How to Sharpen Your Yanagiba
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- Опубликовано: 3 сен 2017
- How to Sharpen Your Yangiba - How to Sharpen Your Sushi Knives
In this video I'll show you how to sharpen your yanagiba - the most common single bevel knife used in sushi! Sharpening your sushi knives on wet stones is crucial for obtaining the very best edge.
If you have any questions about this process, feel free to ask your question in the comments below!
Here's the equipment I used in this video:
King 1000/6000 Whetstone: amzn.to/2tsgkw8
Steelex Sharpening Stone Holder: amzn.to/2t3vybE
Cambro Polycarbonate Tub: amzn.to/2umtHTa
For more information about rolling sushi at home, be sure to check out my website: www.secretsofsushi.com/rolling...
For more info about the equipment I use, check out: secretsofsushi.com/essential-e... 
Хобби
This is yet another gem of a video at the Secrets of Sushi website, and of course I'm signed up/subscribed now after finding your site yesterday, have been liking the videos one by one as I watched them, and learning more than I ever did working in the Japanese restaurant I used to be a line cook in. I always wanted to learn the Secrets and skills of making great sushi after watching the sushi chef at work on the job when I had a break, and now I've found a good primer course and channel to do that at.
Even the 'minor' things that most western chefs would not consider are given such care and attention in the traditional Japanese method of preparation, and like many things in their culture, it is the work of artisans, masters, and time-honored tradition developed over many generations.
Your explanations are thorough, the range of knowledge you share Chef Bryan Sekine is considerable, and most of the videos are 'bite size' like properly prepared sushi and sashimi! I would be interested to hear your viewpoints or understanding of the history and tradition of Japanese cooking and sushi, how it developed, and how it may have changed or grown. I'd like to hear about your training and studies, and some of the top chefs you've met or had a chance to get to know.
Bring on a few guests to discuss such topics in your videos please! It would be interesting to feature sake, wine, and beer experts as well to discuss pairing Japanese dishes with alcohol, and of course the obligatory tea segment, an art in itself. I favor genmai cha personally, but there is a considerable range of tea, and like nori, many standards and grades.
Miso is also a topic and important part of the meal, whether in soups or sauces, and I favor the organic Miso Master company products produced in my region near Asheville, NC, although it is not made in the strictest Japanese style like Mitoku Macrobiotic. For seaweed of many varieties, Maine Coast Sea Vegetables is my go-to here in the states, also organic and sustainably harvested and tested.
The cultural traditions of this culinary art form, as well as the dietary aspects, are of interest to me as well, and I've studied macrobiotics and Japanese cooking on my own to learn more over the years, but there is no substitute for master training made accessible to the student. Even though in some ways the Japanese art of cooking and preparation seems simple, there is a purpose and reason for all of steps.
Here in this 14 minute video, you displayed the 'knife's edge' in great detail of sharpening our Yanagiba, which I'll need to practice. Since I don't currently own one, perhaps you could dedicate a couple of videos to the best qualities and companies to look for in knives for various applications. I can see in the coming year I need quite a few more items for my kitchen for proper preparation, knives, graters, peelers, various chopsticks, and proper sushi plates and bowls. It can be an expensive enterprise, but complements the art of the food and preparation.
Also, if you have any feedback concerning the level of contamination in our oceans by pollution, or dire and massive events like Fukushima, that would be an important topic to discuss for those looking to safely and sustainably source their sashimi. Guides to preparing or sourcing pickled or prepared vegetables and ingredients would be of interest, such as burdock, daikon, ginger, etc., as I try to avoid unnatural preservatives, coloring agents, and other less healthy processing.
Please remember to keep the music/soundtrack in the background at a level where it doesn't override your voice and video, which I see you corrected after one of the earlier videos from a few years ago, and your audio and video is quite professional now. For unfamiliar terms in the videos that don't have subtitles, or they have inaccurate subtitles, it would be helpful to post or flash those up on the screen, or include them in show notes.
