Yusaku knives come from a young, up-and-coming blacksmith CKTG recently discovered. Kousuke Muneishi is a third-generation blacksmith from Tosa - his grandfather founded Muneishi Cutlery Mfg in 1955 to produce farming and forestry tools, his father continued the business making specialized cutting tools mainly from Aogami #2 steel, and now Kousuke has begun making kitchen cutlery to expand the family trade and develop his own blademaking skills. CKTG has been genuinely impressed with his work and hopes for a long relationship with this talented young craftsman.
The name Yusaku reflects the kanji on the blade: the final character can be read as Yu or Suke, and the first kanji, Saku, means work. Yusaku translates loosely as the work of, or produced by, Kousuke. This 150mm honesuki is built from Blue #2 steel laminated with soft iron using the san mai method, leaving the forger scale (kurouchi) visible on the blade face. The grind is well realized and sophisticated - thin behind the edge with a nice overall profile. It comes with a Japanese octagonal handle finished in traditional burnt urushi.
What Customers Are Saying: Kaya, a professional chef, uses this honesuki to trim and process more than 40 pounds of chicken, beef, and pork nearly every day, maintaining the edge with nothing more than a honing rod between tasks and a nightly hone and strop at home. She describes the Blue #2 steel as incredibly forgiving - even leaving it wet after getting pulled away mid-task has produced no rust, and after a couple months of use the patina is developing nicely. She also praises the burnt urushi handle as gorgeous and says she cannot speak highly enough of the knife for the price. Stuart Johnson bought it intending to use it as a mini-gyuto-style utility knife and it quickly became his go-to do-it-all blade - not too thick, with a general-purpose shape that is taller at the heel than most petties for knuckle clearance, and rockered just enough for general board work.
Our honesuki sayas do not fit this knife. Get the blade guard instead.
Care Instructions: Blue #2 is a reactive carbon steel and will patina with use. Wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use. Hand wash only. Apply camellia oil for long-term storage.
The name Yusaku reflects the kanji on the blade: the final character can be read as Yu or Suke, and the first kanji, Saku, means work. Yusaku translates loosely as the work of, or produced by, Kousuke. This 150mm honesuki is built from Blue #2 steel laminated with soft iron using the san mai method, leaving the forger scale (kurouchi) visible on the blade face. The grind is well realized and sophisticated - thin behind the edge with a nice overall profile. It comes with a Japanese octagonal handle finished in traditional burnt urushi.
What Customers Are Saying: Kaya, a professional chef, uses this honesuki to trim and process more than 40 pounds of chicken, beef, and pork nearly every day, maintaining the edge with nothing more than a honing rod between tasks and a nightly hone and strop at home. She describes the Blue #2 steel as incredibly forgiving - even leaving it wet after getting pulled away mid-task has produced no rust, and after a couple months of use the patina is developing nicely. She also praises the burnt urushi handle as gorgeous and says she cannot speak highly enough of the knife for the price. Stuart Johnson bought it intending to use it as a mini-gyuto-style utility knife and it quickly became his go-to do-it-all blade - not too thick, with a general-purpose shape that is taller at the heel than most petties for knuckle clearance, and rockered just enough for general board work.
Our honesuki sayas do not fit this knife. Get the blade guard instead.
Care Instructions: Blue #2 is a reactive carbon steel and will patina with use. Wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use. Hand wash only. Apply camellia oil for long-term storage.
- Blacksmith: Kousuke Muneishi
- Location: Tosa, Japan
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Edge Steel: Blue #2
- Cladding: Soft Iron
- Finish: Kurouchi
- Edge Grind: Even
- Handle: Burnt Urushi Octagonal
- Weight: 3.6 oz (102 g)
- Blade Length: 154mm
- Total Length: 286mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 4mm
- Blade Height: 38mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) It’s like an extension of my arm, June 18, 2025Posted By: Kaya
21 people found this review helpful
This little knife holds a ridiculous edge with very minimal effort. I’m a professional chef and use this little honesuki to trim and process 40+ pounds of chicken, beef, and pork nearly every day. Even with all of that use, all I have to do to maintain the edge is hit it with the honing rod between tasks and hone and strop it each night when I get home. The blue #2 steel is incredibly forgiving. I’ve definitely left it wet after getting pulled away from my task several times and haven’t seen a spot of rust. I’ve been using it for a couple months now and the patina is really starting to come through. It also doesn’t hurt that the burnt urushi handle is gorgeous. I really can’t speak highly enough about this knife, especially for the price.
21 people found this review helpful
This little knife holds a ridiculous edge with very minimal effort. I’m a professional chef and use this little honesuki to trim and process 40+ pounds of chicken, beef, and pork nearly every day. Even with all of that use, all I have to do to maintain the edge is hit it with the honing rod between tasks and hone and strop it each night when I get home. The blue #2 steel is incredibly forgiving. I’ve definitely left it wet after getting pulled away from my task several times and haven’t seen a spot of rust. I’ve been using it for a couple months now and the patina is really starting to come through. It also doesn’t hurt that the burnt urushi handle is gorgeous. I really can’t speak highly enough about this knife, especially for the price.
My go-to #1 knife!Posted By: Stuart Johnson
13 people found this review helpful
I bought this with the intent of using it like a mini-gyuto style utility knife. It has quickly become my first choice do-it-all knife! The blade is not too thick and it has a good general purpose shape, not as triangular as some honesukis. I like this shape because it is taller at the heel than most pettys to give knuckle clearance on the board, rockered just enough for general board work, and with a fine tip for delicate in-hand work. Fit and finish and edge grind are very good for a rustic style knife.
13 people found this review helpful
I bought this with the intent of using it like a mini-gyuto style utility knife. It has quickly become my first choice do-it-all knife! The blade is not too thick and it has a good general purpose shape, not as triangular as some honesukis. I like this shape because it is taller at the heel than most pettys to give knuckle clearance on the board, rockered just enough for general board work, and with a fine tip for delicate in-hand work. Fit and finish and edge grind are very good for a rustic style knife.
