Mizu-Honyaki Slicing Knife - Yanagiba-Kiritsuke, 285mm (11-1/4 in)

Product Description for Mizu-Honyaki Slicing Knife - Yanagiba-Kiritsuke, 285mm (11-1/4 in)

Maker: Yoshikazu Ikeda (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 94836
Blade length: 11.25 in.
Total length: 17.50 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.45 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.12 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.09 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.07 in.
Item weight: 7.00 oz.
Shipment weight: 9.6 oz.
Blade: Hand forged mizu-honyaki Shirogami 2 (white #2) carbon steel with a water quench
Bolster: Buffalo horn
Handle: Ho wood
Description: Yoshikazu Ikeda is one of the finest smiths in Sakai, Japan. Ikeda has been making knives and swords for over 40 years, beginning in his early 20s. In 1988, he was recognized as a dentoukougeishi by the Japanese government and since 2001 he has been the chairman of the association of dentoukougeishi. Dentoukougeishi are highly skilled master artisans recognized by the Japanese government for their commitment to protecting traditional arts and techniques.
Kiritsuke are one of the few multipurpose traditional Japanese blades and can be used as a yanagi for slicing fish or an usuba for slicing vegetables. This sword-shaped knife features a straighter edge than a yanagi (for easy vegetable slicing) and a longer blade than an usuba (for slicing fish with ease). The user must be highly skilled with traditional Japanese knives and this knife is traditionally used by the executive chef.
Yoshikazu-san is very close to retirement. I was very pleased to recently get several presentation grade pieces that he made for an exposition in Tokyo. This is one such knife.
Ikeda's traditional knives are highly sought after by professional chefs and show the tremendous skill of this renowned craftsman. Rather using the san mai (three-layers) technique, his mizu-honyaki knives are forged from a mono-steel and heat treated very much like a Japanese sword. The spine is coated with clay prior to quenching. This insulates the top of the blade and results in a keen, hard cutting edge with a soft, supportive spine. Honyaki takes more skill to forge and shape than other techniques. Of all the Japanese knives, mizu-honyaki knives have the greatest kirenaga (staying sharp the longest), but they are also slightly more fragile than other knives and can chip if used improperly. Quenching the knife in water ensures the very best edge holding possible.
The blade is forged from Shirogami 2 carbon steel. This exceptional steel is high in carbon and the finer grain structure allows for a keen, long-lasting edge even through heavy use. A clear heat treatment line (called a hamon) travels across the blade. This shows the transition between the keen, long lasting edge and the soft, supportive spine.
The octagonal "Wa" style handle is carved from ho wood with a buffalo horn ferrule. This natural, ambidextrous handle is easy to grip and lasts a lifetime. Like other kitchen knives, this knife should not be put in a dishwasher or soaked in water. We recommend using camellia oil to avoid rust.


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