I hope my post hasn't been too long, but like you, I have a passion for preparing various styles, and Japanese remains my favorite cuisine when properly done. I don't know of many Japanese desserts, other than perhaps green tea or aduki ice cream, so that would be a nice complement to the main dishes and appetizers. Be well, and I hope you prosper in your art and craft in the coming years!
roninreturns Wow! Thank you for taking the time to tell me all about your interests and questions. I will do my best to add these to my list of content to create!
Best english explanation for yanagiba knife sharpening i've seen/heard so far! I liked how you explained the reasons behind each and every step, it makes a lot of sense now. Before I just sharpened my knife by feel and it never really felt right; but watching this video really helped to clarify how to sharpen a Yanagiba properly. Thank you, and keep up the great work!
You read my mind... I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! I was just looking for a tutorial on this yesterday, but kept coming up blank. Thank you so much!
Haha that's awesome! I hear great minds think alike. ;) Thanks for watching!
please keep doing video.. thank you for helping me alot!
dude great tutorial, you saved my knife, im so happy seeing my knife as sharp as it was brand new, feels so much better working again!
That's awesome! So glad to hear that, man. Having your knife feel brand new again is the best feeling in the world!
This is the way to make a knife sharpening tutorial. Very nicely done!
Thank you so much!
I dunno about the micro-bevel..., but the go-pro camera angle was perfect, really made the techniques and "feel" click with me
Leone, I was skeptical about the micro bevelbfor years, but Burrfection has made me a believer. If you haven't seen his channel, I would definitely go check it out!
been watching a ton of yanagiba sharpening videos, as i soon will have to do my first attempt at sharpening mine. I've seen two different styles of sharpening one. The first one would be yours,
"Korin Knives" and "burrfections" style where you do a straight bevel between the shinogi line and the edge, then add microbevel. the second style is where people create a small arcing bevel between the shinogi line and the edge but sharpening the two separately, pushing the shinogi line up towards the back of the knife. I've seen this style recommended from "Japanese Knife Imports" and from different knifeforums. It appears that is how my knife was sharpened from the blacksmith that made it. With that small arcing bevel, but i find it difficult af to find the right angle on shinogi line and i dont want to undercut the angle fucking up my new knife. Do you know about this style of sharpening?
@Leone Yanagiba is tapered, thick at heel, and thin at tip. If you do like brrfection, you will eventually lose the belly near tip of knife.
Don't follow brrfection
Thanks for this video! I've been so afraid to do this for fear of messing up my knives. This was so helpful!
Always happy to help!
Thanks Brian!
Thanks so much for this video, I still have no idea what I'm doing but you really have made a great how to video.
Thank you! Do you have any specific questions that I can help with?
The King 6000 is not a soaking stone. There are warnings on the box that it might crack. I used to submerge it too but now I only soak the 1000 part.
I know this is an old comment and you have probably seen others say this already so I apologize in advance if you have. I actually have the King 6000 (the single grit S-1 6000, not the combo) and it is a resinoid stone, it will only crack if you dry it too quickly after soaking it because the stone isn't porous, the outside dries much more quickly than the inside so it will contract around the inside as it loses mass causing cracks. Most resinoid stones can be permanently soaked or a very short 1-2 minute soak.
EDIT: I'd also like to add that soaking the King 6000 will soften the binding agents of the stone, causing it to become softer and release more mud. If that's not what you prefer you can soak for a minute or 2 or use it entirely splash and go
You are the Mike Shinoda of sushi
I recently purchased a Yanagi knife and watched a plethora (3 amigos ref) of sharpening videos and the one question I never had answered was laying down flat 'Shinogi' line to 'Hisaki or hold at a 15 degree angle. Your vid explained that clearly ... I think, lay it down flat on both sides excepting the angled micro bevel.
Yes! You nailed it.
