Sakimaru Sujihiki knife, SG2 powder steel with stainless steel cladding, Damascus finish - Saji

After 5 years of running this business we have finally got this masters knives in. He is one of the great makers of Japan and has been awarded the distinction of living treasure. He is also one of the makers who set up Takefu knife village.

SHAPE: Sakimaru Sujihiki. A slicing knife similar to the yanagiba sushi knife but with a western double bevel. Very adept at cutting in one continuous movement causing minimal damage to the protein. This version of the sujihiki has a distinct flat tip making it look more like a samurai sword than a chef knife.

STEEL: SG2 or R2. These are modern powder steels and as the name suggested are formed from a mixture of powdered elements heated and pressed together. This allows for very precise recipes to be followed. The steels themselves have the ability to be hardened to above 65 on the Rockwell scale giving them excellent edge retention. This does come at a slight cost in that they can be harder to sharpen.

FINISH: Damascus or suminagashi. This type of finish is made by creating a Kitaeji, which is produced by repeatedly folding/stacking then compressing two different steels until they create a laminated pattern. This can then be manipulated in various ways to produce the maker’s desired pattern effect. This material is then clad around the core metal of the blade as an elaborate protective layer for the core steel - thus giving the knife a beautiful and striking appearance.

HANDLE: Desert Ironwood Western Handle

LENGTH: 370mm in length.

MAKER: Saji - Takefu, Japan

BEST FOR: Owning something that not many other people do.

SAUNDERS SAYS: "If you need a reason to buy this it’s not for you. Excels at fruit ninja."