Yoshimitsu Hamono traces its roots back to 1852, when the shop in Nagasaki started out as a wheel blacksmith. The brothers who run it today still nod to that history, having once smelted their own steel using a tatara and burning iron sand in charcoal for three days and nights, even though modern steels like Blue #2 now make up most of their kitchen knife lineup.
This 165mm nakiri actually measures closer to 173mm at the edge, in line with the average for the style, with a square profile and very little rounding at the tip. The blade height of 50mm is also typical for a nakiri, but the heel thins down to just 1.8mm, giving it a responsive feel while still holding the stiffness the shape needs. The grind is even 50/50, making it comfortable for left or right handed cooks. The handle is a burnt oak octagonal rather than the walnut found on the rest of the Blue #2 lineup. Please note that the handle shown in the product photos is correct. If the handle in the video looks different, trust the photos rather than the video.
What Customers Are Saying:Several reviewers describe this as their first step away from purely Western knives, with more than one mentioning the learning curve of stones and steel types that comes with a first nakiri purchase. The blade earns consistent praise for sharpening up quickly and holding an edge well, with one cook noting the factory edge out of the box was not its strongest trait but that a quick sharpening made it a daily favorite. Several owners specifically chose this nakiri over stainless options because of the steel, and more than one has applied mustard to encourage an even patina early on.
Care Instructions:Because the edge is reactive Blue #2 carbon steel, wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use rather than letting it sit wet. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for long stretches, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer term storage. Hand wash only, and a few passes on a quality water stone before first real use will bring the factory edge up to its full potential.
This 165mm nakiri actually measures closer to 173mm at the edge, in line with the average for the style, with a square profile and very little rounding at the tip. The blade height of 50mm is also typical for a nakiri, but the heel thins down to just 1.8mm, giving it a responsive feel while still holding the stiffness the shape needs. The grind is even 50/50, making it comfortable for left or right handed cooks. The handle is a burnt oak octagonal rather than the walnut found on the rest of the Blue #2 lineup. Please note that the handle shown in the product photos is correct. If the handle in the video looks different, trust the photos rather than the video.
What Customers Are Saying:Several reviewers describe this as their first step away from purely Western knives, with more than one mentioning the learning curve of stones and steel types that comes with a first nakiri purchase. The blade earns consistent praise for sharpening up quickly and holding an edge well, with one cook noting the factory edge out of the box was not its strongest trait but that a quick sharpening made it a daily favorite. Several owners specifically chose this nakiri over stainless options because of the steel, and more than one has applied mustard to encourage an even patina early on.
Care Instructions:Because the edge is reactive Blue #2 carbon steel, wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use rather than letting it sit wet. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for long stretches, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer term storage. Hand wash only, and a few passes on a quality water stone before first real use will bring the factory edge up to its full potential.
- Brand: Yoshimitsu
- Blacksmith: Yoshimitsu Brothers
- Location: Nagasaki, Japan
- Construction: Hammer Forged San Mai
- Edge Steel: Blue #2 (Aogami #2)
- Cladding: Stainless Steel
- Handle: Burnt Oak Octagonal
- Weight: 5.1 oz (146 g)
- Blade Length: 165 mm
- Total Length: 310 mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 50 mm
Reviews
5 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) My first Nakiri, some thoughts...Posted By: Chris
38 people found this review helpful
Like most westerner cooks who really only know western chef knives and rollsharps, taking the plunge into the world of Eastern knives is a journey. You start out not knowing that there ARE other knives out there but western chef knives and pairing knives. Then as you mingle with other cooks and chefs you learn about eastern knives, japanese blades, chinese cleavers, etc. Then you discover different steel in different blades, and how to sharpen the blades on stones.
Obviously you have come to the journey where you want a Nakiri. And additionally maybe you feel Blue #2 steel is the perfect combo of edge retention and ease of sharpening on stones, which has led you to this knife.
Now about this knife. My particular wants in a Nakiri were that it be as thin as possible, to slice effortlessly through veg with the least amount of "drag" when cutting. This knife is VERY thin. Ill probably never meet the blacksmith but this blade is truly a diamond in the rough. At the time I bought, it was the thinnest of the Nakiris on offer from CKTG. So it ticked that box for me.
The steel... As I mentioned above, IMO, Blue #2 so far in my journey and stone sharpening skills, is by far the best steel for knives. This one was sharpish out of the box, but I spent maybe 20-30 minutes (5 minutes per stone) at work running it over 2000-12000 grit stones soaked in water for 10 minutes each and it came out scary sharp and polished. This thing is VERY easy to sharpen on stones if you have even a basic grasp of technique and practice sharpening japanese knives. I usually try for about a 15 degree angle on my japanese blades. I was worried I would not have the skill to sharpen this knife to do the blade justice but even with my mediocre stone skills the blade sang in my hands. This little gem was very easy to get a very sharp edge onto and it has held it for a month now of fairly heavy slicing/mincing/chopping work on an appropriate japanese synthetic rubber cutting board, I prefer Hasegawa myself. CKTG You should carry their boards :)
Comfort... The handle on this is a joy to use as well. I have no blisters, no soreness in my fingers from extended periods of use. Of course every hand is different so that is just MY experience. YMMV. The finish on the handle is decent. I am thinking when it starts to wear off I will give it 2-3 coats of pure Tung oil.
