YOSHIKAZU IKEDA Sakai Forged Knife Master Craftsman honyaki Sakimaru Yanagiba 390mm honyaki japanese kitchen chef‘s knife’

This beautiful Kengata Gyomen Shiage Honyaki Yanagi was made by one of the best Yoshihiros knife masters in Sakai, Japan. The hamon (pattern of waves on the blade) was specially designed as the Japanese Fuji Mountain with a full moon. The Phoenix was painted by using the Fuki Urushi method, a traditional lacquering technique. This knife is not only a beautiful piece of art, it is a one of a kind.

Our handmade Yoshihiro Honyaki knives are handcrafted with extraordinary skill, forged of the highest quality steel according to the traditional methods used in ancient Japanese sword making by our master artisans of incomparable skill, some of which have over 50 years of experience. Honyaki means true forged and represents the highest level in Japanese knives, requiring experienced master knife smiths, versed in the traditional art of sword making. A single piece of White Steel #1 with a hardness on the Rockwell scale of 66, is heated in hearths that reach temperatures in the thousands and then quenched in cool water for hardness creating knives of the highest caliber, blending aesthetics and performance.

The Yanagi is a long slicing knife that was designed to slice thin slices of fish for sushi and sashimi. The beauty of its elegant thin blade is its ability to slice through an ingredient in long uninterrupted strokes, preserving its integrity and freshness. The Yanagi is one of the most essential of traditional Japanese knives and is a powerful component in the repertoire of many chefs. Even the simplest of tasks are elevated with a handcrafted knife that is as beautiful as it is functional.