Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

See what's happening with current or completed "Pass Arounds". Forum members occasionally send knives or sharpening stones around to a hand selected group of participants for short term use and feedback/reviews.
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jbart65
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by jbart65 »

This knife is now in my possession. I was surprised how flat it is and my initial impressions are quite favorable.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Altadan »

Woah! How long has this blade been on the road now? Feels like a blast from the past now.
Jeffry, I think there's little doubt you're gonna find many of this knifes qualities very favorable indeed ;)
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by jbart65 »

This one is heading out Tuesday. I gave a good workout over five days.

Pluses: Nice but simple good looks. Tallish blade that tapers nicely to a svelte tip for detailed work. Good balance point at or just in front of the pinch. Excellent chopper, being one of the flatter knives on CKTG. Also excels at G&G.

The hairline cuts exceedingly well. Excelled on virtually all ingredients, from garlic to carrots to sweeties. Easily passed my shaving test for radishes and out-of-hand peeling test on apples. Draw cut quite well on proteins. Reactivity was fairly low for an iron-clad knife.

Cons: Minor quibbles. The polished blade does lead to some stickage and the knife can wedge a touch in the middle part of the hardest and thickest ingredients. Since it's so flat it is not a great rocker and push cutting took a little adjustment in my motion. The tip is a little low for my liking, generally, and it was not because it had been previously tipped. That said, the tip did everything I asked.

Would I buy one? I would - if i didn't have a few other knives performing a similar role. Difference is, the Yahiko Hairline is taller than my Tet Hammered or Yahiko Nashiji. Both of those knives are also on the flattish side and are stainless clad, a big plus.

Verdict: This is an excellent knife at a very good price.
Last edited by jbart65 on Mon Mar 19, 2018 4:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by J david »

Glad you liked it Jeffry. I gotta learn how to peel an apple in hand with a 240. Much respect.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by jbart65 »

Forget to mention. The Hairline sounds great on a cutting board. Maybe the best thump of any knife I've used. Got me wondering why ...

The apple peeling test is a good one, David, but I won't say I am especially adept at it!

I peel half an apple using a gyuto like a parer. Then I grab the front half of the knife like I am way choked up on a bat and do the other half. Tells me a lot about a knife in ways that normal use does not. Shorter knives naturally have an advantage, but a taller knife that excels ... well, that's something.

Don't remember why I started. I think I saw a video of a Japanese chef peeling an apple with a knife. He did it faster, more cleanly and with less waste than most people with a regular peeler. Now I peel all my apples that way for eating. Good way to improve my skills and hone my manual dexterity. I've even weighed the waste from peeling an apple normally and doing a similarly sized one with a gyuto. I've gotten to the point that the weights are comparable, but I am still faster with a peeler.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Bensbites »

^^^ impressive Apple work.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Lepus »

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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Chefcallari »

That EXACT clip is the reason i wanted to be a chef . i think i was 7 or 8 years old....

I literally thought he was super human. I wanted that skill so bad. I was (and still am) in awe of his skills.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Altadan »

I actually used the Yahiko to peel apple (slices, not whole), and I did it pretty quick, AND I have it on video (failed footage).
This guy up here though... is the reason I will never upload that one of mine :v hahaha!
I tried that last night on a couple of apples. Timed myself at an excruciating three minutes, with wrist hurting, and kid waiting... got some practice before I get to.. what? 20 seconds??? Oh boy
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Chefspence »

Best iron chef ever. I used to watch the show mainly for him before I even had a real interest in being a chef.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Kalaeb »

Another white two iron clad j knife to come out in a very crowded space. The Yahkio hairline is and rightfully should be getting some praise. The knife is beautifully finished, even after being in a passaround and who knows how many people used it before I did. I can tell the attention to finish under a coating of patina. From my vantage point, it seems finishing parallel to the edge using a non-machined method. This knife, above the heel clocks in at 4.2mm, that in among itself is enough to make some users pass, but make no mistake this knife does not cut like a knife having that grade. Within an inch is drops to 3.4, 2.9, 2.5..you get the picture, the distal taper is well executed to a tip that is about 1.4mm an inch from the tip. IMO, the is no reason to buy a knife that is not able to execute some degree of distal taper and this knife fits that bill well enough.

