Sakai Takayuki INOX Wa Gyuto 210mm — Ebony Octagonal Handle Sakai Takayuki
Handle wood
Steel
AUS-8 stainless steel
Ferrule
Buffalo horn
Handle
Ebony, natural wood (octagonal)
Blade length
210 mm
Made in
Sakai, Osaka, Japan
Lightness
Sharpness
Ease of sharpening
Rust resistance
About Blade
The blade is made of AUS-8, a rust-resistant stainless steel that is easy to live with. It is plenty sharp for everyday home cooking, simple to care for, and quick to resharpen.
The mirror-polished wa-style blade glides through food with little resistance for a light, easy cut. The double-bevel edge gives stable results for right- and left-handed cooks alike.
About Handle
The handle is ebony (kokutan), prized in Japan as the "king of precious woods." Its dense, heavy grain — specific gravity above 1.0 — settles into your hand and develops a deeper luster the more you use it.
The octagonal shape resists slipping and fits naturally into a pinch grip, with thumb and forefinger on the heel of the blade. A buffalo horn ferrule sits between blade and handle to protect the joint.
Producing Area
This knife is made in Sakai, Osaka — home of Sakai forged cutlery (Sakai Uchihamono), designated a Traditional Craft of Japan by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
In Sakai, forging, sharpening and handle-fitting are each carried out by dedicated specialist craftsmen — a division of labor handed down for some 600 years — and every knife is finished by hand to the highest standard of sharpness.
堺 Sakai, Osaka
©Sakai City, JAPAN
Sakai is a commuter town located in the Southern area of Osaka, and is the second most populous city in the prefecture after Osaka City.
Sakai is known for having many ancient burial mounds. Once, blacksmiths gathered and lived in Sakai from all over Japan to create tools for the construction of the mounds. This is believed to be the reason why Sakai is famous for forging.
In the Edo period, the shogunate's order included exclusive production of "Tobacco knives" in Sakai - knives for chopping tobacco leaves, which led to Sakai's fame for bladesmithing. As time went by, the technique has continued to be inherited by craftsmen over countless generations. To date, Sakai has been producing stunningly sharp knives with the best quality.
The production of forged knives in Sakai is based on the division of labor within each district.
To complete a single knife, each step, from forging and adding a blade, to attaching a handle, is handled by traditional specialists. It is expected to include more than 30 processes of knife creation until completion.
The significance of Sakai knives lies in the excellent forging and sharpening techniques which determine the edge of the blade.
Knives from Sakai are said to be used by over 90% of professional chefs of Japanese cuisine. Sakai is the leader of the world-class culture of Japanese bladesmithing.
Precautions For Use
To prevent rust
- Use dish soap to thoroughly wash the knife, and immediately wipe moisture away with a dry cloth before storage.
To prevent damage
- Do not ever put the knife in the dishwasher.
- Do not hold the knife over a fire or put in the oven. To disinfect the knife, please use hot water.
To prevent chips
- Do not use the knife on a hard surface, such as on a metal, stone, or glass cutting board.
- Do not cut hard objects, including frozen food and bone-in meat.
- Avoid putting multiple knives in the same drawer, as they may touch each other and chip.
For safety
- Handle the blade with care.
- Store the knives in a safe place and out of reach of children at all times.
