The usuba is the dedicated vegetable knife of traditional Japanese kitchens, chisel ground with a bevel on the front and a hollow-ground urasuki on the back. Like all usuba, this knife has a flat edge with virtually no curve, and it is tall to allow knuckle clearance when chopping on a cutting board. Usuba literally means thin blade, a quality required for cutting through firm vegetables without cracking them. The height and straight edge also suit specialized cuts like katsuramuki, the technique of shaving a vegetable cylinder into a paper-thin sheet. This particular profile, with its rounded heel, is known as a kamagata usuba.
The blade is made from the popular Hitachi White #2 carbon steel with an iron cladding, custom commissioned for CKTG by a small Sakai blacksmith shop. It will corrode if not cared for properly, but the core steel takes and keeps a good edge and is genuinely easy to sharpen. As with all usuba, this is a single bevel blade suited to right-handed users only. The simple D-shaped ho wood handle is attached to the blade with a buffalo horn ferrule, and a custom saya and pin complete the package.
Care Instructions: White #2 is a reactive carbon steel - wipe and dry the blade immediately after every use. Avoid leaving acidic foods on the edge. Apply a light coat of camellia oil after use and for storage. Sharpen on quality water stones; single bevel technique is required. Hand wash only. Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
The blade is made from the popular Hitachi White #2 carbon steel with an iron cladding, custom commissioned for CKTG by a small Sakai blacksmith shop. It will corrode if not cared for properly, but the core steel takes and keeps a good edge and is genuinely easy to sharpen. As with all usuba, this is a single bevel blade suited to right-handed users only. The simple D-shaped ho wood handle is attached to the blade with a buffalo horn ferrule, and a custom saya and pin complete the package.
- Maker: Sakai Blacksmith
- Location: Sakai, Japan
- Construction: Hammer Forged, Ni Mai
- Edge Steel: White #2
- Cladding: Soft Iron
- Knife Type: Kamagata Usuba
- Edge Grind: Single Bevel, Right Handed
- Handle: Ho Wood D
- Ferrule: Buffalo Horn
- Saya: Included
- Weight: 5.1 oz (146 g)
- Blade Length: 153 mm
- Total Length: 288 mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 3.8 mm
- Blade Height: 40.3 mm
Care Instructions: White #2 is a reactive carbon steel - wipe and dry the blade immediately after every use. Avoid leaving acidic foods on the edge. Apply a light coat of camellia oil after use and for storage. Sharpen on quality water stones; single bevel technique is required. Hand wash only. Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
