The Tani Shirogami 2
Yanagiba 240mm is fashioned from the ubiquitous White #2 steel which is hammer forged using the traditional ni-mai cladding technique. The outer layer is a soft iron which aids with strength, durability and lightness. As with all
yanagiba knives, it is single beveled with a slightly concave back side.
This good looking and attractively priced, medium length yanagiba is made by Mr. Tani, who has been smithing for 40 years in Sakai City, one of the famed centers of Japanese knife makers. He performs most of the operations by eye and instinct, just like blacksmiths have done for centuries. We admire this ability very much as it is a skill that is disappearing from many shops and manufacturers recently.
The look of the knife is also as traditional as it gets: simple, elegant and functional. The upper blade face is slightly polished with the secondary face receiving a satin matte finish. The transition from that to the visible White steel inner core results in a knife of simple beauty. The finely engraved kanji script and traditional Magnolia wood handle, with buffalo horn ferrule, complete this great looking picture.
Blacksmith: Mr. Tani
Location: Sakai, Japan
Construction: Hammer Forged, Ni Mai
Edge Steel: White #2
Cladding: Soft Iron
Finish: Migaki (Means "Polished" in Japanese)
Edge Grind: Right-Sided Traditional Grind
Weight: 5.5 oz / 156g
Blade Length: 234 mm
Overall Length: 380 mm
Spine Thickness at Heel: 3.9 mm
Blade Height at Heel: 33.04 mm
Handle: Magnolia Wood
Ferrule: Buffalo Horn