Yaxell Mon 8" Kiritsuke Knife

Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one: the price is very reasonable for a Japanese-made Kiritsuke. Was pleasantly surprised with the quality. It has a nice weight and balance to it, and the thin-but-strong blade makes it really well-suited for slicing vegetables (onions!) and meats.

First off, it’s a pretty knife. Not too much bling like a Damascus or hand hammered but attractive nonetheless. The cork sniffers that “cook” with $300 knives don’t find a lot of love for this line from Yaxell, probably because it’s their cheapest. This thing is sharp has held an edge and if it’s lost or broken I wouldn’t be out a pile of cash. It is a great knife shape I’ve never used before so I cannot compare it to other Kiritsuke knives.

I have a huge collection of Japanese kitchen knives but relatively few Yaxell yet, so I bought actually two of them, the Kiritsuke and a Santoku knide. Both are excellent knives, Yaxell is right up with Shun and Miyabi.

This knife is amazing. Comes out of the box very sharp, love the design (not too over the top). Great for cutting hefty items and can filet fish and poultry with no problems. I love this knife.

I bought this knife, it came quickly and it's a dream. Super sharp and easy use. Cut through a butternut squash with ease.