Sakai Takayuki Honkasumi Handcrafted Japanese Knives

A Japanese San Mai blade with a Shirogami #3 core

Each Honkasumi Japanese knife blade features a San Mai structure, consisting of three layers of steel. It has a core made of Japanese Shirogami #3 steel, containing approximately 0.9% carbon, which is protected by two outer layers of softer stainless steel. Shirogami #3 steel gives the blades a hardness of approximately 60 HRC, ensuring a balance between cutting performance and ease of maintenance for a handcrafted Japanese carbon-core knife. The polished surface highlights the blades’ clean lines. The handles of these handcrafted Japanese knives are made of magnolia wood. This is a traditional Japanese wood highly prized for its smooth texture and light weight. The handles of the yanagiba and deba knives are finished with a black buffalo horn bolster to ensure optimal balance. Since magnolia wood and buffalo horn are natural materials, their appearance may vary from knife to knife; each piece thus has its own unique character.

The Japanese craftsmanship of Kenji Togashi and Mitsuo Yamatsuka

The handcrafted Sakai Takayuki Honkasumi Japanese knives are the result of the complementary work of two Japanese artisans. Kenji Togashi forges the blades in Sakai, a city renowned for its cutlery tradition. The work of this renowned artisan, certified as a Traditional Master Craftsman, gives shape to the San Mai structure of the collection: a core of Shirogami #3 steel protected by two layers of softer stainless steel. Mitsuo Yamatsuka then sharpens the blades to give them a precise edge suited to their intended use. This step also preserves the asymmetrical grind of the models, which are available for both right- and left-handed users. From forging to sharpening, this craftsmanship is evident in every Japanese kitchen knife in the collection: the deba, designed for preparing fish, and the yanagiba, intended for long, clean cuts. Each blade thus reflects the care taken in its manufacture and finish. Find all Sakai Takayuki knives at Knifeleader.eu!