Itsuo Doi lives and works in Sakai, Japan, which is located about 45 minutes south of Osaka.
He worked along side his father for almost 50 years and their shop has produced blades for chefs and collectors worldwide. Doi's father gained acclaim through his perfection of a very difficult low temperature forging technique known as ‘yakidoshi’ and is a pioneer of forging Ao-ko No.2 (Blue Steel), which was previously thought to be impossible.
This is a really nice example of Doi's work. The 210mm
deba with yasuki blue #2 steel has a very nice upgraded ebony handle with buffalo horn ferrule. These knives are primarily used like cleavers for removing fins and tails of fish as well as fillet work. They can also be used for chopping vegetables and cutting up poultry.
The blue Aogami #2 steel is clad on the front side with a soft iron layer. Of course, it is a reactive blade so it needs care and attention to keep it dry. The back side is slightly concave (ura-suki). The front side has a single grind from the shinogi line to the edge. The finish is exemplary and the look is enhanced with some fine chiseled kanji script on the front.
This is a stunning knife and one of the last of the breed. If you have ever wanted a knife with true “soul” the Doi Blue #2
Deba is one such blade.
Spine Thickness at Base: 7.6 mm
Weight: 16.7oz
Edge Length: 215mm
Height: 58mm