The usuba is Japan dedicated precision vegetable knife - flat edge, thin blade, single-bevel grind - and one of the three foundational knife styles in the professional Japanese kitchen alongside the deba and yanagiba. Where the nakiri is ground on both sides and suited to any cook, the usuba is ground single-bevel and delivers a level of precision through vegetables that a double-bevel blade cannot match. Thin sheets, exact julienne, and detailed decorative cuts are where the usuba earns its place. Sakai Takayuki has been producing knives in Sakai, Japan for over 600 years, and the Inox usuba brings that tradition to a stainless steel construction that is more forgiving to maintain than the carbon steel typically used in traditional single-bevel blades.
The blade is built in ni mai (two-layer) construction with an AUS8A stainless steel core and stainless cladding - a high-carbon molybdenum alloy that takes a sharp edge, holds it well, and resists corrosion in daily kitchen use. At 155mm blade length and 3.5mm spine thickness it is a precisely sized tool - long enough for efficient vegetable prep, thin enough for delicate work. The blade is laser etched and fitted to a D-shaped ho wood handle with a buffalo horn ferrule. Single-bevel construction means right-handed use only.
Care Instructions: AUS8A stainless is corrosion resistant and low maintenance. Hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. Single-bevel sharpening requires specific technique: maintain the hollow grind on the flat ura side and sharpen the bevel at the original angle. Quality water stones recommended.
The blade is built in ni mai (two-layer) construction with an AUS8A stainless steel core and stainless cladding - a high-carbon molybdenum alloy that takes a sharp edge, holds it well, and resists corrosion in daily kitchen use. At 155mm blade length and 3.5mm spine thickness it is a precisely sized tool - long enough for efficient vegetable prep, thin enough for delicate work. The blade is laser etched and fitted to a D-shaped ho wood handle with a buffalo horn ferrule. Single-bevel construction means right-handed use only.
Care Instructions: AUS8A stainless is corrosion resistant and low maintenance. Hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. Single-bevel sharpening requires specific technique: maintain the hollow grind on the flat ura side and sharpen the bevel at the original angle. Quality water stones recommended.
- Maker: Sakai Takayuki
- Location: Sakai, Japan
- Construction: Ni Mai, Hammer Forged
- Edge Steel: Inox AUS8A Stainless Steel
- Cladding: Stainless Steel
- Engraving: Laser Etched
- Grind: Single Bevel Traditional
- Orientation: Right-Handed Only
- Handle: D-Shaped Ho Wood
- Ferrule: Buffalo Horn
- Weight: 6.0 oz (170 g)
- Blade Length: 155mm
- Total Length: 299mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 3.5mm
- Blade Height: 40mm
