Yoshihiro VG10 16 Layer Hammered Damascus Gyuto Japanese Chefs Knife (8.25'' (210mm))

This knife is as beautiful as it is deadly to meat, vegetables, and whatever else you choose to dismember in your kitchen! It inspired the following haiku:Small samurai swordThousands of julienne friesChopping broccoliThe Yoshihiro 9.5" Gyuto is the perfect multi-purpose chefs knife. It holds a razor sharp edge like the best Japanese knives, but the temper and weight of the steel lend it the strength to perform all around kitchen duty, and still maintain that edge, more typically associated the Germans. Beyond practicality, this knife looks damn sexy in your hand... almost too pretty to use! I wasn't entirely sold on the hammered damascus at first, but it has grown on me. One thing I hate is when the manufacturer feels obligated to write all over a blade, it's tacky. This knife is elegantly understated, with just a few Japanese characters etched unobtrusively onto the blade. I have no idea what they say, possibly "poultry slayer" or "death by 1000 cuts". Whatever... it looks cool. The rosewood handle is another well crafted touch. It fits comfortably in the hand for a variety of cutting techniques, and the wood has already started to acquire its own distinctive patina that will make my knife unique from everyone else's.After extensive shopping around, I chose the Yohihiro 9.5 because it was the best knife for the money out there. The only problem I have with this knife is that I now find myself having to think of creative dishes to prepare after having compulsively sliced and diced everything in my fridge!

This knife is indisputably beautiful and I have to admit, although we rarely entertain, the aesthetic was tempting relative to a Misono or Kikuichi gyuto knife, which are also highly regarded and functional. Out of the box it is spectacularly sharp. I have done prep work with it about half a dozen times on bamboo and hard plastic cutting boards and it is incredible, laser sharp. I was incredibly excited with how well it cut when I used it once or twice, relative to our Chicago Cutlery set (which is STILL very solid and excellent for the quality, but requires sharpening after each use and is prone to rust spots), but chose not to impart that excitement to my wife. She used it once and thought it was amazing. The Chicago Cutlery knives compared to a cheap no-name set for $20 from Walmart, these are twice as good again. Spectacular. I can't speak to longevity yet but after about half a dozen uses including meat, fish, all sorts of fruits and vegetables, it's still laser sharp. As an amateur cook who sort of knows his way around the kitchen, enjoys good food, good ingredients, almost every cuisine, and cooks good food that make most folks at work say "you're in the wrong profession!" a couple of times a week, these knives are a revelation. I admit there may be better. High-carbon "blue steel" - I'll try those in a couple of years. But compared to any Henckels, Chicago Cutlery, what have you - you can't compare them. These knives are truly spectacular. Beautiful obviously, but incredibly hard, sharp steel. have a whetstone ready but you wont' need it nearly as often as you will with any mediocre set. Other knives may be good; these are excellent, absolutely. You CAN NOT be disappointed with this. So, take that for what it is. Happy cooking!To compare on another more or less scientific basis, after a decent sharpening on a whetstone, this one could shave almost smooth. Nearly properly razor sharp. The Chroma knife we bought could hardly hack a hair off. Different hardness, different sharpness - that proves itself. With shaving cream, I could shave with the Yoshihiro. This is like cutting with a razor, but much, much harder. Proof in the pudding.

Absolutely gorgeous. It's quite a bit heavier than the Mac I'm used to, but I'll get used to this one in time as well. It feels very premium for the cost. Sharp and seems to hold an edge nicely.

I bought this knife, along with the Zelite InfinityChefs Knife 8 inch & Yaxell Super Gou Chef's Knife, 8-Inch to compare. This knife is crazy sharp compared to my current go to knife, a Wusthof Ikon 8 inch chefs knife ($200). I like the feel of this knife, however there are some small things I didn't like. I'm nitpicking, but the logo seems to be on the wrong side so when you hold it, it feels backwards. Also, there is a slight separation where the blade and handle meet. This is definitely a concern for food partials to sneak into and eventually be an unfixable problem. The packaging is kind of cheap as well, and my particular knife looked as though it had been tested and returned at least one other time. Some surface scratches which tells me it scratches easily. One swipe with a rough sponge will ruin the whole look of the knife. Only speculation though. After some basic tests, it's great for the price, but next to the Super Gou, which is in a higher price range, this one is going back... The super gou is just the best of the 3 beyond a doubt. A real Japanese style knife that is like a mini sword.