Yoshi Blade Review

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The Yoshi Blade is a ceramic knife that can be found on TV and many local stores around town. Their commercial makes many of the claims that hold true to ceramic knives (sharpness, durability, sanitary, etc). They are a new comer in the ceramic knife industry, and of course, we had to get our hands on one.

DETAILS

We purchased our set online for $19.99. The set came with a 5 inch ceramic knife and a ceramic peeler. It didn’t seem like a bad price, but up checkout, we quickly realized that there was a $9.99 shipping and handling charge, ouch… The knife featured a plastic handle with a 5 inch ceramic blade, and a peeler that felt like it was made of similar materials.

Upon initial inspection, the knife and peeler felt like typical ceramic knives. The blade felt sharp and the handle felt firmly secured to the blade. We did notice the edges of the peeler and knife had stray plastic hanging off it. We put the peeler on the white ceramic knife to make it more visible in the photo, click on it for a close up. It seemed like the factory didn’t clean the edges well after they were made. Also, although the handle is smooth, there are several indentations in it. Both are signs of a highly mass produced product with low quality assurance.

PERFORMANCE

The Yoshi Blade felt strange in the hand. The handle is tall and narrow which made it hard to get a firm grip on. The sharpness of the blade was average at best, not the most sharp knife we have used, but also not the dullest either. It didn’t have much problem cutting through most of the food we threw at it, but we tried to skin a pineapple the same way they did in the commercial, and it did not work as well as it looked.

There is a serious design flaw that we could not over look. The handle of the knife extends past the bottom of the blade. This caused two problems during normal cutting. 1) Only the front part of the blade can ever make contact with the cutting board. 2) When holding the knife in a normal cutting position, the unusually wide handle causes your knuckles to hit the cutting board. Notice the space between the blade and the cutting board in the photo. It seems like the manufacturer didn’t take any of this into account when the knives were designed. This design flaw made the knife very difficult to use.

THE FINAL VERDICT

At $19.99, the Yoshi Blade is a good bargain. After shipping and handling, the price was closer to $30 which made it about average price. The blade was was average sharpness for a ceramic knife. Other than the design flaw in the handle, the knife is a typical ceramic knife on the market. At $20 MSRP, you’ll get what you pay for.

55 Comments

    1. Jim Cantley Reply

      I bought one of these knives at first work awesome but then the handle came off tried several ways to glue it back on with no luck so I give it a c grade very disappointed

  1. james shaw Reply

    Used the Yoshi blad one day and notced the steel showing where the edge coating wore off. Noticed that for nine dollars I coulld replace the knife with a new one. NO THANKS. Waisted twenti bucks plus.

  2. David Reply

    I received this knife for Christmas. I was incredibly excited being that this would be my first ceramic knife. I was decently sharp, I own steel knives though that are several times sharper that I sharpen. I was only mildly disappointed because I thought that maybe it would keep its edge much longer. So I have only sliced about a dozen potatoes some carrots and today as I went to slice the first tomato with it it would hardy cut through the peel even with when aggressively slicing back and forth. I have had cheep steel blades stay sharp much longer. I have a deer skinning knife that has stayed razor sharp through skinning an entire deer. I am disappointed and whats worse now I have to hide that disappointment from my wife and son who were extremely excited to give me this.

  3. Marsh Reply

    I haven’t had any of the problems mentioned above, perhaps because this was my first ceramic knife and I didn’t know what to expect. I also got it at a very good price on clearance. I have been using it for several weeks, and it cuts like a dream. I use it for all vegetables, and even roasts. It’s especially useful for cutting onions: no tears. I have never noticed a problem with the handle, and have not banged my knuckles. It has not chipped nor dulled so far. I am careful to use it as instructed, i.e. not cut on any plate or hard surface: I only use it with a wooden cutting board.

  4. Bruce Reply

    Just got my YOSHI knives and put them to good use this weekend and I am quite impressed as to how well it handled slicing veggies and the peeler peeling cucumbers. I also used the knife to thinly cut steak both raw and cooked and it performed effortlessly so I am very impressed at the sharpness and handling. This knives themselves appear sort of junky cheap looking but, who cares as long as they do the job and, you just can’t beat the price either. More to follow as I use them.

  5. Jeffrey Trifiletti Reply

    the only issue i have is that the handle design will not let the whole cutting edge hit the cutting surface. this is a major flaw and it is hard to believe that it was overlooked. almost doesnt seem right……

  6. KENNY G Reply

    The knife was great till I cut 2 pounds of potatos for a party. The knife is now dull. I contacted the customer service –have to see what they will do

  7. C B Reply

    I love my knives and the peelers. I bought two of them at my local discount store. {no shipping charges} I peel butternut squash raw as well as raw sweet potatoes and much more with ease. Also, the knives goes through the hardest of squashes, then go to slice tomatoes with ease. I use them on a daily, basis. I even bought 1 for a friend as a house warming gift and she loves hers as well. I also love the fact that these knives are a green product. I wished this product came in a bigger size as well.

