• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Cooking Zone
  • Home Zone
  • Cleaning
  • Knives
  • Storage Containers

Home Cooking Zone

November 8, 2021 Knives

Miyabi vs. Yoshihiro: Pros & Cons of Both Brands Revealed!

Whether you are a professional chef or simply cooking up gourmet meals at home, having a quality knife or two on hand is important. Japanese knives have the reputation of being the best of the best, and Miyabi and Yoshihiro are two big names to consider. But which should you choose?

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Brand Pros Cons
Miyabi Traditional Japanese craftsmanship Expensive
Exceptional sharpness Requires experience to use
High-quality materials
Ergonomic design
Yoshihiro Traditional Japanese craftsmanship Overwhelming selection
High-quality materials
Multiple blade options
Affordable
Excellent customer service

 

If you’re in the market for a new knife or set of knives to up your game in the kitchen, read on to discover the pros and cons of the Miyabi and Yoshihiro brands.

Pros and Cons of Miyabi Knives

In the modern Japanese language, miyabi means elegance, refinement, or courtliness. It embodies the sensitive expression of beauty and rejects the idea of crudity and roughness. These qualities are highly valued and sought after in Japan, and the name reflects the spirit of Miyabi knives as well.

Since 2004, Miyabi has been a part of the Zwilling Group based in Germany, but its knives are actually manufactured in Seki, Japan. Combining finely tuned German engineering with centuries of Japanese craftsmanship results in beautiful products that function well in the kitchen.

The high quality of a Miyabi knife is evident in the care with which it’s manufactured. One single knife involves a 100-step process that takes 42 days to complete.

Pros of Miyabi Knives

The beauty and functionality of Miyabi knives are hard to beat. These knives are statement pieces that get the chef’s work done and look great doing it.

Made in Japan

Miyabi knives are designed and made in Japan by Japanese experts using authentic techniques.

Blade Design

Miyabi’s asymmetrical blades have an exceptionally sharp double bevel honed to the 9.5° to 12° edge angle found in traditional Japanese knives. Honbazuke, meaning true cutting edge, is Miyabi’s three-step honing process, completed by hand, to give their blades the extreme sharpness for which they’re known.

Along with their sharpness, the blades are thin and lightweight, a design that gives the user superior cutting performance.

Quality of Materials

The Miyabi brand uses three types of steel to give their knives the best cutting blade out there. These steels have different ratings (RC) on the Rockwell scale, which measures how hard or soft a steel is, and consequently, how well it holds an edge.

Type of Steel Components Rockwell Best Used By:
SG2 Microcarbide Powder 63 Highly experienced users
VG10 Cobalt, Molybdenum,   Vanadium 60 Users with some experience
Special Formula Carbon, Chromium 57 First-time users

 

  • SG2 steel: Evenly spaced carbides offer exceptional sharpness.
  • VG10 steel: The complex make-up of this steel offers long-lasting edges.
  • Special Formula steel: This blend provides hardness and resistance to corrosion.

Appearance and Ergonomic Design

In addition to being functional, a Miyabi knife is also beautiful by design. The dimples of Damascus steel on the blades are enhanced by smooth wood or wood-look handles.

Best of all, Miyabi knives just feel good in the hand-balanced and ergonomically designed to feel like an extension of the chef.

The Cons of Miyabi Knives

For a professional chef, there’s very little downside to a Miyabi knife. For the average home user, there are a couple of points to consider.

Expensive

All of this quality in materials and craftsmanship comes at a price. A Miyabi knife resides in the upper stratosphere of the Japanese knife world. One knife can easily cost $300-$400 while knife blocks soar to $1200 plus. Purchasing a Miyabi knife is definitely an investment.

Ease of Use

If you’re not used to the asymmetrical nature of the blade, a Miyabi knife can be more difficult to use than a standard chef’s knife. Combined with its extreme sharpness, you’ll need to be very careful when using these knives. However, once you grow accustomed to a Miyabi knife's feel and cutting ability, you may never use another knife again.

The Pros and Cons of Yoshihiro Knives

Yoshihiro has been making knives for over 100 years. The techniques used to craft their cutlery began centuries ago as a way to make quality swords. Gradually the need for knives became greater than the need for swords, and today’s artisans blend ancient traditions with modern craftsmanship.

The company’s philosophy is Ichigo Ichie which means “every moment is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Knowing that many chefs keep their knives for a lifetime, Yoshihiro’s commitment to their customers is to make excellent knives that will be used and treasured for years.

The Pros of Yoshihiro Knives

Giving customers the chance everyday for the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to use a Yoshihiro knife is what keeps the company going and keeps the customers coming back.

Made in Japan

Although the brand is currently based in Beverly Hills, California, the Yoshihiro website states that the knives are proudly made in Japan. For over 100 years, the company’s knives were primarily sold in Japan. In 2008 they expanded their reach internationally with an online store.

Quality of Materials

Yoshihiro knives are made from a variety of high-quality steels using methods traditionally used in Japanese sword-making.

Type of Steel Components Rockwell Best Used By:
VG10 White, blue high   carbon steel 64-65 Highly skilled & experienced chefs
Blue Steel # 2 High carbon steel 63-64 Highly skilled & experienced chefs
Aoko" Blue Steel #1 Forged with iron 63-64 Highly skilled & experienced chefs
White Steel #2 Forged with iron 62 Anyone
SG2 / R2 Carbon, vanadium, chromium, & molybdenum. 64-65 Professional chefs with high daily workload
VG-1 High carbon and stainless steel 60 Anyone
Molybdenum High carbon Aus-8 stainless steel -- Anyone

 

Multiple Blade Options

Yoshihiro knows that one knife blade doesn’t fit all. For that reason, the brand offers both single- and double-beveled knives. In a nutshell, the combination of blade choice and types of steel can be summarized into four categories:

  • Double bevel stainless steel
  • Single bevel stainless steel
  • Double bevel high carbon steel
  • Single bevel high carbon steel

Affordable

Although not exactly cheap, Yoshihiro knives do come in a range of prices. From the super high-end professional chef investment pieces to more affordable options for everyday home cooks, there is a price point that will appeal to everyone.

Customer Service

Yoshihiro offers those who invest in a Japanese knife or knife set a few “above and beyond” options that reflect their commitment to excellent customer service.

  • Blade sharpening
  • Custom knives
  • Custom engraving

The Cons of Yoshihiro Knives

Frankly, it’s difficult to come up with a con against Yoshihiro knives. The one mentioned here is barely a blip on the negative scale, but it is something to think about when you’re in the market for a Japanese knife.

Overwhelming Choices

It almost seems silly to mention this as a negative, but it can be for some people. A quick glance at the Yoshihiro website reveals almost too many knives to choose from. For those everyday home chefs who just want a good quality knife for the kitchen, it can be very overwhelming.

There are 22 different knife styles. When you combine that with a wide variety of steels and handle choices, one review came up with over 600 different knives. That’s a lot to filter through and narrow down.

Miyabi or Yoshihiro?

You really can’t go wrong with either of these Japanese knife brands. Both are made proudly in Japan by skilled craftsmen with traditional, time-honored techniques that produce a high-quality product.

« German Vs. Japanese Knives: Which Is Superior?
Wusthof Vs. Zwilling: Pros and Cons of Both Revealed! »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

About Us

Copyright © 2025 Home Cooking Zone on the Cookd Pro Theme