Yoshihiro Yauji

Yoshihiro Yauji — Echizen's Rising Independent

Yauji Yoshihiro(弥氏良寬), born in Echizen, Fukui Perfecture in 1983. At age of 20 in 2003, he entered Kitaoka Knives to apprentice under Kitaoka Hideo(北岡英雄), the third generation bladesmith of Kitaoka Knives. In 2019, he acquired the Traditional Craftsman Certification, which is quite remarkable, considering by average it take 25 years for a bladesmith to accomplish this goal.

In April of 2021, Yoshihiro Yauji left Kitaoka Knives and set up his own independent knife workshop Kutsurogi(寬), which shares a same Kanji with part of his name. Kutsurogi along with Yoshihiro Yauji is now a part of the Takefu Knife Village, which is an association that consists 14 knife companies and more than 40 bladesmiths, all located in Echizen area. With big names like Yu Kurosaki, Shiro Kamo and Yoshimi Kato, the Takefu Knife Village has a total of 17 Certified Traditional Craftsman, working and communicating with each others, they make the association a remarkable force in the industry.

Yoshihiro Yauji's knives are often found in damascus, with a color that is usually brighter than what you find on other makers. These blades seems to be grinded with a convex bevel, wich helps prevently food sticking greatly, especially when paired with a more"sticky" finish like a mirror polish. With this skillfull grinding and great fit and finish, Yoshihiro quickly gained fame and reputation as a relatively young bladesmith in Takefu Knife Village.

“Echizen's youngest traditional craftsman — 15 years under Kitaoka, now forging solo at Takefu.”

Est. 2021 | 令和3年

Known for Solo one-man operation, certified traditional craftsman at unusually young age

Website yoshihiro.com Instagram @yoshihiro_yaichi

People

Founder: Yoshihiro Yauji 弥氏良寛
Current Head: Yoshihiro Yauji 弥氏良寛

Craft

Known For: Solo one-man operation, certified traditional craftsman at unusually young age
Steel: Blue #2, Aogami Super

Location

Address: 22-91 Yokawacho, Echizen, Fukui 915-0031, Japan
Region: Takefu, Japan
Coordinates: 35.887937, 136.2365708

Brand

Logo

Native Name

寬 (Kutsurogi)

Why Yoshihiro Yauji Matters

Yauji earned his traditional craftsman certification (伝統工芸士) after just 16 years — a milestone that typically takes 25+. Trained under Kitaoka Hideo (北岡英雄) from age 20, he went independent in 2021, founding workshop Kutsurogi (寬) at Takefu Knife Village. He handles every step — forging, grinding, finishing, sharpening — entirely by himself.

Does Yoshihiro Yauji Allow Unsolicited Visits?

Yauji's workshop is inside Takefu Knife Village, which is open to the public.

Knives by Yoshihiro Yauji

Hatsukokoro By Yoshihiro Yauji Ginga ATS-34 Mirror Damascus

Introducting the Hatsukokoro Ginga(銀河) ATS-34 line: an excellent steel forged by a highly talented young smith.Hatsukorko, teamed up with Yoshihiro Yauji, on... Read more

Introducting the Hatsukokoro Ginga(銀河) ATS-34 line: an excellent steel forged by a highly talented young smith.Hatsukorko, teamed up with Yoshihiro Yauji, one of the youngest Dentokogeshi (Traditional Craftsmen) in Takefu Knife Village, to create this beautiful line of knives that are extremely nimble yet tough enough to deal with every occasion in the kitchen. The high level of fit and finish is evident from the rounded and polished spine and choil, as well as the profile that tapers from heel to tip. The clean and uniform mirror polish across the entire blade not only displays the attention to detail, but also makes the damascus pop and shine, living up to its name Ginga(Milky Way).The ATS-34 steel, manufacturerd by Hitachi Special Steel, is the Japanese equivalent of the 154CM, famous for its toughness, corrosion-resistance and "high-speed" properties. Bob Loveless brought the ATS-34 into fame in the 70s. In recent years, the creation of the ATS-34 sanmai billets enabled the ATS-34 steel to appear in kitchen knife making. Notably introduced by RyuSen around 2015-2016.Although this line has a mirror polish finish, the stickness found on typical mirror polished blade seems to be absent when cutting into a potato. It seems to us Yoshihiro Yauji put on a convex grind on the bevel, wich reduces the drag when the blade is contacting the food. Paring that with a rather thin grind, it glide effortlessly even when spliting a potato right through the middle.One noteworthy freature about Yauji's knifes is that the Santoku he forges takes a rather unique profile, similar to a Sanjo Gyuto. These Santoku are thin and wide, offering them excellent stability when cutting vegetables. Their tips curves up significantly, resulting a round head compare with the flat belly of a typical Santoku. This geometry means that rocking motion is much easier to do on Yauji's Santoku, making them even better at handling vegetables of all kind, which is a perfect fit for Santoku's purpose.This ATS34 line not only look good, but also cuts well, if you are fancying a shiny damascus knife, these blades can be a choice that pack some good performances. Read less

Pros

Great artistic
Thin behind the edge

Cons

Mirror polish can be hard to maintain

Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad Mirror Polish

Frequently Asked Questions about Yoshihiro Yauji

Who is Yoshihiro Yauji?

Yoshihiro Yauji is a Japanese knife maker based in Takefu, Japan , established in 2021. They are known for Solo one-man operation, certified traditional craftsman at unusually young age. Their signature steels include Blue #2, Aogami Super. Available at Knives and Stones Australia.

What knives does Yoshihiro Yauji make?

Yoshihiro Yauji produces the following knife lines: Hatsukokoro By Yoshihiro Yauji Ginga ATS-34 Mirror Damascus, Hatsukokoro By Yoshihiro Yauji Ginyo Ginsan Damascus. We currently carry 6 products from Yoshihiro Yauji at Knives and Stones. They specialise in Solo one-man operation, certified traditional craftsman at unusually young age.

Where is Yoshihiro Yauji located?

Yoshihiro Yauji is located in Takefu, Japan. Japanese knife-making regions each have distinct traditions. Echizen and Takefu in Fukui Prefecture are celebrated for high-quality double bevel forging.

Where can I buy Yoshihiro Yauji knives in Australia?

Knives and Stones is an authorised Australian stockist of Yoshihiro Yauji. You can shop online at knivesandstones.com.au with free shipping on orders over $99, or visit our stores in St Peters (Sydney), Crows Nest (Sydney) and Braddon (Canberra) to handle the knives before buying.