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Hitohira

Hitohira Kikuchiyo Manzo White #3 Yanagiba 210mm Ho Wood Handle (D-Shape)

Regular price
€185,00 EUR
Regular price
Sale price
€185,00 EUR
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What kind of knife is this?

The traditional Japanese slicer. The king of knives and ofter referred to as ’Sushi knife’ it is used for slicing boneless protein. More specific and less versatile compared to the Sujihiki, the performance of the properly sharpened Yanagiba will yield much higher quality results due to their geometry and sharpness. Characteristics in steel are pronounced in single bevel knives and different sharpeners make for much variety, please contact us directly if you need help in finding the right knife. 

Care Instructions

This is a carbon steel knife. That means this knife is made of non-stainless steel. There is no or an insufficient amount of chromium and/or nickel to protect this steel against oxidation. Steel such as this will react to moisture and oxygen. That on itself is not a bad thing, you might even argue it’s a great thing. The knife will form a wonderful patina, it will sharpen easily and the edge life will not disappoint.

The care for a carbon steel knife such as this is not very elaborate, and very comparable to any other knife. Always store your knife clean and dry, no dishwasher, don’t let it air-dry and avoid extremely hard products like frozen foods or bones. With carbon steel you want to dry your knife also during cooking, never leave it moist or wet for too long. Often a quick wipe a dry cloth or towel is more than enough. A carbon steel knife can rust if not taken care of properly. Rust can removed but it is of course something we want to avoid.

Please note that there are many different carbon steels, just like stainless steels, each with its own properties and characteristics. Each should be judged individually.

Detailed Spec

Brand: Hitohira ひとひら (一片)
Smith: Kikuchiyo 菊千代
Producing Area: Sakai-Osaka/ Japan
Profile: Yanagiba
Size: 210mm
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Steel: Yasuki White (Shirogami) #3, Soft Iron Clad
Handle: Ho Wood & Buffalo Horn Ferrule Right-Handed D-Shape
Total Length: 345mm
Edge Length: 202mm
Handle to Tip Length: 215mm
Blade Height: 30mm
Thickness: 3.7mm
Handle Length: 130mm
Weight: 123g
Hand Orientation: Right-Handed
Sharpener: Manzo
Update: March 18, 2022

Description

Kikuchiyo is a relatively young blacksmith based in Sakai. He was under tutelage of a legendary blacksmith in this region for well over two decades before taking over his masters forge. He’s known for his high quality White and Blue steel blades, he mastered the skill of honyaki quenching, and is particularly recognized for his excellent stainless Ginsan (Silver #3) forging.
In this series Kikuchiyo’s outstanding blades are paired with sharpener Manzo’s very good and consistent single bevel work. Manzo is a sharpener in Sakai who exclusively sharpens single bevel knives. His sharpening style is characterized by a deep Ura (concave backside) and flat Kireha (primary bevel). In his opinion the deep ura contributes to a better geometry, performance and longer lasting performance. A plus side of a deep ura is that you rarely get to see scratch marks across the ura when sharpening the back side yourself. These series are defined by a clean and uncomplicated grind, a thin uraoshi, and subtly chamfered back and choil. Knives in this series are available in White 3 for ease of sharpening, Blue 2 for edge retention or stainless Ginsan 3 steel.