  8. JOE fisher Reply

    The blade broke off at the shank very little support where attached in the handle I do not reccommend it. A strongly mounted less expensive stainless cuts as good or better

  9. TOm3 Reply

    Plain and simply: Yoshi blade commercials lie! The emphasis is on how the blade stays sharp and never needs sharpening. That is just not true. It begins to dull after a fairly short time. At first it appears remarkable–like cutting with a glass edge.
    But it was very disappointing to discover the blade does NOT remain sharp. It got so dull, it would not cut a firm tomato. An old metal blade, a dull one, was still better than this dishonest knife.

  10. B_rad Reply

    Yoshi knifes are junk. the company will replace it for a 9.95 return fee after they recieve the old knife back. Spend 60 and get a knife that will last years and will hold an edge like I ended up doing. There are many to choose from. On another note the good old steel ones can be resharpened over and over again.

  11. Ed Wode Reply

    The Yoshi is not only the bad things stated above, but I believe it’s dangerous. I have a small chip in mine after not using it much at all. I mainly used it to cut turkey breast and tomatoes which are very soft. This is filet, no bones. Eating glass can kill you. I’m still using until I find a replacement. Are there any ceramic knives worth buying that don’t have the faults listed above. Let me know at edwode@gmail.com.

  12. bob s Reply

    This knife also chipped and blade became pitted very quickly. I had to throw it out after a couple of weeks in fear someone might have pieces of cermic in their food. I will stick to a steel blade.

  13. Bill Reply

    Just got back from a trip to my mom’s to visit and discovered they had bought a set of Yoshi’s… this was my first experience actually using a ceramic knife. I must say, I think the review on these knives is slightly on the flattering side. If I believed this was representative of all ceramic knives, I would not get one. I have a good set of Tojiro’s that I LOVE, esp for the money, I have been much more pleased with these knives than I was with my set of much more expensive, over-rated Henkel’s I had when I was married. I have been considering getting a micro-serrated 5 inch slicing knife from Kyocera.. despite my initial enthusiasm and the novelty of ceramic knives, realistically, I think this is where the advantage and utility of ceramic comes in to play for me. I love the durability and self sharpening potential of steel, so this is what I use for virtually all my tasks and will continue to do… but I really love a good serrated knife for slicing very delicate, soft foods, esp with peel, like a tomato. Serrateds are difficult to sharpen, I’m not going to do it at the house, so a ceramic one that I only use for this task, keeping it very sharp for a long time, is ideal. Maybe I’m off base and missing out on something here, but that’s my take on ceramic. I am on the lookout now to see if the Kyocera is the way to go or if there is something else better for this task, but came across this review on Yoshi’s and since I just had experience with them, felt I had to respond. I would definitely NOT buy the Yoshi’s, for the above mentioned reasons of poor, awkward design and what I fel t was very poor sharpness compared to my steels…. they may be cheap, but what good is a sub par tool no matter its cost?

    1. George Reply

      Kyocera guarantees their knives for life with FREE sharpening!!! They are also way sharper then the Yoshi.
      I recently bought an 8 inch chef ceramic on Amazon and it also was really sharp or sharper.
      I saw a video for sharpening knives and they used a $20 chef knife that sharpened like a razor. Of course they used a $60 water stone but it was worth it.
      I think I am gonna order one.

  14. Maureen Reply

    I have tried and tried unsuccessfully to get my Yoshi knife replaced. It worked great at first but then started to get chips in in the blade and then the other night I was trying to cut a piece of baked french bread and about two inches of the tip broke off. Guaranteed my ass. This knife SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “Yoshi…Hmph!”

  15. richie Reply

    I loved my yoshi but my wife dropped it and it broke in half (APPROX 29″ DROP) I have not experienced any of the problems that I read in the reviews.
    This is the second time I have broken a ceramic knife, I will buy another but if it breaks as easy as the others I will be done with ceramic kitchen tools forever. (july 2012)

  16. Marguerite Reply

    I fell for the Yoshi blade, like I fell for the ‘magic’ skillet where NOTHING STICKS to it (What a lie)!!
    At first (maybe the first 3 or 4 cutting tests) it worked just like on the infomercial, sliced soft bread,
    peeled the tomato & cut through it like a charm; cutting hard vegetables was half the job of steel blades….
    But the magic was short lived. Soon it wasn’t cutting “with ease” and I also noticed the chips…
    By, By Yoshi blade !!
    We, the consumer, have to demand ‘better’! Better quality, better accountability and better management
    of our “needs” versus available renewable resources.