As stated before, don’t let the 4+mm at the heel fool you, the combination of distal taper and height (52mm at heel) make there plenty of room for a well-executed convex mid-section to a fantastically thin edge. (I really like knives that are thicker at the spine, certainly makes for a more comfortable cutting experience).

This particular knife had been tipped prior to arriving to me, so I don’t know what that added or subtracted, but the fixed tip did fine.

The Kanji appears to be chiseled and has both right and left markings, The handle is very well done. It is some sort of non-stabilized blond wood with a smooth finish. Even after getting wet it did not appear to raise the grain. The ferrule is buffalo horn. This particular version does have some movement between the ferrule and handle which is to be expected when using natural materials. A good soak in oil may remedy some of that, but users should not freak when it does happen. My only grip about the handle is it feels slightly undersized.

Which brings me to the balance point. The handle is very light weight which makes the balance point a full two-two and a half inches forward from the heel. IMO, this is too far forward for me it makes the knife feel more cumbersome than it should. My Masamoto by comparison has a balance point about an inch in front of the heel and it feels ridiculously nimble, despite being an extra 10mm longer.

So, at the end of the day, how does it cut? Great. I have no complaints. As stated before it is a great knife in a crowded niche, the amount of good knives in this range make it very difficult, but I would have no qualms about recommending this knife and definitely would not counter act anyone thinking about purchasing.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Lepus »

I've been using this knife for a few days. It's been pretty alright so far, but is facing stiff competition.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Lepus »

I'm going to be sending the knife out today.

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Kalaeb's points ring true for me. When I first saw this line, it struck me as CKTG's effort to bring a high end Sanjo knife into the Yahiko house brand. I own three Sanjo gyutos right now and it is in the face of those that this Yahiko needs to compete. It is not quite the cutter my Watanabe is, it is not as wonderfully idiosyncratic as my Gihei is, and it is not as easy to maintain as my Wakui is. I'm going to give it a bit more thought this evening.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by jbart65 »

It is true. This knife does not cut as well as a Watanabe. It's not as idiosyncratic as a Gihei. And Ittu-Ryu (Wakui?) is easier to care for. The competition is indeed tough.

In its favor, the Yahiko hairline is $125 less than a Wantanabe, It's lighter and has a thinner tip than the Gihei, a big knife that's not for everyone. And I'd contend the Yahiko hairline cuts as well if not better than an Ittu-Ryu that I borrowed.

Who should buy it? Tough to say. A stainless clad Wakui can be had for just a bit more. The biggest selling point is probably the profile. If you want a flat, fairly tall, forward-weighted knife for chopping and a thin, useful tip, don't want to spend a ton and don't mind a reactive blade, this is a pretty good deal. You gain entry to the world of Sanjo too.

Not many CKTG offerings are as flat as this one in any version of steel. The Sekiso sells at the same price and is a better knife, but it's also got a lot more belly.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Cutuu »

Ive received the knife, safe and sound.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

I'm talking to the blacksmith that makes these to use his real name. I think he's convinced. Some of you will know him. I told Ramon... hahahahah
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Lepus »

Yeah, I recognized the box. He should let you use his name, the knife is a credit to it.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Cutuu »

ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Mon Apr 09, 2018 10:41 am I'm talking to the blacksmith that makes these to use his real name. I think he's convinced. Some of you will know him. I told Ramon... hahahahah
That would be really cool!
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by Cutuu »

Lepus wrote: Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:09 am Yeah, I recognized the box. He should let you use his name, the knife is a credit to it.
+1 even though it would be the same knive, I think it would give insight into it and increase sales. And we could post some interesting pics.
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Re: Yahiko Shirogami Hairline 240 passaround

Post by J david »

It's not much of a secret already.
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