yoshis are said to be fairly thin) but it is certainly possible that there is a bit of knife to knife variation.
 
Makes me sad yoshikane skd is out of stock in all the european sites
 
Yes pics coming! It’s the hammered version, also, not very tall at the heel (47mm) I was just expecting a more substantial feeling knife. I do love super thin tips though so it’s definitely staying in my knife bag! Choil shot is very telling, will post pictures after work today.... Sunday is a mad house at my restaurant!! Lol
Nemo: when did you get yours?
 
upload_2018-8-19_13-12-6.jpeg

Terrible iPhone pic but should show y’all the super thin grind on this knife
 
In your pic it doesn’t look super thin IMO, but can’t really say for sure. The weight would suggest it being a laser type of knife though.

The height you mentioned seems about right, but on Bernals site they say that the 240 weighs 147g and in the description they call it a middleweight that cuts like a laser. Though if a 240 gyuto weighs 147g, it can’t be a middleweight. It would be a laser for sure.

On the other hand the EE version (which I have from about a year ago) in the description says it weighs about 190g and also has the same hight at about 148mm. That would put it firmly in the Middleweight category.

Given your experience and the descriptions on both sites there probably is two different versions floating around. Funny there hasn't been any notice of it before this? Maybe both places are ordering them with different specs from Yoshi or maybe Yoshi changed the design at some point and EE just hasn’t updated their info yet.

Either way if anyone wants one better ask the vendor to check the weight just to make sure your getting the version you are looking for.

Thanks for sharing this. You might save some peeps from some sour dissapointments.
 
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Interesting difference between EE and Bernal versions of the Yoshikane. I purchased a stainless clad w#2 Wakui from each vendor and the EE version was noticeably thicker and heavier than the Bernal one, kept the one from Bernal.
 
My Bernal wakui is super thin too.... granted I did request thin versions of my Yoshi and Wakui...
 
dafox said:
Interesting difference between EE and Bernal versions of the Yoshikane. I purchased a stainless clad w#2 Wakui from each vendor and the EE version was noticeably thicker and heavier than the Bernal one, kept the one from Bernal.
Click to expand...
I’d love to try an Epic edge wakui one day. I’m curious to see what a thicker wakui would feel like.
 
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Oh, Wakui too??
I've been wondering why some have talked about it as a laser which mine (originally from Cleancut a few years back) with a 208g weight is definitely not. Does actually cut like one but with much more power behind it and decent food release too.


BTW If the Bernal Yoshi is otherwise the same as the EE version, except the thickness and weight, It'll be as close to an Itinomonn SS Kasumi as any knife can get, just with the hammered finish. So if anyone felt left out, now that the Iti is discontinued, The Bernal Yoshi should be able to fill that void.
 
Mine is 2.5 years old but the stock is at least 3 years old, maybe more. I bought it from Japanesechef (NOT JCK), which is a forum vendor in Melbourne (Aus) but I think they were winding up the business due to illness.

It is a 240mm and weighs 183g (note that the handle is ho wood, so quite light) and 48.5mm at the heel. It's been sharpened 3 or 4 times and had a light thinning, so it may have lost a gram or 2 and half a mm. Performs much thicker than my Inotomonn, which weighs 154g (also with a ho handle and 48.5 mm tall at the heel, never sharpened).

I agree that the choil shot shown doesn't look super thin but the wight is very suggestive of a thin knife.
 
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Best Yoshi ever is the Zensho series that Maxim had. If anyone knows the story on these would love to hear it. Have 210, had 240 Western. Occasionally think about posting wtb for my unicorn.
 
I just got mine from EE. It weighs 155g, definitely feels more like a laser to me. Even if I originally bought it because of its middleweight classification (190g annonced) . But the first meal prep was quite pleasant. I didn't have a 240 of this type ... So will see
 
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