Yaxell Takehisa 8" Gyuto Chef's Knife

I talked with a Yaxell by email and he said these are the last of their kind. They will never be produced again due to great difficulty they had in manufacturing. They are the ultra super stars of the Yaxell range produced apparently only last year 2022 before early discontinuation. The Takehisa range of three knives, the fourth, the 240mm Gyuto, I have never seen, was the ultimate combination of high tech Japanese metallurgy combined with supreme traditional Japanese craftsmanship. The production process took over five weeks and each knife was subject to five or six different stages of sharpening. Quality control for these knives was on a level unheard of anywhere else. So much effort as to be unprofitable. As mentioned by others the ZD Hitachi steel is insanely hard (and brittle) combined with the 200 odd layers of forging and you get a blade that is amazing in its physical existence let alone fabulous in its traditionally visually understated Japanese style finish. Before the end of 2022 only a handful were ever produced. If you are lucky enough to own one treasure it as they will never be produced again and there were few places in the world where you could even buy one. The Takehisa line is a masterpiece of modern production and tradition all in one. A technological work of art that will increase in value over time if you could ever find one for sale again.

I currently have 5 knives with blade cores made from ZDP189. Some of which I had to sharpen right out of the box. Now for most knives this is no problem. However, ZDP189 is extremely hard to sharpen due to the very high carbide content. To my delight, the Yaxell Takehisa 8” Gyuto was by far the sharpest kitchen knife out of the box I’ve ever purchased.

I find the Takehisa to be a great knife for proteins. Slices through meat with ease. However, it is not my go-to knife for vegetables. The profile has significant belly. I typically don’t use my Japanese knives for rocking type cutting - I use a push cut. It’s too easy to have the hard, sharp edge dig into the cutting board. One tiny twist will produce a chipped blade. So, due to the lack of a large flat section on the Takehisa’s profile, I will use a Nakiri or another of my Gyutos for vegetables.

The knife is exquisitely crafted. It is one you will want to hang on your magnetic strip, if you have one. I highy recommend the Yaxell Takehisa.