While Jikko knives are a fairly recent addition to our lineup of kitchen cutlery, the company traces its roots back over a century to the city of Sakai, located in the Osaka Prefecture. Sakai is known as one of the hotbeds of Japanese knife making. Jikko is one of the longest operating companies in the Sakai region and is considered to be one of the top knife manufacturers in Japan.
One of the most ancient methods of blade making is honyaki, which translates to “true forged” in English. Honyaki knives are the most difficult blades to make. Because of this, the failure rate is extremely high and only the very best blacksmiths are capable of making these truly remarkable knives. The blade is ground to perfection by one of the top sharpeners in Sakai City and then polished to a mirror finish.
Yanagiba knives are one of the three basic knife styles employed in Japanese professional kitchens, together with the deba and the usuba. The slender, long blade of a yanagiba is intended to cut slices of fish in a single drawing stroke. It should require a minimal amount of pressure to achieve the slice, which therefore avoids cell destruction to the fish. Expert sushi chefs can actually employ different cutting techniques to enhance the aesthetics and flavors of each type of fish, but it takes a knife of this caliber to achieve these goals.
The slender blade is perfectly matched and balanced to a beautifully finished octagonal handle made from ebony and black buffalo horn.
Maker: Jikko
Location: Sakai, Japan
Blacksmith: Undisclosed
Sharpener: Jikko San
Construction: Hammer Forged
Style: Honyaki
Steel: Blue #2
Quenching: Water Quenched
Finish: Mirror Finish
Engraving: Hand Engraved
Type: Yanagiba
Handle: Ebony Octagonal
Ferrule: Black Buffalo Horn
Edge Length: 290mm
Weight: 8.3oz
Height: 35mm