[Indigo Bocho] Yanagiba (Right-Handed) 24cm

• Blade: Shirogami No.2 carbon steel
• Blade length: 24cm
• Blade grind: Single bevel (right-handed)
• Handle: Hiba (Japanese cypress)
• Ferrule: Laminated plywood

A sashimi knife, used after the fish is broken down, when the slices have to look right.

The blade is shaped like a willow leaf, which is where the name yanagiba comes from.

It is ground on one side only, and that is what lets it cut a clean face and leave a crisp edge on the slice.

A santoku or a gyuto cuts by pushing; a yanagiba cuts by pulling.

As the old line has it, a blade that rusts is a blade that cuts — so this one is carbon steel, chosen for its edge.

Being carbon steel it will rust if left wet, so wipe it dry after every use.

"Craftsman collaboration": different crafts, from different regions, brought together in one object.

This knife pairs Sakai bladesmithing in Osaka, with six hundred years of history behind it, with the indigo dyeing of Tokushima.

The handle begins as hiba, a wood with about the best rot resistance you can ask for.

It is dyed with indigo, valued since antiquity for its antibacterial, deodorizing and insect-repelling qualities.

Once the wood is dyed, more indigo is sprayed over it to build the gradation, which is how a handle ends up working as well as it looks.

A waterproof coating compliant with Japan's Food Sanitation Act goes over the indigo, so the dye will not bleed or wear away.

The other idea behind the knife is simple: one product, several craft regions, all of them better off for it.

The Indigo Bocho is also a new attempt at keeping Japan's traditional crafts in working use.

We hope you enjoy what these craftsmen have made together.