    1. Rickyg55 Reply

      You don’t have to “demand it”, its available. Just as with steel blades, you get what you pay for. Quality is expensive. Also, many of the complaints I have read on here are obviously “user error”. Ceramic blades have certain different characteristics than steel, so read the manual!
      Rick

  17. Dee Reply

    Been using my Yoshi blade for 3-4 months (got it from a national drugstore chain’s as-seen-on-tv section); love using it on veggies – especially tomatoes – it’s amazing. Figured it was a cheap intro to ceramic. I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality. All I can say is if the others are better, wow.

  18. Janet123 Reply

    I got a set for my hubby from Ross…. who knew… any ways… when I got a chance to use them hubby took over and he loves them,….. so now I new never get to cause he loves them so much he looks for chances to cook so he can cut up the veggies and meat…. who knew all I needed to do was buy a nice set of ceramics if these are great ( no chipping as of yet and there 6 months new) what are the spendy ones like…. humm maybe next year I will get them for hubby a nice addition I am sure

  19. Roger Reply

    I have a Yoshi knife and I have no complaints. I first bought a Kerocera Ceramic Knife and I still use it, however for everyday cutting of veggies, I use the Yoshi. I love this knife and would not be too upset if it gets broken ( which my wife did) because i get them for Ten dollars at the flea. It is a great knife as long as you take care of it and not cut into bones or on a glass cutting board ( which if you do have one you have on, you should not even be discussing about knives at all.) It is a great knife as long as you take care of it and know it’s limitations.

  20. CBarker Reply

    Have had a Yoshi knife and peeler for about 4 years. Love, Love Love them. So much so that I just ordered another set for myself and sets for two female relatives who cook as much as I do. I used to hate peeling potatoes, carrots, celery, asparagus, etc. Those chores are now a breeze with Yoshi. I use the Yoshi for cutting & slicing vegetables, fruits, and some meats. No bones, ever! After 4 years of daily use, the knife and peeler are still sharp. I disagree with the naysayers. I have a good set of steel knives, which I have to constantly sharpen, but I prefer my Yoshi for appropriate tasks. I am an excellent cook. I love the Yoshi! Highly recommend!!!

  21. Cathy Reply

    Just received my Yoshi knife today. While slicing vegetables (boneless of course) after slicing celery (great) tried slicing an onion and the handle broke off down in the handle (not the blade)…..JUNK !!!! couldn’t even take mild cutting.
    Never again. Having to wait several days for letter with instructions to return. We’ll see.

  22. DEBBIE Reply

    I have had the Yoshi knives for a couple years. I actually find them unbelievably sharp. Almost scary scarp! I am in the medical field and I knw how sharp a scalpel is, these compare to that level of sharpness.
    My husbands friends are fascinated with these knives and always ask where to get them.
    We aren’t professional cooks so design flaws are no big deal but I have notice it is difficult to do a chop cut.

  23. Nancy Vail Reply

    Not only do get what you pay for, it was also made in CHINA!!!! Hello people…wake up!! I too have one. I only use it on veggies. A serrated knife works the best on tomatoes!!

  24. Brandy Reply

    The yoshi blade chipped a lot. I used my dremel tool and ground the blade down to just above where the blade angles to become the cutting edge. The interesting thing I found was how the blade acted when I was grinding it. The material did not act like ceramic with a 8.2 hardness instead it created little strings like plastic. Does zirconium oxide act like plastic when you grind it?
    Brandy

  25. Branji Reply

    Had this exact knife for over 2 years, still sharp, still the first knife I reach for when cutting vegetable. I just bought a set of 2 large and 4 small and 2 peelers for $30, as far as I am concerned that was an absolute steal even at twice the price. Do not cut anything other than vegetables and your blade will stay sharp, its not for sawing through bone, or skinning deers. It is dishwasher friendly, but don’t just throw it in with metal cutlery or it will chip. Be careful with your knife and it will last you for years.

  26. Tym Reply

    I just got back from visiting my parents in a different state, they had bought a couple of these knives over four years ago.

    I thought it was a great knife for cutting chicken (boneless, skinless, frozen). I also cut through a head of cabbage, celery, onion and carrots. The cabbage was a little tougher toward the middle when I cut the head in half but the other veggies and the chicken cut very easily. The next morning, I sliced frozen bacon off of the block and it worked like a charm.

    One thing that my dad told me before I used the blade was that the instructions say to not chop with the blade or it will chip (a property of ceramics hitting a hard surface I guess). He said they bought two and he failed to read the instructions first. The chopping dulled the first blade and then it started to chip away. They tossed that blade and have not used the second one to chop. Seems like that may be the trick. Also, you have to keep it in the sheath after every use or you risk chipping the blade in storage.

