Reddit reviews Kai Wasabi Black Yanagiba Knife, 8 1/4-Inch
We found 6 Reddit comments about Kai Wasabi Black Yanagiba Knife, 8 1/4-Inch. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Japanese style Yanagiba knife, used for slicing ultra-thin slices for dishes such as sushi and sashimiMade with Daido 1K6 high-carbon, stainless steel for superior edge retentionUnique, single-sided blade design, embellished with the Japanese character for' Wasabi'Blades are bead-blasted to an attractive finish, handle is sturdy, clean polypropylene blendDishwasher safe, hand washing recommended; Limited lifetime , made in Japan
I'm a huge fan of this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0016GZA3O/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1369339960&sr=8-3&pi=SL75
So far its had great edge retention, sharpens nicely (I use a water stone ~1000 grit), and has proven to be quite durable (from the un-chef roommate test). And apparently Shun is the parent company.
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Similar to the Vic Fibrox series in a loose sense (same class of handle materials and blade steel) but in a different form factor (Japanese-style handles, geometry, etc) is the Kai Wasabi series.
It's not BIFL in the "this is going to wear and patina and be a great heirloom" sense, but they are really, really good at twice the price. I've picked up a couple (deba + yanagiba) and used the hell out of them and they've displaced knives many times more expensive. I also bought a few as a gift for a friend graduating culinary school; several years and sharpenings later, they still look and work very well!
Sounds like it is just a cheap metal material. It's best to have one good knife and use it a lot to learn how it cuts and how the weight is. I would suggest using your cheap yanagiba as a junk knife and go buy a nicer knife and just really learn its feel.
How much are you willing to spend?
Yanagiba 32 bucks
I own this as one of my side knives. It's cheap but the metal is quite strong and holds a edge well. The handle is on the small side and its a little light but it's a great intro knife.
I have the Victorinox boning and slicing knives and they both perform well. They aren't fancy, but they don't need to be. I also have a KAI (company that owns Kershaw, Shun, and others) Japanese style asymmetrical slicer that was about 40 bucks and I only use it for precise slicing. Just make sure to specify left handed or right handed, I linked the right handed one because that's what you're likely to be.
Great over all knife.
I work as a sushi chef and I've used plenty of knives that range from the high-end to low-end. Honestly this knife has the best bang for its buck out of all of the knives I've used.
Pros:
-Cheap
-It actually has a concave back side
-Reliable.
-Same company that produces Shun cutlery.
Cons:
-There's a secondary bevel on the cutting edge.
-The reason that there's a secondary bevel is because it's made from a lower end softer steel. Sharpness vs. edge retention. You lose out on the knife's full potential sharpness but you gain an edge retention.
All in all. I love using this knife. It's such a banger. Highly recommended!