Left-handed single-bevel knives are genuinely rare - most honesuki knives are double-bevel and work equally in either hand. This Tokujyo honesuki is ground with a traditional single-bevel left-handed geometry, with the concave urasuki on the right side of the blade rather than the left, so the edge geometry works correctly for left-handed technique. Togashi Kenji forges the blade in White #2 carbon steel with iron cladding in Sakai, Japan, and Nishimura Norikatsu applies the kasumi natural stone finish that shows the contrast between hagane and jigane in the traditional Sakai manner. If you are left-handed and serious about single-bevel work, options like this are hard to find.
The honesuki format - triangular, stiff, built for poultry butchery and joint work - benefits significantly from single-bevel geometry when the technique is correct. The traditional concave back positions the cutting edge closer to the product, producing cleaner separation through joints and cartilage than a double-bevel grind can achieve. At 150mm blade length and 41mm height with a 5mm spine this knife is stiff and authoritative. Note: single-bevel knives require specific sharpening technique and some practice to use correctly - the double-bevel honesuki is more forgiving for beginners. Ichi wood octagonal handle with buffalo horn ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: The one reviewer is a left-handed first-time honesuki user who found the knife not very sharp on arrival and plans to have it professionally sharpened. He notes he has had better results with a double-bevel honesuki for the more challenging parts of chicken butchery - a fair observation for someone new to single-bevel technique. Single-bevel knives do arrive at a different factory edge than double-bevel and require familiarity with the geometry to perform at their best.
Care Instructions: White #2 is a reactive carbon steel - wipe and dry immediately after every use. The iron cladding is also reactive and will patina quickly. Avoid leaving acidic foods or moisture on the blade. Hand wash only, never dishwasher. Apply camellia oil for storage. Single-bevel sharpening requires technique - sharpen the bevel side only on water stones and maintain the flat back with light polishing strokes.
Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
The honesuki format - triangular, stiff, built for poultry butchery and joint work - benefits significantly from single-bevel geometry when the technique is correct. The traditional concave back positions the cutting edge closer to the product, producing cleaner separation through joints and cartilage than a double-bevel grind can achieve. At 150mm blade length and 41mm height with a 5mm spine this knife is stiff and authoritative. Note: single-bevel knives require specific sharpening technique and some practice to use correctly - the double-bevel honesuki is more forgiving for beginners. Ichi wood octagonal handle with buffalo horn ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: The one reviewer is a left-handed first-time honesuki user who found the knife not very sharp on arrival and plans to have it professionally sharpened. He notes he has had better results with a double-bevel honesuki for the more challenging parts of chicken butchery - a fair observation for someone new to single-bevel technique. Single-bevel knives do arrive at a different factory edge than double-bevel and require familiarity with the geometry to perform at their best.
Care Instructions: White #2 is a reactive carbon steel - wipe and dry immediately after every use. The iron cladding is also reactive and will patina quickly. Avoid leaving acidic foods or moisture on the blade. Hand wash only, never dishwasher. Apply camellia oil for storage. Single-bevel sharpening requires technique - sharpen the bevel side only on water stones and maintain the flat back with light polishing strokes.
Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
- Brand: Sakai Takayuki
- Line: Tokujyo
- Location: Sakai, Japan
- Blacksmith: Togashi Kenji
- Sharpener: Nishimura Norikatsu
- Construction: Hammer Forged, Ni Mai
- Edge Steel: White #2 (Shirogami #2) Carbon Steel
- Cladding: Iron
- Finish: Kasumi, Natural Stone Finish
- Edge Grind: Traditional Single Bevel Left Handed
- Handle: Ichi Wood Octagonal
- Ferrule: Buffalo Horn
- Weight: 5.0 oz (142g)
- Blade Length: 150mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 5mm
- Blade Height: 41mm
Reviews
1 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) First Honesuki Left Handed, December 22, 2024Posted By: James
22 people found this review helpful
This is my first Honesuki, and as noted, I am left-handed. Using a Honesuki is an excellent way to stop purchasing pre-cut chicken pieces; buying a whole chicken not only saves money but also encourages more variety in cooking. However, I found this knife to be not very sharp. Since I’m new to sharpening, I plan to have it professionally sharpened. I also own a Honesuki with a 50/50 grind—the Nigara Hamono SG2 Kurouchi Tsuchime Honesuki—and have had much better success with it when tackling the more challenging parts of butchering a chicken.
22 people found this review helpful
This is my first Honesuki, and as noted, I am left-handed. Using a Honesuki is an excellent way to stop purchasing pre-cut chicken pieces; buying a whole chicken not only saves money but also encourages more variety in cooking. However, I found this knife to be not very sharp. Since I’m new to sharpening, I plan to have it professionally sharpened. I also own a Honesuki with a 50/50 grind—the Nigara Hamono SG2 Kurouchi Tsuchime Honesuki—and have had much better success with it when tackling the more challenging parts of butchering a chicken.
