Hitohira Kikuchiyo Mosuke Silver #3 Yanagiba 300mm Ho Wood Handle (Saya)

Kikuchiyo is a 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 but is particularly recognized for his excellent stainless Ginsan (Silver #3) and Honyaki blades. He is an expert of temperatures and is able to achieve the correct hardness and gumminess through his technique. He always works with great ambition and efficiency hoping to develop his skills as a craftsman, modeling each of his knives on the image of his master’s forge.

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. 

This is a stainless steel knife. It becomes stainless due to a certain amount (10-13%) of chromium and/or nickel in the alloy, it forms a film layer which acts as a barrier between metal and oxygen. Stainless steel is easy, practical and functional but not completely maintenance free. With very bad maintenance it can rust or show pitting, after all it’s called stainless not stain-free steel. The corrosion resistance varies with each stainless steel. In my opinion the same rules apply here as with carbon steel (non-stainless).

Store your knife dry and clean, never let it air-dry after washing, no dishwasher and avoid extremely hard products like frozen foods or bones ect. But a big difference to carbon steel is that your margin of error is much bigger, the rust resistance is much greater and thus easier and more worry free to maintain.

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