Specifications

• Style: Yanagi (Sushi Knife)
• Length: 300mm (11.8″)
• Weight: 9.55 oz (271 g)
• Blade Steel Type: SG2/R2 Powdered Steel
• Handle Material: Rosewood with Buffalo Horn Ferrule, Octagonal shape
• HRC: 63-64
• Bevel Angle Ratio: 100/0 (Single bevel)
• Cover: Not included

Sukenari SG2 Single Bevels

As a high-quality steel, SG2 takes a very keen edge and is easily sharpenable, which makes it an ideal choice for traditional Japanese knives. Sukenari’s heat treatment of SG2 is impeccable; even at the very low angle most Yanagi are sharpened to, the edge remains quite stable. The factory grind on these knives is not the most visually impactful, but it is very consistent, meaning the initial sharpening is generally headache-free.

Powdered Steel is the peak of blade performance, perfect for chefs who desire an unrelenting, stainless blade with unparalleled edge retention.
This alloy is made using highly specialized technology to mix iron and other alloying elements in powder form mechanically. This allows much higher amounts of alloying metals such as Vanadium, critical for superior edge retention.

About Sukenari

Sukenari was founded during the Showa period in Toyama Prefecture and since its inception has been driven to produce quality cutlery through hands-on craftsmanship at every step. Sukenari’s philosophy is that any tool should perform as an extension of oneself, and this commitment to quality shows in each facet of the knife from the rounded, polished choil and edges to impeccable grinds and an incredibly consistent heat treatment.

Yanagi Knife (Yanagiba)

Yanagiba (lit. willow blade) is an essential tool for sushi chefs. The name Yanagi refers to the willow-leaf shape of the blade as opposed to it necessarily being a single bevel. Some knife makers have been known to refer to Sujihiki made with a willow shape as Yanagi. In common parlance, however, Yanagi or Yanagiba is understood to mean a willow-shaped knife ground with a single bevel.
These knives are one of the three traditional Japanese knives, along with Deba and Usuba, that were historically requisite for the creation of Japanese cuisine. It is primarily used for slicing sashimi or delicate cuts of other soft proteins. Its hollow-ground backside, known as the Ura, helps facilitate the release of fish as it is sliced and ensures that an extremely low inclusive edge angle may be maintained. The Yanagi is the fish slicer traditionally used in the Kansai region of Japan (Osaka and Kyoto). There are many variants of Yanagi, including Kensaki (sometimes called kiritsuke-tip), Takohiki (octopus knife), Fuguhiki (blowfish knife, and Sakimaru Takohiki (round-tipped octopus knife)