Care... So I know a lot of people on "the internet" cry about carbon steel rusting and how it's not stainless. So much so I kind of worried about the blade needing to be babied constantly.
Having used it for a little while now, I can say from experience, ignore those who speak about carbon steel like it's not as good as stainless and requires more maintenance. I don't know what knuckle dragging primates who say that are doing to their carbon steel blades but all you have to do is simply take a dry cloth and WIPE the blade dry when you are done chopping/mincing/slicing etc, or rinsing it off. That's literally all you have to do is just wipe it dry. Don't let standing water/juices sit on the blade for extended periods of time and the blade will be fine. Just get in the habit of using it and then immediately wiping the blade off. It is not a hard task. If you can't manage to do that minimal amount of work to care for it... I am at a loss for words and do not know what to tell you. Keep in mind also the carbon steel is sandwiched between stainless steel on each side which gives you the protection of stainless and the incredible edge retention and ease of sharpness of the #2 carbon steel that is only exposed on the edge.
Weight... This is incredibly light as well. Which helps cut down on fatigue. Even as light as it is, once sharp, it will reign down destruction upon veg work with great vengeance!
TLDR; Incredible forged blade, very thin, very light, very comfortable handle for extended use, takes an edge very easily and is very easy to sharpen on stones to scary sharp, and absolutely nukes from orbit any veg prep/work you have to get through no matter how much or how little. Blue #2 steel is incredible to work with as well as for sharpening imo.
As another reviewer below said, if you are undecided, agonizing over which Nakiri to get and sitting on the fence, just pull the trigger! I promise you, you will not regret it! This is an incredible knife from the Yoshimitsu company!
38 people found this review helpful
Like most westerner cooks who really only know western chef knives and rollsharps, taking the plunge into the world of Eastern knives is a journey. You start out not knowing that there ARE other knives out there but western chef knives and pairing knives. Then as you mingle with other cooks and chefs you learn about eastern knives, japanese blades, chinese cleavers, etc. Then you discover different steel in different blades, and how to sharpen the blades on stones.
Obviously you have come to the journey where you want a Nakiri. And additionally maybe you feel Blue #2 steel is the perfect combo of edge retention and ease of sharpening on stones, which has led you to this knife.
Now about this knife. My particular wants in a Nakiri were that it be as thin as possible, to slice effortlessly through veg with the least amount of "drag" when cutting. This knife is VERY thin. Ill probably never meet the blacksmith but this blade is truly a diamond in the rough. At the time I bought, it was the thinnest of the Nakiris on offer from CKTG. So it ticked that box for me.
The steel... As I mentioned above, IMO, Blue #2 so far in my journey and stone sharpening skills, is by far the best steel for knives. This one was sharpish out of the box, but I spent maybe 20-30 minutes (5 minutes per stone) at work running it over 2000-12000 grit stones soaked in water for 10 minutes each and it came out scary sharp and polished. This thing is VERY easy to sharpen on stones if you have even a basic grasp of technique and practice sharpening japanese knives. I usually try for about a 15 degree angle on my japanese blades. I was worried I would not have the skill to sharpen this knife to do the blade justice but even with my mediocre stone skills the blade sang in my hands. This little gem was very easy to get a very sharp edge onto and it has held it for a month now of fairly heavy slicing/mincing/chopping work on an appropriate japanese synthetic rubber cutting board, I prefer Hasegawa myself. CKTG You should carry their boards :)
Comfort... The handle on this is a joy to use as well. I have no blisters, no soreness in my fingers from extended periods of use. Of course every hand is different so that is just MY experience. YMMV. The finish on the handle is decent. I am thinking when it starts to wear off I will give it 2-3 coats of pure Tung oil.
Care... So I know a lot of people on "the internet" cry about carbon steel rusting and how it's not stainless. So much so I kind of worried about the blade needing to be babied constantly.
Having used it for a little while now, I can say from experience, ignore those who speak about carbon steel like it's not as good as stainless and requires more maintenance. I don't know what knuckle dragging primates who say that are doing to their carbon steel blades but all you have to do is simply take a dry cloth and WIPE the blade dry when you are done chopping/mincing/slicing etc, or rinsing it off. That's literally all you have to do is just wipe it dry. Don't let standing water/juices sit on the blade for extended periods of time and the blade will be fine. Just get in the habit of using it and then immediately wiping the blade off. It is not a hard task. If you can't manage to do that minimal amount of work to care for it... I am at a loss for words and do not know what to tell you. Keep in mind also the carbon steel is sandwiched between stainless steel on each side which gives you the protection of stainless and the incredible edge retention and ease of sharpness of the #2 carbon steel that is only exposed on the edge.
