SHAPE: Yanagiba. This knife is used to slice protein in one continuous movement to minimize damage to the ingredient. This shape features the traditional single bevelled edge so is only suitable for right handed users. This edge design allows the blade to take a razor sharp edge helping with the slicing of fish thinly. Traditional Japanese knives, such as this, must be exclusively sharpened on whetstones.

STEEL: Aogami (blue paper) 1 steel. This is very similar to white paper steel but with tungsten and chromium added to it which helps with edge retention and slows down rusting. The difference between blue 1 and 2 is the amount of carbon present with 1 being the highest. Due to the non stainless nature of this steel care must be taken to dry the knives properly after use.

FINISH: Damascus or suminagashi. This type of finish is made by creating a Kitaeji; which is produced by repeatedly folding/stacking then compressing two different steels until they create a laminated pattern. This can then be manipulated in various ways to produce the maker’s desired pattern effect. This material is then clad around the core metal of the blade as an elaborate protective layer for the core steel - thus giving the knife a beautiful and striking appearance.

HANDLE: Octagonal Magnolia wood handle with black buffalo horn ferule

BLADE LENGTH: 270mm.

MAKER: Sakai Kikumori

RANGE: Kikuzuki Uzu