Yamashin White #1 Honesuki 150mm

Yamashin works out of Tosa, Japan — one of the country most prolific knife-making regions — and has spent generations building a reputation for blades that earn their place in a working kitchen. Their White #1 line brings that same honest construction to a full range of traditional Japanese knife styles, each one hammer-forged by hand and built to perform. Shirogami — meaning white paper steel — is among the purest carbon steels available, prized for how easily it takes a razor edge and how well it holds it through demanding work.

The honesuki is a traditional Japanese boning knife designed specifically for breaking down poultry. Its stiff, triangular blade and acute tip give it the precision and leverage needed to work cleanly around joints, separate skin, and navigate the contours of chicken and other birds with minimal waste. At 155mm it is compact enough for controlled in-hand work while still having plenty of reach for a full bird. The Shirogami #1 core clad in soft iron gives it the sharpness and edge retention that make repetitive butchery work far less taxing, and the walnut octagonal handle with black pakka wood ferrule keeps it comfortable through long prep sessions.

Customers are consistently impressed by how much this honesuki delivers at its price point. It arrives sharp out of the box and excels at exactly the tasks it was designed for — parting poultry and handling smaller prep work with equal ease. Several professional cooks note it pulls double duty as a petty, making it one of the more versatile knives in the Yamashin line. The kurouchi finish earns particular praise for its durability, holding up well through months of daily use and repeated sharpening sessions. Minor hand-finishing variations are noted here and there — a reminder that each knife is shaped by hand — but nothing that affects performance, and nothing that detracts from the overall value.

Carbon steel care is straightforward. Wipe the blade clean during use and dry it immediately after washing. Avoid leaving water or acidic foods on the blade for any length of time. The soft iron cladding will develop a natural patina with use, which adds character and provides a measure of protection. Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.

• Maker: Yamashin
• Location: Tosa, Japan
• Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
• Edge Steel: Shirogami #1 (White Paper Steel)
• Cladding: Soft Iron
• HRC: 60+
• Edge Grind: 50/50
• Handle: Octagonal Walnut
• Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
• Weight: 3.2 oz (91 g)
• Blade Length: 155 mm
• Total Length: 290 mm
• Spine Thickness at Base: 3 mm
• Blade Height: 36 mm