@@Secretsofsushi Couldn't touch it to a stone (or my diamond plates, Atoma) until I had that answered, thanks
Hi chef. Thank you for the video. Can you please explain the purpose of creating a burr starting with uraoshi? It seems to me that you are working the urasaki quite a bit. Most of the videos I have seen suggest starting on the beveled side and knocking the burr off with uraoshi. When I start on the beveled side I create a burr. Am I missing something here?
You know, I don't actually know why you start with the uraoshi. That's the way that I was taught, but it may not necessarily be the best way.
There is a brilliant RUclipsr by the name of Burrfection and he is the best knife sharpener I have seen on RUclips. If he says differently, then I would trust what he says!
@@Secretsofsushi Fair enough. There are so many different techniques in sushi that I’m always worried I’m doing something wrong lol. I see you haven’t posted in some time. Are you still doing sushi?
Yes, I am still doing sushi. I have been busy with catering events and publishing my own cookbook. I swear I will get back to publishing videos though!
@@Secretsofsushi right on. I look forward to seeing more from you
Hi! I have seen many tutorials and some say they don't create a micro bevel, others say they do, so I'm not sure which one is the right way. When would you create it and when not? Is it related with the quality of the knife itself what it Indicates if you are doing it or not? Thank you!
You are absolutely right! This is a very controversial topic amongst knife enthusiasts. I don't know that I have the right answer, but here's the rule that I sharpen my knives by: if it's a thin blade, then don't put a micro bevel on it. If I have a thin blade used for articulated work, slicing vegetables, or delicate carving (like a Thai fruit carving knife) then I don't put a micro bevel on it. If my blade is thicker, then I out a micro bevel on it.
This is just my opinion, but I feel like my edge lasts longer if a micro bevel is applied correctly. It is a little tricky to get it right so test this on one of your cheaper knives first.
@@Secretsofsushi Thank you! I would only use my knife mainly to cut sashimi and nigiri, and other salmon varieties. So? What do you say? Thanks!
Is it a yanagiba?
@@Secretsofsushi Yes, but not an expensive one. The Brand is Tramontina, a very famous and good one, but definitely not a Japanese knifes specialist. It did not come with the concave side so I had to have it manually done. Made of non rusting steel, seems to be a hard blade. Thanks!
@@hernanrios7622 I would add a micro bevel to it, then. Best of luck with your knife!
Ok Monke thx.
Great. Now I'm doomed. I imagine this phone call in the near future: "Hey dude! Let's meet up at the bar in an hour! HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS!!!" "Naw dog, I can't. I've got to stay home and perfect my uraoshi." :(
Biggest problem is the Japanese make a knife for everything I have completely removed western knives from my kitchen over the past year as I've accumulated enough Japanese knives to do the trick and there are still multiple knives I don't have ... not to mention the stone progression I acquired wasn't exactly cheap
When I go out I see that the restaurant makes shrimp tempura sushi but they fry the whole roll. Can you make a video on that?
Victor Perez Sure, I can add that to my list!
My yanagiba has another microbevel. So I believe when I'm sharpening the shinogi line, it doesn't sharpen the edge.
My knife, which is only used for a few times, came in so dull that it can't even cut paper like u did. I don't know whats wrong.
There are some knife companies that don't do the "final sharpening" before shipping the knives. The final sharpening is when the microbevel is either established or skipped entirely (which is a highly debated subject among chefs, but ultimately just a personal preference).
How much degrees ?
Where can you buy a Yangiba?
On amazon or a Asian market, particularly a Japanese/Korean one. Or some stores in JapanTowns or ChinaTowns if ur city has one =)
Is that the name of this knife?yanagiba
Yes it is
So I'm pretty confused. Lol. Sorry. It looks like there are actually two bevels on the right side of the knife. It looks like you're sharpening the Shinogi line only. But then you have a second bevel on top of that one that looks more reflective. I don't get it. Are you supposed to just run the knife on the Whetstone on the Shinogi line only and then you'll simply have one bevel? I'm lost.
There is only one bevel
My
My Knife gets crazy sharp but hours after gets as dull as a brick why is the edge retention so bad if it is an aogami 1 mid-high end knife?
