Is there anything worse than trying to slice your way through food with a blunt and ineffective knife? Or what about when you’re attempting to chop things with precision, and your knife just won’t let you do so? If only there were a tool out there that could help you change this!
Well, there is!
Sashimi knives have been a big part of Japanese cooking culture for many years. While traditionally used to make sushi, they’ve developed into a tool that anyone can use in the kitchen at any time.
These long precision blades represent the ultimate cutting tool - but how do you find the best one? Luckily for you, there’s no need to do a lot of research as I’ve done it instead! Take a look at my comprehensive reviews of the best Sashimi knives money can buy:
Top 5 Best Sashimi Knife On The Market
Last update on 2022-01-06 at 13:28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Table of Contents Top 5 Best Sashimi Knife On The Market1. Yoshihiro VG-10 - The Professional Choice2. Yoshihiro VGYA240SH - A Premium Knife That’s Built For Comfort3. Mercer Culinary Asian Collection Yanagi Sashimi Knife - Great For Cutting Large Itemst4. Happy Sales HSSR400 Japanese Long Sashimi Knife - Brilliant For Beginners5. Royal Chef’s Knife - Best Sashimi Knife In Terms Of Value For MoneyBuyer’s Guide Best Sashimi Knife
1. Yoshihiro VG-10 - The Professional Choice
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Sashimi knives have become so popular that they’re used by everyday cooks at home and professional chefs. The first offering on this list is a 9.5-inch offering from Yoshihiro. This is one of the premium brands when it comes to this particular type of knife, and that’s reflected in the quality of the product.
You get a double-edged blade that’s so incredibly sharp it can cut through just about any food you can think of. The style of this sashimi knife is also very unique with a stunning Japanese-style pattern running up and down the blade.
There’s no escaping the fact that this is a really high-quality piece of kitchen equipment. It’s been forged and hammered with a massive 46 layers of steel to make it as durable and competent as possible.
The long narrow blade offers the utmost precision when preparing ingredients for a meal. It can be used to slice fish, chop vegetables, or even carve your roast dinner.
The handle is made out of Shitan rosewood to give it an elegant finish and extreme comfort in your hand. It feels very balanced when you hold it - unlike a lot of other kitchen knives that can sometimes feel like the blade is heavier than the handle.
You also get a nice little holster with it to keep the blade clean and protected.
All of this is great, but there is one major drawback; Unless you’re a professional chef, or someone that’s really into cooking and must have the best equipment out there, then it’s not going to be worth the money for you.
Pros
- Absolutely amazing quality
- Stylish design with a patterned blade
- Comfortable and well-balanced
- Slices with precision
- Good size to use for many kitchen tasks
Cons
- Way over budget for the majority of people
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2. Yoshihiro VGYA240SH - A Premium Knife That’s Built For Comfort
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The handle is also very well balanced and designed specifically for comfort purposes. This is such a nice knife to use as your hand doesn’t get sore and you feel like you’ve got complete control over it. You can finely slice and dice a lot of different things with it as the blade isn’t too long. Another nice feature is that it’s entirely stain resistant as well.
There won’t be any rust forming on the blade as a result of leftover water residue, which is always a positive. You also get a sheath that fits the knife like a glove and keeps it away from things like common kitchen odors, stains, and anything else that may accidentally come in contact with it. This ensures the quality remains for as long as possible.
Again, the main bad thing about this Sashimi knife is the price. It’s still costly, though it is slightly cheaper than the first product. Does it really offer a performance that warrants such a high cost? That’s up to you to decide, and another drawback is that you can only hand clean it, which is slightly inconvenient.
Pros
- Fantastic quality from a tremendous brand
- Long and sharp knife
- Perfect for precision slicing
- Lovely design and blade cover
- Stain resistant
- Designed to fit in your hand with the utmost comfort
Cons
- Not dishwasher safe
- Very expensive
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3. Mercer Culinary Asian Collection Yanagi Sashimi Knife - Great For Cutting Large Itemst
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Immediately, you notice two things that are different about this Sashimi knife. For one, it’s a fair bit cheaper than the previous two knives on this list. But, the standout feature is the length of the blade. It has a massive 12-inch blade that’s made from German steel and is engineered to be razor sharp.
It doesn’t quite look as cool as some of the other products, but it still has a very unique style to it. Anyway, the 12-inch blade is fantastic if you need a knife to cut through substantial items of food. This makes it the ideal carving knife, or something you’ll use when slicing through really big and thick pieces of meat.
Aside from the blade, there’s also a lovely handle too. You actually have two different options here; a traditional wood one or a slip-resistant Santoprene handle.
If your hands get sweaty easily, then the second option is so good as it really helps you maintain a firm grip on the knife. One thing I really liked about this knife was the incredible build quality and durability.
It’s an NSF certified knife, which means it’s been tested thoroughly and meets the standard of safety, quality, and performance. You even get a lifetime warranty with it so you can be safe in the knowledge that you’re not buying something that will just break or succumb to rust quickly.