Weight... This is incredibly light as well. Which helps cut down on fatigue. Even as light as it is, once sharp, it will reign down destruction upon veg work with great vengeance!
TLDR; Incredible forged blade, very thin, very light, very comfortable handle for extended use, takes an edge very easily and is very easy to sharpen on stones to scary sharp, and absolutely nukes from orbit any veg prep/work you have to get through no matter how much or how little. Blue #2 steel is incredible to work with as well as for sharpening imo.
As another reviewer below said, if you are undecided, agonizing over which Nakiri to get and sitting on the fence, just pull the trigger! I promise you, you will not regret it! This is an incredible knife from the Yoshimitsu company!
Excellent NakiriPosted By: Mike Hansen
40 people found this review helpful
Having recently made the transition from carbon steel knives to SH2/R2 knives, i was surprised to find myself ordering another non-stainless knife. Upon receiving it (very prompt shipping by the way),looked it over and immediately used mustard on the edge of the knife in order to patina it. After sharpening the knife and using it fore a while, I am very pleased with the way it sharpens and holds its edge. Thanks CNTG for another stellar knife.
40 people found this review helpful
Having recently made the transition from carbon steel knives to SH2/R2 knives, i was surprised to find myself ordering another non-stainless knife. Upon receiving it (very prompt shipping by the way),looked it over and immediately used mustard on the edge of the knife in order to patina it. After sharpening the knife and using it fore a while, I am very pleased with the way it sharpens and holds its edge. Thanks CNTG for another stellar knife.
Beautiful in so many ways.Posted By: Levi Z
43 people found this review helpful
I did a ton of research on what Nakiri I was going to buy. I decided to go with this one because of the steel. I put it on a couple of stones as soon as I opened it and was cutting into onions and peppers within an hour of the knifes arrival. First off, it sharpens up extremely easily to hair popping sharp. It's performance on the veggies was so enjoyable, I was sad when everything was cut. My roast was a little late to be done because of it. Anyway, if you're contemplating on this knife, pull the trigger. It's worth it! Also the sticker on the handle makes it stand out from others. Thanks CKTG! As always you guys are the best.
43 people found this review helpful
I did a ton of research on what Nakiri I was going to buy. I decided to go with this one because of the steel. I put it on a couple of stones as soon as I opened it and was cutting into onions and peppers within an hour of the knifes arrival. First off, it sharpens up extremely easily to hair popping sharp. It's performance on the veggies was so enjoyable, I was sad when everything was cut. My roast was a little late to be done because of it. Anyway, if you're contemplating on this knife, pull the trigger. It's worth it! Also the sticker on the handle makes it stand out from others. Thanks CKTG! As always you guys are the best.
Just what I like!Posted By: Samuel
41 people found this review helpful
I spent a lot of time agonizing over a nakiri purchase before I got this. I wanted somethin thin, flat profile, and relatively easy to maintain. This delivered! As stated in the video review, the factory edge is not great, but I sharpened it up and it has been fantastic! It is truly a pleasure to use. It is one of my go-to knives now, along with my Misen (great flat profile, amazing distal taper, decent enough edge retention), 1904 JA Henckles 10 in chef knife, and a cheap wok shop cleaver. So, this nakiri is by far the most expensive knife I own, and I don't regret a single cent I spent on it.
41 people found this review helpful
I spent a lot of time agonizing over a nakiri purchase before I got this. I wanted somethin thin, flat profile, and relatively easy to maintain. This delivered! As stated in the video review, the factory edge is not great, but I sharpened it up and it has been fantastic! It is truly a pleasure to use. It is one of my go-to knives now, along with my Misen (great flat profile, amazing distal taper, decent enough edge retention), 1904 JA Henckles 10 in chef knife, and a cheap wok shop cleaver. So, this nakiri is by far the most expensive knife I own, and I don't regret a single cent I spent on it.
ExcellentPosted By: Quinn - verified customer
45 people found this review helpful
First and foremost, this website is too good with delivery and service, it honestly raises the bar for all other sites. Unless you need it next day or two days, you get the product in no more than 4 days, it's exceptional. This nakiri is slightly different with not as much roundness as the tip, allowing more precision cutting with it. The steel obviously is excellent but the grinds and finish are also great. For $140 or so this is a wonderful knife.
45 people found this review helpful
First and foremost, this website is too good with delivery and service, it honestly raises the bar for all other sites. Unless you need it next day or two days, you get the product in no more than 4 days, it's exceptional. This nakiri is slightly different with not as much roundness as the tip, allowing more precision cutting with it. The steel obviously is excellent but the grinds and finish are also great. For $140 or so this is a wonderful knife.
