Sakai Kikumori Ren Aoichi Yanagiba 270mm

About Satoshi Nakagawa - Satoshi Nakagawa is a super-talented, relatively young hotshot blacksmith working in the Sakai area. At the moment, he’s one of the most popular makers among knife nerds and collectors, and for good reason: he’s incredibly talented and is making some of the coolest blades coming out of Japan right now. From a young age, Nakagawa-san was fascinated with blacksmithing. At age eighteen, he began training under the legendary master Kenichi Shiraki. He apprenticed for 16 years, even running the workshop for several years when his master fell ill. In that time, he learned an incredible amount and developed a strong foundation of skills to build on. Once his master retired, Nakagawa-san took the reins and founded Nakagawa Uchihamono in 2021. He immediately began producing masterpieces under his own name.

About the Shape - Yanagibas are long, thin, single-bevel knives ground and sharpened on one side. Translating to “willow’s leaf,” they’re graceful and elegant like their name suggests. Yanagibas are commonly used for slicing sashimi, but can also be used for carving other meats like roast beef and prime rib.

Shape	Yanagiba
Blade Length	270 mm
Blade Height	34.5 mm
Blade Thickness Above Heel	4.4 mm
Weight	246 g
Steel Type	Aogami #1 (Blue Carbon Steel) With Carbon Steel Cladding Rust Prone ⓘ This knife can rust, click to learn more.
Rockwell Hardness	62–64
Blacksmith	Satoshi Nakagawa
Edge/Bevel	Single Bevel - Right Bias
Handle	Wa (Japanese) Handle - Octagon
Made in	Sakai, Osaka, Japan
Brand	Sakai Kikumori

A note about measurements: Knife edge length is shorter than stated, as Sakai knives are measured from the front of the handle to the tip. Additionally, some knives feature a small 'machi' gap between the handle and blade.