What kind of cutting board are you using? Has your knife ever been exposed to extreme heat?
@@Secretsofsushi board basically is not the reason because it gets dull with literally no use, the biggest heat that it ever received is washing it by hand
@@danielgilperez3874 how are you storing your knife?
@@Secretsofsushi oiled in its own wooden saya
@@danielgilperez3874 it sounds like you're doing everything right. I have no idea why or how your knife is getting dull. Does your knife get rattled around a lot in the saya?
Discount Mike Shinoda
😂I prefer Mike Shinoda 2.0
It didn't work for me. Trash knife and I hate chisel grinds. Into the woods it goes.
There are so many wrong things in this. Please, look at only professional sharpeners tutorials if you want to sharpen your kataba. Single bevel knives are really easy to fuck up, like the uraoshi on that yanagiba.
What is wrong in this video? Show me specifics and references for what you think is the right way to sharpen a kataba.
@@Secretsofsushi I will discuss the mistakes in incrementing order of importance. The minor ones are more on the shinogi side of the blade. The sharpening process you are showing here is called "beta togi" in Japan. While "beta togi" is not considered traditionally wrong, from a more geometric point of view is not so ideal, since it takes from granted two points that are not true. First one: the bevel from the shinogi line to the edge (kireha) is completely flat; second one: the angle of the kireha is constant from the heel to the tip. The reason why the first point is wrong is because the kireha is actually convex, meaning that you can theoretically divide the kireha in two main spots based on angle: the first one will be from shinogi line to halfway of the kireha, the second one from this point to the koba (the edge of the blade). With the most ideal sharpening method (called hamaguri) you should sharpen them separetely and try to remove the same amount of steel from the shinogi line and from the halfway of kireha to the edge, keeping the original geometry. Then you can try to sharpen the inbetween area in order to blend the two together. The reason why the second point is wrong is because the single bevel knives have consistent distal taper, so the angle of the kireha above the heel is bigger than the angle of the kireha above the tip, due to the fact that the spine above the tip is much thinner. This translates to the fact that you ideally want to change sharpening angle as you move from the heel to the tip.
Another minor mistake I can see from the video is that you seem to apply too much pressure on the finishing stone, saying that you should lessen the pressure on the way, but your pressure should be very minimal from the beginning (also, you should not keep the finishing stone underwater, but that is even minor mistake).
Starting now with the biggest mistakes, which involves mainly the ura side. The first one is that you're following the instructions of pressure for edge trailing/edge leading of a double bevel knife. Actually, for the ura side of kataba knives, the opposite is ideal. You want to apply pressure (not so high pressure) when the edge is moving into the stone and release it totally when you move the knife back towards you. It may seem a bit counterintuitive, but the reason here is to balance in some way the different weights of the blade edge and spine. In single bevel knives, the spine is much heavier than the edge, meaning that if you want to sharpen your uraoshi in a very balanced way along the perimeter of the blade, you'll have to lessen the pressure when the spine is moving into the stone. I know that this might be tricky to understand.
Another error involves the stone used for ura sharpening. Ideally, you want to avoid coarse and medium stones here, because (once the uraoshi has been established one time) you only want to create a burr from the shinogi side, due to the fact that the principle is to remove as little material as possible from the ura side, in order to avoid to consuming the hagane (hard steel) too much. This translates in a longer life for your blade. If you sharpen too much the ura side like you did in the video, you'll end up with a overconsumed knife and a fucked up uraoshi (like the one on your yanagiba, where you can see major scratches on the spine side).
TLDR: many minor mistakes on shinogi side and dangerous oversharpening mistakes on the ura side. You ideally want to create a burr on the shinogi side of the blade (coarse and medium stones), then to deburr on the ura side (finishing stone) and eventually put on a microbevel (a couple of very light strokes on finishing stone will do the work).
Wow. I appreciate the detailed criticism. Where did you learn about all of this?