Description
The Yukio is our everyday Damascus chef knife: a seven and a half inch blade with a flowing pattern, a full bolster and a figured hardwood handle set with brass pins.
| Overall length | 13 inches |
| Blade length | 7.5 inches |
| Handle length | 5.5 inches |
| Handle | Figured hardwood with brass pins and a full bolster |
| Steel | 1095 + 15N20 Damascus, 352 layers |
| Hardness | 58–60 HRC, oil tempered |
| Weight | 11.6 oz |
| Included | Hand-stitched leather sheath |
Built for: daily cooking rather than display — onions, herbs, chicken, squash, a week of dinners — with enough length to slice a roast and enough weight to feel like a tool.
What it does well on a board, and what it does not
The edge has a gentle curve, so you can rock it through parsley and still push-cut a shallot cleanly. Seven and a half inches clears a cabbage in one pass, and the 13 inch overall length keeps your knuckles above the board. It is a poor choice for small fiddly work — hulling strawberries, peeling in your hand, trimming silverskin. It is also not a cleaver. Our page on chef knife bevels explains the double bevel grind it carries.
How the steel behaves against acidic food
1095 and 15N20 are carbon steels with almost no chromium, so tomatoes, lemons, onions and vinegar will react with the surface within minutes. The blade greys, then browns, then settles into a stable blue-grey patina that actually slows further corrosion. That is expected, not damage. What you must avoid is leaving acidic juice sitting on the blade while you do something else — that is how you get pitting rather than patina. Rinse and dry as you cook. The trade-off is set out in full in our comparison of carbon and stainless kitchen knives.
Balance and the pinch grip
At 11.6 ounces the balance point sits just ahead of the bolster. Pinch the blade between thumb and forefinger rather than gripping the handle, and the knife pivots around your hand instead of hanging off it. Held that way the weight does the cutting. Held by the handle alone it feels nose-heavy. For heavy chopping through squash and bone-in cuts, a Damascus chef cleaver is the right tool instead.
Care: Hand wash only, in warm water, and dry immediately — the blade should never sit in a sink or a rack. Wipe it between acidic ingredients while you cook. Once a month rub a few drops of food-safe mineral oil over the blade and the hardwood scales; the wood takes the oil and stops looking dry at the pins. Store it in the block, on a magnetic bar or in a saya, but not in the leather sheath, which holds humidity against carbon steel.
FAQs
Is this real Damascus? Yes. It is pattern-welded 1095 and 15N20, forge welded and acid etched, so the pattern is structural and reappears every time you sharpen.
Will it rust in a home kitchen? Not if you dry it. Carbon steel forms a patina in normal use, which is a protective layer. Rust is orange and only forms on a blade left wet.
Is it dishwasher safe? No. One cycle will pit the blade and dry out the wood. Wash it by hand and dry it before you put it away.
Forged in Memphis and warranted for life. Laser engraving is available if you are buying it as a present.
Model: BMK-152
Roy Martina (store manager) –
the communication and advice is very professional and response to queries was very quick.
I’m very happy with both designed knives, the quality is very good and the craftsmanship is out of this world.
Kam (verified owner) –
The knife came in fast and my dad loved it. Cuts great, looks great and is an awesome knife to add to the kitchen aesthetics.
ken boyd (verified owner) –
Matthew Wood (verified owner) –
This knife far exceeded my expectations. I have extremely satisfied with the craftsmanship. I have never owned a Damascus steel blade before, but to have one in the form of a kitchen knife is beyond belief. I look forward to the many years i get to use this knife in preparing meals. Thank you for the quality knife, prompt service and replies to my inquiries
raymond S. (verified owner) –
I mainly purchased the Balisong knife for collection purpose.
It is somehow symbolic of the Phlilippines for where it originated.
It is going to be displayed at one of my cases for everybody to see.
A very proud Filipino indeed.
Andrew Toth (verified owner) –
Doug Rogers (verified owner) –
Martin G. (verified owner) –
Beautiful knives. These are my favorite knives that I own. My wife ordered another Persian Yuma and I’m super excited to see it. The craftsmanship is extraordinary! Thank you for your hard work.
Rex M. (verified owner) –
So far so good. Jack was very helpful
Ben H. (verified owner) –
The process was easy I can’t wait to see my knife!
Robert M. (verified owner) –
Great experience working with Mark
Jaron White (verified owner) –
Knife is even better than I expected. Quality is great.
Shawn H. (verified owner) –
It was a good shopping Experience
JEFFREY C. (verified owner) –
First time ordering I had questions about the sheath. Jack was very quick to help me.
Gary S. (verified owner) –
The knife I received was nice, but I thought I was going to receive the one in the picture. The stag was plain compared to the one in the picture. The workmanship was good however so I was pleased by that.
Martin G. (verified owner) –
Quality knives. I bought four this week. Even my wife made me buy her a matching knife. She said it was love at first sight. You don’t hear that every day!
Gabriel L. (verified owner) –
So far so good. If I receive my complete order in a timely manner and that the quality is as good as I believe it to be then I will update my review
Shawn C. (verified owner) –
Awesome knives. Beautiful and functional. Mark K. Is an incredible help. There was a shipping issue and he went above and beyond to fix it. Much Appreciated
Teresa W. (verified owner) –
Beautiful highly functional tool – love it!
Anonymous (verified owner) –
All I can say is WOW!