Yoshimi Echizen (Kintaro)

Yoshimi Echizen knives are designed, forged, and sharpened in one workshop; closely handled and overseen by certified craftsmen in Echizen. They are committed to great quality and inherit and pass down knife-making philosophy and skill-set. This brand is a great example of craftsmanship from Echizen.

These knives have an excellent profile, grind, and distal taper, as well as clean fit and finish. Both the kurouchi and migaki models are clad in stainless steel. The stainless cladding reduces the reactive surface area of the knives to the few millimeters in between the cutting edge and lamination line.

The core is Blue Super carbon steel and clad in a kurouchi stainless steel. This model will have better edge retention and corrosion resistance than the White #2 model. Conversely, it will not get quite as sharp, will be more time-consuming to sharpen, and will be a bit more brittle than the White #2 model.  They are also a tiny bit thicker at the spine than the White #2.

Recently, the maker has decided to rebrand as Yoshimi Echizen to be more consistent with their brand and company name.  In this transitional period, you may see knives with different markings on the box and different engravings on the knife.

Yoshimi Echizen knives are designed, forged, and sharpened in one workshop; closely handled and overseen by certified craftsmen in Echizen. They are committed to great quality and inherit and pass down knife-making philosophy and skill-set. This brand is a great example of craftsmanship from Echizen.

These knives have an excellent profile, grind, and distal taper, as well as clean fit and finish. Both the kurouchi and migaki models are clad in stainless steel. The stainless cladding reduces the reactive surface area of the knives to the few millimeters in between the cutting edge and lamination line.

The core is Super Gold 2 (SG2) stainless steel, engineered for superior edge retention and excellent sharpness. It's clad with a softer stainless steel that has a stylized star-patterned tsuchime. This model will have similar toughness to the Blue Super model, which is not to say tough, but not crazy brittle like a lot of powdered stainless steels out there.

Yoshimi Echizen knives are designed, forged, and sharpened in one workshop; closely handled and overseen by certified craftsmen in Echizen. They are committed to great quality and inherit and pass down knife-making philosophy and skill-set. This brand is a great example of craftsmanship from Echizen.

These knives have an excellent profile, grind, and distal taper, as well as clean fit and finish. Both the kurouchi and migaki models are clad in stainless steel. The stainless cladding reduces the reactive surface area of the knives to the few millimeters in between the cutting edge and lamination line.

The core is White #2 carbon steel and clad with polished stainless steel. This model will have better toughness, will sharpen more easily, and will take a sharper edge than the Blue Super model. Conversely, it is more reactive to moisture and acidic foods, and will require more frequent sharpening than the Blue Super model. They are also a bit thinner at the spine compared to the Blue Super.

Recently, the maker has decided to rebrand as Yoshimi Echizen to be more consistent with their brand and company name.  In this transitional period, you may see knives with different markings on the box and different engravings on the knife.