What don’t I like about this knife? Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the handle regarding its size. Yes, I think it looks great, and the slip-resistant version provides nice grippage, but it just feels a bit small. If you have big hands, then this might be an issue for you.
What’s more, I’d like for there to be a sheath included as well, and I do think that 12 inches is great for cutting big items, but not that versatile with regards to cutting other things.
Pros
- Amazing quality blade
- Super sharp for precision cutting
- Great for large items of food
- Limited lifetime warranty included
Cons
- No blade sheath
- Not dishwasher safe
- A bit too long for regular kitchen use
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4. Happy Sales HSSR400 Japanese Long Sashimi Knife - Brilliant For Beginners
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The Sashimi knife from Happy Sales is brilliant if you want something that’s very cheap but still gets the job done. It comes with an 8-inch long blade which makes it pretty much the ideal size for a kitchen knife. If you talk to any professional chef, they say that most of their cutting gets done with an 8-inch knife. So, when you buy this, you get something that you can use all the time with every meal. It’s a really thin and slender blade too which means it glides through things and gives you a very precise cut.
Having said all that, the main reason this is on my list is that it’s the perfect starting point for beginners. If you’re looking to develop your chopping skills - particularly with regards to sushi - then this is ideal for you.
It won’t cost a fortune, and it does pretty much everything you want it to. You can learn all the different cutting methods and can get used to having a knife like this in your hands. The fact that it’s so cheap means you don’t have to worry too much about maintenance and care.Here, you can be a bit more carefree and enjoy using the knife more.
Speaking from a negative perspective, it’s clearly not the greatest knife on the planet. You aren’t going to have something that’s of premium quality or feel at all. If anything, it feels quite cheap.
Whether or not that bothers you will depend on how much you care about having a Sashimi knife. I will also say that many customers have tried cutting quite firm things with this knife - like potatoes - and haven’t had a great deal of success.
Pros
- Brilliant knife for beginners
- Very cheap and affordable
- Great size
- Fairly versatile
Cons
- Not the best quality
- Will probably break after a year or so of regular use
- Struggles with firm items of food
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5. Royal Chef’s Knife - Best Sashimi Knife In Terms Of Value For Money
- Versatile - handles daily kitchen tasks - slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing of fruits and vegetables
- Japanese 420 stainless steel blade - crafted with japanese stainless steel so that it is sharp
- Full tang - 8" full tang blade runs the entire length of the knife - from tip to handle
- Pakka wood handle- Strong, durable, moisture-resistant pakka wood grip that is beautiful, balanced
- Care - Handle your knife with care
Last update on 2022-01-06 at 13:28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Lastly, we have the Royal Chef’s Knife with a Full Tang Blade made from Japanese Stainless Steel. Right off the bat, you can see a massive selling point; you’ll struggle to find something that’s better value for money than this Sashimi knife. Why? Because it ticks all the boxes; it has a nice 8-inch blade (the perfect size) that’s not too thin or thick. As a result, you can use it for pretty much any chopping task in the kitchen. It can slice fish, dice up vegetables, chop meat, or even mince things as well.
To add to this, the handle is made from an excellent quality Pakka wood, and it’s designed to feel balanced in your hands. The grip is also moisture resistant, so all you sweaty hand worriers can use it without the fear of it slipping and cutting your fingers off.
However, this isn’t a knife if you’re a professional chef and are either looking to add something to your restaurant’s kitchen or want a premium-quality blade at home. There are a few negative reviews for this product, and they’re all from chefs.
Their main gripe is just that it’s nowhere near the quality of professional kitchen knives. But, what can you really expect for the price? For me, the two main negatives are that it’s not as sharp as some of the other knives, and it comes with no protective case or knife block.
Pros
- So affordable
- Good quality considering the price
- Perfect size for general kitchen use
Cons
- Not ideal for any chefs out there
- Could be sharper
- Has not case or block to fit in
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Buyer’s Guide Best Sashimi Knife
You’ve read the reviews, and now it’s time to make your decision. Which Sashimi knife do you think will be best for you? The best way to make an informed purchasing decision is to quickly read through this buyer’s guide:
For the cheapest and most versatile Sashimi knife, get the Royal Chef’s Knife as you can use it for all your cutting tasks in the kitchen.
If you want an excellent beginner tool to learn how to cut sushi or train to be better with a knife, then I say go for the Happy Sales one.
The Mercer Culinary knife is great if you want a reasonably affordable kitchen knife that’s designed to cut big items and is of pretty high quality.
For any professional chefs out there - or anyone that wants a professional experience in their home kitchen - then the Yoshihiro VGYA240SH or VG-10 are the best options for you. There’s not a lot of difference between the two, except the VG-10 is of a slightly higher quality and is a wee bit more expensive.
Survey your options, think about what you need the knife for, and then make a decision that works for you. Soon, you will enjoy a brilliant Sashimi knife in your kitchen.