Sashimi - Yanagi: The Traditional Japanese Kitchen Knife for Clean Cuts
The Sashimi - Yanagi is a traditional Japanese kitchen knife with a long, narrow, and rigid blade, specifically designed for slicing fresh fish fillets into paper-thin slices. The Yanagi knife is not only ideal for the masterful preparation of sashimi, but it's also excellent for making sushi, fish carpaccio, and other delicate dishes where precise slicing and clean cuts are of paramount importance.
The Yanagiba (柳刃包丁) knife, also known as a sashimi knife, originates from Japan. Its development can be traced back to the 14th century when the Japanese began consuming raw fish. Sashimi, the method of consuming thinly sliced raw fish, gained popularity in the 17th century, and a special knife was developed for this technique. The name Yanagiba comes from the combination of the words "willow leaf" (yanagi) and "blade" (ba). This name refers to the knife's long, thin blade, which resembles a willow leaf. The blade is single-beveled, ensuring a clean and precise cut.
The Yanagiba knife is still used today for preparing sashimi. The knife's precise cutting allows for thin slicing of fish fillets without damaging the meat's structure. The Yanagiba knife can also be used for other kitchen tasks, such as slicing vegetables and fruits.
Blade Material: U420J2 (Nippon Koshuha) stainless steel
Handle Material: Rubber wood
Hardness: 56 HRC
Overall Length: 33.9 cm
Blade Length: 21 cm
Blade Width: 3 cm
Blade Thickness: Approximately 2 mm
Cutting Edge Design: Single-sided
Weight: Approximately 67 g
Manufacturer: Satake Cutlery Mfg. Co., Ltd. Made in Japan.
Article No.: 801-645
Blade Material: AUS-8A stainless steel
Handle Material: Magnolia wood (Lilio wood)
Hardness: 58-59 HRC
Overall Length: 33.3 cm
Blade Length: 21 cm
Blade Width: 3 cm
Blade Thickness: Approximately 2 mm
Cutting Edge Design: Single-sided
Weight: Approximately 70 g
Manufacturer: Satake Cutlery Mfg. Co., Ltd. Made in Japan.
Article No.: 801-447
Blade material - AUS-8A stainless steel
Handle material - walnut
Hardness - 58-59 HRC
Total length - 33 cm
Blade length - 20 cm
Blade width - 2.8 cm
Blade thickness - approx. 1.5 mm
Cutting edge design - single-sided
Weight - 82 g
Manufacturer: Satake Cutlery Mfg. Co., Ltd. Made in Japan.
Item number: 808-057
Blade material - AUS-8A stainless steel
Handle material - Hard plastic laminate
Hardness - 58-59 HRC
Overall length - 34,8 cm
Blade length - 20,8 cm
Blade width - 3,1 cm
Blade thickness - approx. 2,3 mm
Cutting edge design - single-sided
Weight - approx. 182 g
Manufacturer: Satake Cutlery Mfg. Co., Ltd. Made in Japan.
Article No.: 803-700
Blade - AUS8-A
Handle - polypropylene
Hardness - 56-58 HRC
Overall length - 33,5 cm
Blade length - 21 cm
Blade width - 2,9 cm
Blade thickness - 2,1 mm
Sharpening method - one-sided grinding right-handed
Weight - approx. 110 g
Manufacturer: Satake Cutlery Mfg. Co., Ltd. Made in Japan.
Article No.: 803-250
Blade - AUS-8A stainless steel with black titanium coating
Handle - polypropylene stainless steel ring
Hardness - 56-58 HRC
Overall length - 33,6 cm
Blade length - 21 cm
Blade width - 3,1 cm
Blade thickness - 1,9 mm
Sharpening method - single-sided
Weight - approx. 109 g
Manufacturer: Satake Cutlery Mfg. Co., Ltd. Made in Japan.
Article No.: 805-766
Blade material - U420J2 (Nippon Koshuha) stainless steel
Handle material - natural wood
Hardness - 56 HRC
Overall length - 32 cm
Blade length - 20,5 cm
Blade width - 3,2 cm
Blade thickness - approx. 2 mm
Cutting edge design - single-sided
Weight - approx. 90 g
Manufacturer: Satake Cutlery Mfg. Co., Ltd. Made in Japan.
Article No.: 803-755
Key Benefits of the Sashimi - Yanagi Knife
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Unparalleled Precision for Fish Filleting: The Yanagi's long, narrow, and single-beveled blade allows for paper-thin, perfectly clean slices of fish meat without damaging its structure. This is essential for preparing sashimi and sushi.
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Excellent Cutting Texture: The blade can pass through the fish meat in a single motion, which minimizes cell damage and preserves the fish's natural texture and flavor.
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Specialized Use: The Yanagi is specifically designed for filleting and slicing raw fish, providing the best possible results for this specific kitchen task.
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Long Blade: The Yanagi's long blade allows the chef to cut through the fish fillet with a single, long pull, resulting in smoother and more uniform slices.
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Clean Cutting Surface: Due to its single-bevel sharpening, the blade only pushes the fish from one side, ensuring the cutting surface remains exceptionally smooth and shiny, which is aesthetically important when serving sashimi.
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Comfortable Grip: Although the Yanagi is a specialized Japanese kitchen knife, quality models are designed to fit comfortably in the hand, allowing for precise and controlled movements.