• White Steel#2 (Honyaki-Mizuyaki) Yanagiba 360mm-Mirror Polished(both sides)
  • White Steel#2 (Honyaki-Mizuyaki) Yanagiba 360mm-Mirror Polished(both sides)
  • White Steel#2 (Honyaki-Mizuyaki) Yanagiba 360mm-Mirror Polished(both sides)
  • Handle
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KIREAJI

White Steel #2 (Honyaki-Mizuyaki) Yanagiba 360mm-Mirror Polished(both sides)

White Steel #2 (Honyaki-Mizuyaki) Yanagiba 360mm-Mirror Polished(both sides)

Low stock: 1 left

This Japanese knife, crafted by the late master Yuzan, is an extremely rare, one-time offer. Due to his passing, no more of his knives will ever be produced. Once sold out, it will not be available again, making it an exceptionally valuable piece.

$1,950.00 CAD
$380.00 CAD $1,950.00 CAD
Sale Sold out

Our Thoughts on Pricing

Honbazuke

Shipping is free to the United States and Canada.

<Type>
Yanagiba
 -Single-edged: right-handed

<Material>
 - Blade : White Steel #2
 - Handle：Ebony & Buffalo horn

<Size & Weight>
 -Handle to tip length: 364㎜
 -Blade height: 38㎜
 -Thickness: 4.8㎜
 -Weight: 327g

<Brand name>
 Shiroyama (made in Sakai, Osaka)

Shipping & Returns

Shipping is free to the United States and Canada.
After receiving an order from the customer, the craftsmen in Sakai City attach a handle to the Japanese knife and, if requested, perform Honbazuke as well. Therefore, it takes approximately 2 to 4 weeks to deliver the product.
Please refer to our return policy.

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Traditional craftsmen working on this product

Sakai_s_Declining_Japanese_Knife_Craftsmen

Yuzan

Legendary Traditional Craftsman of Japanese Knife: The Father of Traditional Craftsman Shogo Yamastuka

  • Yuzan is the father of traditional craftsman Shogo Yamatsuka.
  • Yuzan was a craftsman who exclusively worked on Mizuyaki among Honyaki. These Japanese knives are extremely rare and hardly available on the market.

Tadayoshi Yamatsuka

Master of Japanese Knife Mirror Polishing

  • Mr. Yamatsuka was recognized as a traditional craftsman in 2022.
  • Excelling in blade sharpening skills, especially for thin blades
  • Renowned in Sakai for his mirror polished technique on Japanese knives.

KIREAJI's Three Promises to You

  • japanese_knife_made_in_Sakai

    1. High-quality Japanese Knive

    KIREAJI offers high-quality knives crafted by skilled artisans from Sakai City. Utilizing traditional techniques and carefully selected materials, we achieve superior sharpness and durability.

  • Honbazuke

    2. Genuine Sharpness

    To ensure you experience sharpness, we provide a free Honbazuke by our skilled craftsmen.

  • after service

    3. Lifetime Knife Use

    Every knife comes with a free Saya(Sheath) for durability. We also provide paid after-sales services with Sakai City Japanese knife workshop.

  • Precautions

    1. If you wish to Honbazuke, please select "Yes" when ordering. (Free of charge)
    2. Each piece is handmade and therefore unique. Please consider the weight and length as approximate guidelines.
    3. As buffalo horn is a natural material, variations in color occur, and the product may not exactly match the photo.
    4. We pay close attention to our inventory, but in the rare case that an item is out of stock, we will notify you via email.

Honyaki

Honyaki knives are manufactured using a different method from general knives. Unlike kasumi knives, honyaki knives lack a soft iron core, making them more susceptible to shocks and very prone to cracking during the hardening process, as there is no escape for the damage. To mitigate this and make the blade less likely to break, a process called "tsuchioki" is performed. Tsuchioki involves applying a mud-like clay to areas that should not be hardened before the hardening process. This ensures that the steel on the spine remains tough and flexible, preventing the blade from cracking. The shape of the tsuchioki application creates wave patterns or Mount Fuji patterns on the blade. Due to the complexity of the hardening process, only a few craftsmen in Sakai (or nationwide) can produce honyaki (mizuyaki) knives.

Mizuyaki

There are two types of hardening methods for honyaki knives: Mizuyaki (water quenching) and Aburayaki (oil quenching). Mizuyaki prioritizes sharpness and allows for higher hardness of the steel, maximizing performance, making it the best method for honyaki knives. Additionally, mizuyaki is significantly more difficult to execute compared to aburayaki.

Before using a knife

Before Using a Knife

We hope that everyone will use their knives for a long time. To achieve this, I'd like to review what we should pay attention to and what we shouldn't do in order to continue using them effectively.

Before Using a Knife
Daily Care of Japanese Knives

Daily Care of Japanese Knives

We aim for all of you to use your knives for a long time. To achieve this, we have summarized what aspects of knife care you should pay attention to on a regular basis.

Daily Care of Japanese Knives

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.　　(Estimated reply time: within 10 hours)

The Origin of Craftsmanship

  • Once you experience its edge, you'll be captivated forever—this is why Sakai's forged cutlery continues its legacy.

  • When someone first holds a Sakai knife, they often pause—there's a moment of recognition when they feel something different, something special. It's not just about sharpness; it's about experiencing centuries of refined craftsmanship in your hand. Each blade tells a story of tradition, of countless hours perfecting every detail, of generations of artisans who dedicated their lives to this craft.

  • What keeps our tradition alive isn't just history or technique—it's the moment when a chef makes their first cut with our knife. That instant of revelation, when they understand why we've preserved these methods for so long. We see it in their eyes: the realization that they're holding something extraordinary, something that will transform their daily cooking experience.

  • This is why our craft has endured for centuries. Not because we cling to tradition for tradition's sake, but because the quality of our work speaks for itself in every kitchen, with every cut. Once you've experienced a truly exceptional blade, there's no going back—and that's how our legacy continues, one knife, one user at a time.

  • The true testament to our craft isn't in the telling, but in the using. That's why we say: try it once, and you'll understand why Sakai's blade-making tradition has survived for centuries, and why it will continue for generations to come.