Yoshihiro Cutlery Guides & Tips

Illustrated chart comparing Japanese knife types, including gyuto, santoku, nakiri, and yanagi
Complete Guide to Japanese Knives: Types and Uses
A guide to Japanese knife types and their uses, from gyuto and santoku to deba, yanagi, and honesuki, so you can match the right knife to the job.
Yoshihiro Cutlery knife case holding a set of Japanese kitchen knives
How to Care For and Maintain Your Japanese Knives
How to clean, dry, oil, store, and sharpen a Japanese kitchen knife the right way, plus which whetstone grit to use for repair, sharpening, or polishing.
Before and after comparison of a dull versus freshly sharpened knife edge
How to Sharpen Your Knife
How to choose the right whetstone grit and sharpen double-edged or single-edged Japanese knives step by step, from 400 grit repair work to a 10000 grit polish.
Japanese Damascus chef's knife set next to a Western-style chef's knife
Japanese vs German and Western Chef’s Knives: Which Should You Choose for Your Kitchen?
Japanese vs. German chef's knives compared on steel hardness, edge angle, weight, and handle style, so you can pick the right knife for how you cook.
Hayate Hinoura kurouchi gyuto chef's knife with black-forged blue steel blade
Complete Guide to Gyuto Chef Knives: Everything You Need to Know
A complete guide to gyuto chef knives: what makes them different, which steels to consider, top uses, and how to care for and sharpen one properly.
Yoshihiro Hi Soft cutting board on a kitchen counter
Why Everyone is Switching to Hi-Soft Cutting Boards: The Ultimate Guide to Premium Quality
A look at what actually protects a knife edge on a cutting board — how wood, plastic, bamboo, and rubber/EVA compare, and why Yoshihiro's Hi Soft board uses EVA.
Set of Yoshihiro sharpening whetstones in various grits
What Whetstones Should I Get?
How to choose a whetstone by grit, from 400-grit repair stones to 10000-grit polishing, plus how to sharpen, flatten, and maintain your stones.
Close-up of an SG2 steel Japanese knife blade
SG2 vs R2 Steel: A Guide to Premium Japanese Knife Materials
SG2 and R2 are the same premium Japanese knife steel. See its typical composition, hardness range, edge retention, and how to care for an SG2/R2 blade.
Bladesmith forging a Japanese knife over a forge fire
High Carbon Steel Explained: White Steel, Blue Steel, and Super Blue
How White Steel, Blue Steel, and Super Blue compare in Japanese knives, and how sharpening skill, usage habits, and budget should guide which one to choose.