The next time you’re sitting at a sushi bar, take a peek at their knife. It’s likely not a Chef Knife, nor a Paring, but instead, a truly special knife, one that is designed just for the task.
Yanagi, meaning “Willow,” is named after the shape of the willow tree’s long-narrow leaf, and sharp angle tip. The same features can be found on any Yanagi Knife. Designed to slice through fish with ease, it is the Sushi Chef’s blade of choice.
In crafting ours, it was important to draw inspiration from sushi counters across the world. Designed to slice the most delicate pieces of fish with ease, we kept true to the traditional design while giving it our own touch of flair to make it stand out. Here are four of our favorite features.
Evergreen Handle
Our Evergreen handle isn’t made from Evergreen trees, instead the name refers to how long it will last: forever. Crafted with high-density compressed wood, the handle is water-resistant and grippy, giving it a non slip quality perfect for slicing fish into strips of sashimi. It is durable, elegant, and because of the unique dying process, no two knives will be exactly the same.
Single Beveled Blade
A bevel is the degree to which a knife’s blade is sharpened, so having a single bevel means that only one side of the blade is sharpened. This means it can only be used by right-handed people (sorry lefties). Our bevel is sharpened to 12.5 degrees to provide extreme precision when slicing, which keeps the muscle fibers of the fish intact.
Long Blade
In order to slice a filet of fish for sashimi or nigiri, it’s important to do it in one smooth motion so you don’t damage or bruise the fish. Long and thin like the willow branch it’s named for, this keeps the blade in contact with the fish for the whole slice and keeps it from tearing, preserving the integrity of the fish. Our Yanagi’s blade is 9.5 inches long, so you’ll be able to slice any piece of fish, from heel to tip.
Precise Weight
Most Yanagi knives aren’t full tang, meaning that the body of the knife isn’t extended throughout the handle. However, we crafted ours with a full tang so that there is more weight to the blade. This means you can apply minimal pressure when slicing, which keeps you from tearing the fish.
