The 240mm gyuto is where Yamamoto San at Yoshikane Hamono really shows what his thin grind is capable of. At this length, the blade has the reach and the forward weight to work through larger prep volumes with ease, and the SKD semi-stainless core - hardened to HRC 63 - holds an edge long enough to make that work count. Yoshikane Hamono operates out of a small shop in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture, among the most accomplished bladesmithing regions, and Yamamoto San has built his reputation on hammer-forged knives that deliver genuine performance in a well-considered package.
The san mai construction wraps the SKD hagane (inner core steel) in stainless jigane (outer cladding steel), giving the blade meaningful corrosion resistance while keeping maintenance straightforward. The grind is where this knife earns its following - ground exceptionally thin behind the edge, it moves through product with very little resistance, a quality that becomes more apparent the longer the prep session runs. The nashiji (pear skin) finish gives the flat of the blade a softly textured, misty surface that adds visual depth and wears in naturally over time. An ebony octagonal handle rounds out the knife with a refined grip well suited to the length and weight of the 240mm format.
What Customers Are Saying: Owners of this knife describe the cutting performance as something that has to be experienced firsthand to fully appreciate - the combination of the thin grind and SKD steel at HRC 63 produces a cutter that consistently earns top marks from those who have put it to work in a real kitchen setting.
Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
The san mai construction wraps the SKD hagane (inner core steel) in stainless jigane (outer cladding steel), giving the blade meaningful corrosion resistance while keeping maintenance straightforward. The grind is where this knife earns its following - ground exceptionally thin behind the edge, it moves through product with very little resistance, a quality that becomes more apparent the longer the prep session runs. The nashiji (pear skin) finish gives the flat of the blade a softly textured, misty surface that adds visual depth and wears in naturally over time. An ebony octagonal handle rounds out the knife with a refined grip well suited to the length and weight of the 240mm format.
What Customers Are Saying: Owners of this knife describe the cutting performance as something that has to be experienced firsthand to fully appreciate - the combination of the thin grind and SKD steel at HRC 63 produces a cutter that consistently earns top marks from those who have put it to work in a real kitchen setting.
Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
- Maker: Yoshikane Hamono
- Blacksmith: Yamamoto San
- Location: Sanjo City, Japan
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Edge Steel: SKD Semi-Stainless
- Cladding: Stainless
- HRC: 63+-
- Finish: Nashiji (Pear Skin)
- Edge Grind: Even (See Choil Photo)
- Handle: Octagonal Ebony
- Weight: 7.9 oz (224 g)
- Blade Length: 242 mm
- Total Length: 395 mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 3-4 mm
- Blade Height: 48-49 mm (newer batches are shorter than the one in the video below)
Reviews
1 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Fantastic cutterPosted By: Miles
52 people found this review helpful
The Yoshikane SKD is one of my favorite knives that i own. The performance is something that you have to try to believe.
Performance- it's a sports car. it can effortlessly handle whatever you throw at it. The grind is so thin behind the edge it will glide through firm product and definitively separate soft. It's quite thick out the handle, but has a great taper around 2mm in the middle. the tip is very thin and the heel has some girth. Awesome for push/pull and chopping cutting style with a very flat profile not ideal for rocking. Good food separation this knife can process product as fast as you throw at it.
The fit and finish is top notch. Smoothed out spine, comfortable choil, beautiful blade road- a premium product. Feels substantial in hand this is no feather weight.
The steel on this sharpens like a carbon steel and can get prickly sharp with ease. Since it's semi-stainless you have some forgiveness with acidic ingredients, but will gray/slow patina. Out of the box the edge is crazy thin (and sharp), so if you're tough on your knives it might be a good idea to put a microbevel on it.
You could get a Yoshikane SKD and be done or be like me and measure how other knives compare to it.
52 people found this review helpful
The Yoshikane SKD is one of my favorite knives that i own. The performance is something that you have to try to believe.
Performance- it's a sports car. it can effortlessly handle whatever you throw at it. The grind is so thin behind the edge it will glide through firm product and definitively separate soft. It's quite thick out the handle, but has a great taper around 2mm in the middle. the tip is very thin and the heel has some girth. Awesome for push/pull and chopping cutting style with a very flat profile not ideal for rocking. Good food separation this knife can process product as fast as you throw at it.
The fit and finish is top notch. Smoothed out spine, comfortable choil, beautiful blade road- a premium product. Feels substantial in hand this is no feather weight.
The steel on this sharpens like a carbon steel and can get prickly sharp with ease. Since it's semi-stainless you have some forgiveness with acidic ingredients, but will gray/slow patina. Out of the box the edge is crazy thin (and sharp), so if you're tough on your knives it might be a good idea to put a microbevel on it.
You could get a Yoshikane SKD and be done or be like me and measure how other knives compare to it.
