Yanagiba knives

Yanagiba is one of the 3 basic knife shapes necessary in the cultivation of traditional Japanese washoku cuisine. The name itself freely translates to a willow blade, the shape of this knife refers to the shape of the leaf of this tree. The slender and delicate shape of the blade is designed to cut delicate raw fish meat, which makes this knife unrivaled. The most characteristic thing that defines the design of traditional knives is the concave back of the Urasuki knife that allows it to be sharpened again quickly and the widely marked path of the blade (kireha).

The length of the yanagiba's blade can vary from 21cm to even 36cm. The most common lengths are 24 and 27 centimeters, the length of which is best suited to the size of countertops in Japanese restaurants. Japanese knives usually only come pre-sharpened. Before use, it is necessary to open the knife (honbazuke), which will only allow you to get the necessary sharpness.
The most common construction is Ni-mai (two layers) where the blade is forged from high carbon steel (usually Shirogami, less often Aogami) and iron. The purpose of this procedure is to make the knife more flexible, preventing it from damage, it also allows you to straighten it when needed, and most of all, iron is much easier to work and sharpen.

A less common design of the knife is the honyaki (hon-real, yaki-fire) where the whole knife is made of one piece of high-carbon steel which is selectively hardened, which is shown by the hamon (hardening line) on the sides of the knife. Usually, this type of knives is chosen by people who care about having not only a tool but a work of art that is one of a kind. Unfortunately, the price is also behind the uniqueness, because these types of knives are very difficult to manufacture and process for both the blacksmith and the sharpener who has to deal with much higher hardened steel than usual. Production rejects can range from 20 to 50%. During hardening the blades can bend and break. Selective hacking knives are divided into those that are cooled in oil - abure-yaki and in water - mizu-yaki. Knives of this type are traditionally made with shirogami or Aogami, but exceptionally you can come across a blade made of tamahagane steel. However, this type of knives are unique and you will probably not find them in any popular knife store also in Japan itself. The name honyaki is also used for knives constructed entirely of steel that are not selectively hardened. You can come across knives made of both very good steel, such as VG-10, and average steel, such as 440J.

Today, various types of knife shapes are used to cut sashimi, which depend on the sashimi to be cut and the region in which it is prepared. The western regions (Kansai) are fond of yanagiba, while the eastern regions (Kanto) prefer an even thinner and more delicate Fuguhiki knife which is used to cut puffer sashimi or takohiki which was made to prepare octopus. Yanagiba, depending on the manufacturer, will be slightly heavier or lighter.