Kyoku Samurai Series 7" Vegetable Cleaver

I’ve recently wanted to add a Chinese/Japanese style chefs knife to my collection. I did some research and came across this brand. The fit and finish on this cleaver is fantastic. No sharp edges or misaligned pins in the handle. The edge, grind and overall condition of the blade is on par with significantly more expensive knives. I’ve used this for a few different meals and I can genuinely say, it’s one of the more versatile designs that I have. Most of the time, I can stick to just this knife for the entirety of what I’m preparing. I can prep and cut food very quickly and the knife generally feels like it will last a long time if taken care of. My only critiques, are this. There’s a strange discoloration where the blade meets the bolster of the blade. Not sure if that’s from the grind during the production process, or if the blade and handle are two separate pieces of steel. Lastly, the website lists it as Japanese steel. However, the marking on the knife doesn’t match the renderings and only states “premium high carbon”. Overall, for the price and what you get with the knife. Can’t beat it for the price. Great addition to any home kitchen.

Alright, gather 'round, ye culinary warriors and kitchen ninjas; I've got the scoop on a blade that'll make you feel like you've just won the lottery, but without the ensuing family drama over who gets the money. I'm talking about the KYOKU Samurai Series - 10.5" Yanagiba Knife. This isn't just a knife; it's like if a lightsaber and a samurai sword had a baby, and that baby decided to become a sushi chef. First off, let's talk about the blade. Made from superior Japanese steel, this thing is sharp enough to cut through the tension at a family reunion. It's cryogenically treated, which, in layman's terms, means it's been through some sort of space-age cold therapy to make it harder, more flexible, and resistant to rust and corrosion. In other words, it's like Superman if Superman were a knife. Now, the Wenge wood handle. It's not just a handle; it's an experience. Holding this knife feels like you've been chosen by a wise old tree to wield its power. The design is ergonomic enough that you won't feel like you're in a hand-wrestling match with a bear after slicing through your 100th piece of sashimi. Plus, it looks so good, you might just display it next to your samurai posters rather than in your kitchen. The length, at 10.5 inches, is perfect for those of us who fancy ourselves as the sushi chefs of our own little galaxy. It's long enough to give you that professional "look at me, I'm making sushi" vibe but not so long that you'll accidentally slice through your countertop because you got too into the moment. But what really has me doing a happy dance is the price. This knife comes with a case, mind you, because this isn't just any knife; it's a knife with its own hotel room. And for the price, you're getting what feels like a high-end, top-shelf, "should I really be allowed to own this" piece of culinary art. It's like finding out your favorite expensive restaurant has a secret affordable menu that's just as good. Performance-wise, this knife slices through fish like it's butter, or if butter were sentient and decided to be fish. The single bevel edge ensures that your sashimi slices are so thin, they could be used as bookmarks in a book about the art of sushi. In conclusion, if you're looking for a knife that'll make your sushi prep feel like a ninja ritual, the KYOKU Samurai Series Yanagiba Knife is your new best friend. It's quality, it's affordable, and it looks like it should be part of a museum exhibit titled "Knives That Could Potentially Cut Through History." Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility, or at least, the responsibility to not accidentally use it as a letter opener.

Two Months Later - still love this knife. It's holding up well and the edge, while needing a little more touchup work than the Zwilling knives, remains super sharp. By a little more touchup work, I mean it needs about double the amount of passes on the steel to be where I want it to be before use, so an extra 10 seconds or so. For the price, it just cannot be beat. Most of my knives are Zwilling Four Star, not exactly the most expensive of knives but nice knives for the home chef aficionado. I had been wanting a nakiri knife for a while because my primary method of cutting is a chopping motion straight down, just cannot get used to the knife tip contact with the board rocking motion (but I keep trying/practicing!) and thanks to the relative parallel knife edge, it seems this knife style would fit the bill. Item arrived well packaged and in a box suitable for gifting. It weighs MUCH more than my santoku, which kind of surprised me, and has a very nice heft to it. It feels good in the hand and the balance, while not perfection, is very nice. Nothing is more dangerous than a dull knife in the kitchen so I take great pains to ensure all my cutlery has a very sharp edge. The edge on this blade out of the box is impressive to say the least, passing the old 'arm hair shave' test and paper cut test as though I had just edged the blade myself. It made short work of the veggies and the extra heft helped make the pushing through the produce that much easier. After several carrots, onions, bell pepper and bunch of celery, the edge retained it's sharpness as well as one of my Zwillings. Time will tell if it holds up to the rigors of daily use in terms of corrosion, but if you care for your knives as you should (no dishwasher kids, please) by honing before use and then washing, drying and properly storing, it should not be an issue, even with the cheapest of blades. I have a set of Chicago Cutlery blades with walnut handles that we received as a wedding present longer ago than I care to admit and most still serve us well to this day, but have been replaced one by one by finer steel. Not the Chicago Cutlery is bad but the edge retention isn't as good as a higher quality knife. For the price, I am shocked. This was going to be my 'let me see if I enjoy this style of knife before I drop some serious cash on one' test before I pass it on to one of the kids or return it, but this very well may be the knife I wind up keeping. Not a brand name snob, honestly, just a quality nut. This seems to me, albeit after limited use, to be worth a look if you are looking for this style knife. If my opinion changes, I will revise my review.

Very good knife for the money. Has stayed sharp after several months of use.

Very nice. Good handle, and sharp blade. I expect this thing will last a long time. Works well for breaking down a chicken, but then again every other knife I've used on a chicken has done okay. Except for this one knife my brother found that was like a 2" sheep's foot knife (I identified the style once, but I forgot the name). That thing was a chicken's worst nightmare :)

I love nakiri knives for cutting vegetables. This one is super sharp, and I especially love the weight.

Purchased this knife last February, looked like a good deal. Finally had a reason to use it with the Christmas sales of ribeye roasts about half off. This knife is amazing! Paper thin slices are so easy. Great feel. Highly recommend!!!

This knife is a replacement for a Japanese knife that went missing. This new knife exceeded my expectations! It is well balanced, well made and a joy to use. I'm a happy camper!!