Kumagai Kajiya is a tenth-generation blacksmith workshop based in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, in the Sanriku fishing region of northeastern Japan. The workshop has spent generations forging tools for fishermen, divers, and farmers who need gear that holds up to daily, hands-on work, and that same durability carries over into this oyster knife.
Single seed oysters are small, thin-shelled, and deep-cupped, which makes them easy to crack or gouge with a standard oyster knife. This I-shaped oyster knife is built specifically to work with that shell shape, giving you the control to shuck them cleanly without damaging the shell or the meat inside.
The blade pairs a flat top with a contoured, three-dimensional underside, a combination that keeps the blade flexible enough to glide along the adductor muscle while staying strong enough to resist bending under pressure. The tip is thin and precise for shaving the muscle free of the shell, and the blade widens toward the handle to keep fingers safely clear of the shell edge during repeated shucking.
The handle is pale, unfinished wood with a black ferrule at the blade collar and a burned-in maker mark near the butt end, giving it a simple, functional grip suited to long sessions at an oyster bar or a home kitchen prepping a large batch.
Care Instructions: Rinse and dry the blade and handle after each use. Hand wash only; never put it in the dishwasher, since the wood handle will not hold up to prolonged soaking or heat. Keep the blade dry between uses to prevent staining, and apply a light coat of food-safe mineral oil to the wood handle occasionally to keep it from drying out or cracking.Maker: Kumagai Kajiya
Location: Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Shape: I-Shaped
Material: Stainless Steel Blade, Wood Handle
Blade Length: Approx. 3.1 in (8 cm)
Blade Width: Approx. 0.5 in (1.2 cm)
Handle Length: Approx. 3.9 in (10 cm)
Handle Width: Approx. 1 in (2.5 cm)
Total Length: Approx. 7.3 in (18.5 cm)
Weight: Approx. 1.4 oz (39 g)
Made in Japan
Single seed oysters are small, thin-shelled, and deep-cupped, which makes them easy to crack or gouge with a standard oyster knife. This I-shaped oyster knife is built specifically to work with that shell shape, giving you the control to shuck them cleanly without damaging the shell or the meat inside.
The blade pairs a flat top with a contoured, three-dimensional underside, a combination that keeps the blade flexible enough to glide along the adductor muscle while staying strong enough to resist bending under pressure. The tip is thin and precise for shaving the muscle free of the shell, and the blade widens toward the handle to keep fingers safely clear of the shell edge during repeated shucking.
The handle is pale, unfinished wood with a black ferrule at the blade collar and a burned-in maker mark near the butt end, giving it a simple, functional grip suited to long sessions at an oyster bar or a home kitchen prepping a large batch.
Care Instructions: Rinse and dry the blade and handle after each use. Hand wash only; never put it in the dishwasher, since the wood handle will not hold up to prolonged soaking or heat. Keep the blade dry between uses to prevent staining, and apply a light coat of food-safe mineral oil to the wood handle occasionally to keep it from drying out or cracking.
