KIKUZUKI Uzu Sakimaru Takohiki

Sakai Kikumori offers these knives as uncompromising works of the highest quality. Our foremost craftsmen have diligently fashioned these knives from forging to sharpening, and we have pursued an ease of use that allows one to appreciate the fascinating appeal of our knives.
Damascus steel is used as the base steel for these KIKUZUKI Uzu knives, creating a pattern that flows like a river. Made of YSS Blue #1. Boasting a high degree of hardness, these knives maintain a smooth sharpness and require some experience to sharpen well.

The sakimaru takohiki is a takohiki knife, often used in the Kanto region of Japan, with a sakimaru, or rounded point. Like the yanagi, this knife is used for slicing sashimi.

1. YSS Blue #1
   Boasting a high degree of hardness, this steel maintains a smooth sharpness. It requires some experience to sharpen it well.
2. Forging
   A skilled craftsman can expertly draw out the essential characteristics of the steel. CHOYO and KIKUZIKU knives have an overwhelming sharpness that is cultivated by the finest craftsmen through their entire production process, from forging to sharpening.
   *A different production process is used for YSS Silver #3.
   
3. Sharpening
   The work of fine craftsmen is also apparent in the ease of care of these knives. The blades of our knives are perfectly straight and slide smoothly and comfortably across the whetstone.
4. Design
   Our designs pursue ease of use, reflecting the voices of professional chefs even in the finest details. Their keen edges and highly functional designs make them perfect culinary companions.
   
   Japanese magnolia wood, both durable and pleasant to the touch, is used for the handle. The handle is finished in the shape of an octagon, making it easy to grip and familiar to the hand.
   The ago, or heel, has been widened, providing a soft buttress for the fingers.
   The mine, or spine of the blade, has been chamfered to make it easy to handle.