    I did notice the handle/blade issue that does not cut fully on the back end. You have to use a larger slicing motion when cutting veggies. Also, the handle is smaller and you cannot use a standard chef’s grip on the blade (my fingers kept slipping down the blade).

    All in all out of five stars, I would give it three and a half.
    Pros –
    1.Sharp blade that stays sharp as long as you don’t use chopping methods to cut food.
    2. Cost is very affordable.
    3. Great for veggies and boneless meats.

    Cons –
    1. Cannot use knife for every purpose (chopping is not recommended)
    2. Handle/blade design requires you to alter your grip and cutting motion. Not very convenient for those of us who use knives every day.
    3. Have to store it in it’s own sheath or risk ruining your blade.

    All in all, for an average kitchen in your average house, not a bad knife. There are better knives out there but for the price of this one, it may be worth a try. Just follow the instructions and you should be satisfied with it.

  27. Tom Reply

    We’ve had two of these knives. Both tore off the handle. Epoxy & duct tape sorta fixed one–the other is… ? Pending trash I guess.

  28. Bob Reply

    Was given a Yoshi Blade as a Birthday present. My wife dropped it once and the tip of the blade chipped. I own Henckels and Forschner metal knives and they cut much better and hold there edge longer. I would like to give the ceramic knife another chance, but not if they are going to charge an arm and a leg to exchange it. Stick to high end metal knives and keep them sharp and stop with this ceramic gimmick.

  29. Don Baker Reply

    Have kept my Yoshi’s in my specialty knife drawer and always in their sheaths. Two years of cutting most veggies and fruits , always on a bamboo cutting board. They still cut even soft tomatoes perfectly, even that first slice at the very edge of the tomato. These are technically made of glass! So treat them that way and use your favorite sharpened carbon steel knife to cut meats, reserving your poultry shears to cut and separate wings and legs from your fowl. (Being able to separate the blades for careful washing in detergent will help to keep your palate free of microscopic organisms that love to lodge in cracks and spread sickness and disease, especially chicken!) Learn from reviews published here what NOT to do in order to guarantee a long and perfect future with Yoshi. Do not ever twist your Yoshi when cutting anything as it will break in half as it is glass! No knife is made for prying.

    at the ry wings and legs at the chicken and turkey joints.

  30. Edie Reply

    The tip broke off the first time I used it, but I love this knife, it cut so thin and stays so sharp. Use it more than any other knife I own.

  31. Susan McCretton Downes Reply

    The first time using the Yoshi knife was for slicing celery. The tip broke off. After a year it’s dull. Hubby got a Kyrocera. It lives in our knife block and we like it for all of our veggies and fruit.

  32. Steven Smith Reply

    I have had 2 Yoshi knives for some time, however both have suffered broken handles after normal use due to the tang being only 1 1/2 in long.

  33. George Reply

    I bought a set at discount years ago. The knife is not sharp out of the package.
    You need a diamond wheel or sharpening stone to sharpen it.
    I will try it soon. I have other ceramic knives that are sharper and recently found a Cooking Pleasures 8 inch chefs knife on Amazon. Much sharper. I bought 2.
    One was not very sharp. Vendor sent a replacement and told me to keep the dull one.
    I am slowly sharpening it with a diamond stick.
    If I can afford it, I will get a Kyocera. They have lifetime guarantees and free sharpening for life.

  34. Dan P. Reply

    I got mine at an estate sale. The extreme tip end of the blade was chipped off and there are very small multiple chips in the blade. I only use it for cutting brick cheese. Works well for that as the cheese slices do not tend to stick.

  35. Jose Encarnacion Sr. Reply

    I also got my Yoshi Blades and potato peeler and I paid $19.99. There was an offer that if you wanted a second set you would only have to pay shipping and handling. These items were suppose to have a lifetime guarantee now both of my knives are chipped in the center and I have no phone number or address to send my concerns or to talk to anyone about the guarantee..Can anyone help?

  36. Nella Lohorn Reply

    Had my knife about a year. It is the best knife I have ever had and I have 2 other knives that I paid over $100 apiece for them.

  37. debbie Reply

    i had my knife for a few years and last night t
    THE BLADE BROOK INTO ?? maybe the life of these knives are 2 years. Not bad

  38. A. C. White Reply

    I have had my Yoshi knives for about a year now. I never used them, as I a professional chef and use those knives at home. My wife started using the Yoshi knives, as they didn’t need to be sharped. After a few uses, the handles became sticky and would not clean.
    Descent knife ruined by a sorry sticky handle!

  39. Billie J Frisch Reply

    The tip of my knife broke while I was cutting toffee candy. I was fortunate that I found the piece – or I would have thrown the candy away in fear that it would be somewhere in on the pieces.

  40. Vickey sanborn Reply

    This Yoshi knife does not feel ceramic it feels like it’s plastic it did cut good on some things I chipped a big hunk off at the tip

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