Sharp and Durable, Single beveled Japanese Kitchen Knife made in Japan for Professional and Household Use, Yanagiba Sashimi Fish

Sharp and Durable, Single-beveled Japanese Kitchen Knife made in Japan for Professional and Household Use, Yanagiba Sashimi Fish

- Proudly handmade in Japan

- Single-beveled

- Good for cutting, slicing and peeling

- Factory fresh, no dead stock

- Customization available(small MOQ)

This Yanagiba is also called a “sashimi knife” and is used to slicing fresh fishes.

About Japanese Kitchen Knifes (Wabocho)

Wabocho are knives used in the Japanese culinary arts and are said to be just as sharp as the Japanese Katana. It is due to this cutting edge that they are loved by not only Japanese chefs, but chefs of all culinary backgrounds from all over the world. Another unique feature of these Japanese knives that are shared with katana is the removable handle or tsuka, which further separates them from their western counterparts. This advantage allows for the blade to be completely removed and repaired 100% if need be. Japanese kitchen knives are made of traditional Japanese steel and soft iron. The steel is forged into the soft iron base metal.

With proper maintenance, these knives can be used for years or even up to three generations.

The main difference between wabocho and Western kitchen knives is that Western knives are often double-beveled, while Japanese kitchen knives largely use single-beveled designs, making them essentially right-handed. This is because itamae ‘Japanese sushi chefs,’ used to cut sashimi on the right side of the plate so that their patrons could easily pick it up. It was considered proper etiquette to cut on the right side and arrange the sashimi from the left. For this reason, even left-handed chefs in Japan tend to use the right side of the sashimi knife.

Single-beveled kitchen knives

A single-beveled knife is, just as the name implies, a blade with only one sharpened side. This allows for sharper edges than double-beveled knives. The blade is sharper than a double-beveled variety, and because the blade is only on one side, when the ingredients are cut, the tip of the blade cuts slightly to the left and the knife moves away in the direction of the unsharpened side. In other words, if the blade is dropped vertically, it will cut at an angle. This makes it easy for the cut ingredients to move away from the blade. Not only can the chopping motion be done quickly, but it also makes for a beautifully cut surfaces as the cuts are made without damaging the surface of the ingredients cross section.

All of this makes these knives ideal for tasks such as peeling, thinly shaving, removing fish heads, cutting sashimi, and cutting bones. When a double-beveled knife is used to cut sashimi, the right side of the blade and the left side will cut with subtle variations in force. When this happens, the cross-section becomes angled and uneven. The uneven cross-section means that on a cellular level cells comprising the ingredients are being destroyed, which may cause gouges and odors to appear. This causes the texture of the food to change, and for the flavor to be diminished. For sashimi, the cross-section must be cut in a mirror-like manner to enjoy the truly desired flavor.

Therefore, single-beveled knives are effective for sashimi, peeling, and thin slicing, and are recommended for both professional chefs and food lovers.

Summary of the characteristics of the single-beveled blade

- Good for cutting
- Good for slicing/ peeling
- May require time to attain proficiency

Main types of single-beveled knives

- Yanagiba Kitchen Knife
This is also called a “sashimi knife” and is used to slicing sashimi.

- Deba Knife
This is a knife primarily for cutting fish. It is designed to cut off the heads and other boney parts of fish.

- Deba Kitchen Knife
The de-ba kitchen knife is thinner and narrower than its heftier de-ba knife cousin. It is used to cutting fish into two or three streak pieces and to remove skin. It is also perfectly suitable for chopping.

- Blowfish Knife
Also called a tessa knife, this knife is thinner and narrower than a yanagiba, and is specialized for slicing fugu sashimi. It is most suitable for cutting very thin pieces of sashimi.

- Bone-cutting Knife
Also called Hamo-kiri, this knife is specialized for cutting the bones of hamo (pike). Hamo contain many small bones and the bones are quite hard. The blade is made a little thicker and has a lot of weight to prevent the blade from spilling. It is also characterized by its weight, which makes it possible to push and cut the meat and bones of hamo with precision.

Double-beveled Knife

A double-beveled knife is the same as a standard knife or a santoku knife and is widely used for home use. The characteristic of this shape is that when as you push the blade, it cuts in a straight line, making it easy to cut in the desired direction. It is suitable for basic work such as cutting and chopping.

Also, unlike single-beveled knives, there are no right-handed or left-handed variation. They can be used equally well in either hand. However, compared to the single-beveled blade, it is less suitable for thin slices and peeling. Excess outward force is applied when trying to make very thin cuts making it unstable.

Summary of features of double-beveled blade

- Easy to use/ cuts straight
- Ambidextrous
- Multi-purpose

Main types of double-beveled kitchen knives

- Santoku Kitchen Knife
A general all-purpose kitchen knife for home use. It can be used for a wide range of purposes including meat, fish, and vegetables. While cutting sashimi is a breeze, it is not suitable for cutting fish (into two or three pieces) as the blade in quite thin.

- Gyuba Knife
This knife is a little slimmer in width than a santoku and is also called a chef's knife. It is often used by professionals. Due to its primary role in cutting chunks of beef, it comes in many sizes, from short to long and is also suitable for large vegetables, meat, and fish. However, like the santoku, it is not suitable for cutting whole fish.

- Vegetable Knife
For chopping, dicing, peeling, and hollowing vegetables.

- Sujibiki(Filleting) Knife
Used for cutting large pieces of meat, shaving meat strips, and slicing meat. The shape of the knife is similar to that of a Yanagiba knife, so it is sometimes used for slicing sashimi. This knife can be found in most kitchens. 

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Tozando is a comprehensive manufacturer and vendor of equipment for kendo, iaido, aikido, and other martial arts. Our products are loved by practitioners in Japan and in seventy countries around the world. Since our founding in 1989, we have aimed to integrate our manufacturing and production efforts in order to provide ongoing quality, competitive pricing, and second-to-none service to our customers.

At Tozando, not only do we produce our own range of products, but we strive to train the next generation of skilled craftsmen and women. We employ over fifty craftsmen who work hard to refine their skills and continue the Japanese craft traditions.

Our comprehensive range of martial arts equipment is produced both in and outside Japan, and is centrally maintained at our logistics center by in-house personnel. Each item is scrupulously checked for any damage and defects to ensure customers only receive goods of the highest quality. Our product management process allows us to achieve rapid shipment and turnover
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Q: Can you custom my order?
A: Yes, we provide OEM service.

Q: Are you a manufacturer or a middleman?
A: We are a manufacturer. We operate three factories in Japan.

Q: I want to make a bulk order. Can you give me more discount?
A: Yes, but it depends on the quantities you order. Please contact us.

Q: Can you send me a sample?
A: Yes, we can. The price you paid for the sample will be deducted from your first order.

Q: How about the quality of your bokken?
A: Our bokken is used nationwide and worldwide and its high quality has earned it a solid reputation around the world.