Honyaki Slicing Knife - Yanagiba, 300mm (11-3/4 in) - Aogami #2

Product Description for Honyaki Slicing Knife - Yanagiba, 300mm (11-3/4 in) - Aogami #2

Maker: Yoshikazu Ikeda (click to see more by this maker)
Price: $1,750.00
Item num: 94842
Blade length: 11.75 in.
Total length: 17.90 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.40 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.16 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.14 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.06 in.
Item weight: 8.20 oz.
Shipment weight: 12.2 oz.
Blade: Hand forged honyaki Aogami 2 (blue #2) carbon steel with an oil quench
Bolster: Buffalo horn
Handle: Ebony
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.
The yanagi is a traditional Japanese knife used to cut boneless fish fillets for preparation of sushi and sashimi. It is mainly used for a drawing cut. The heel of the knife is placed on the fish and the knife is lightly pressed down, letting the weight of the knife do the work while drawing the blade toward you. Sashimi knives are also excellent for slicing other boneless meats. This knife is designed for right-handed use.
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 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, 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.The blade is forged from aogami #2 (blue #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. Fuller travel along the right flat - both visually beautiful and helping to release fish from the side of the knife.
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.


Availability: In stock. Usually ships in 1-2 business days