Knives

An Artisan's Tool: The Minonokuni Aogami Damascus 150mm Petty Knife Step into the world of traditional Japanese bladecraft with the Minonokuni 150mm Petty Knife. This is not merely a kitchen tool; it is an heirloom, hand-forged by artisans to deliver a cutting experience that is second to none. Perfectly sized for all precision tasks, this "Petty" (utility) knife is the nimble and indispensable partner to a larger chef's knife. The soul of this blade is its core of Aogami (Blue Paper) #2 Steel, a legendary high-carbon steel prized by master blacksmiths for its ability to take an incredibly fine, scalpel-like edge and hold it. This pure steel core is protected by layers of soft iron, forged into a breathtaking suminagashi or Damascus pattern that ensures each knife is visually unique. Core Benefits: Legendary Aogami #2 Steel Core: Experience unparalleled sharpness and extraordinary edge retention. Aogami steel is the choice of professionals for its pure, aggressive cutting performance on delicate foods. Protective Damascus Cladding: Multiple layers of soft iron are forged around the hard core, creating a stunning ripple pattern. This cladding adds durability and protects the Aogami steel. The Ultimate Utility Blade: At 150mm (5.9"), this Petty knife is the master of detail. It excels at in-hand peeling, trimming vegetables, segmenting citrus, mincing herbs, and precision slicing for charcuterie. Traditional Wa-Handle: The octagonal handle is crafted from beautiful red sandalwood, providing a comfortable, secure, and precise grip for all-day use. This traditional "Wa-handle" offers exceptional balance and control. Hand-Forged Artistry: Each knife is a unique piece of functional art, handcrafted by skilled blacksmiths in Sakai, Japan, a city with centuries of blade-making history.
A Note on Care: Aogami is a reactive high-carbon steel. This is what allows for its extreme sharpness. It must be hand-washed and dried immediately after use to prevent corrosion or rust. A beautiful patina will develop over time, telling the story of your culinary journey. Learn More

The Vegetable Master: The Minonokuni Aogami Damascus 170mm Santoku The Santoku, meaning "three virtues," is celebrated for its mastery of slicing, dicing, and mincing. The Minonokuni 170mm Santoku is a sublime expression of this versatile form, handcrafted by artisans in Sakai, Japan. With its straighter edge and sheepsfoot tip, this knife excels at clean, downward chopping motions, making it an absolute powerhouse for vegetable preparation. At the heart of this blade is its core of Aogami (Blue Paper) #2 Steel, a legendary high-carbon steel prized by master blacksmiths for its ability to take an incredibly fine, scalpel-like edge and hold it. This pure steel core is protected by layers of soft iron, forged into a breathtaking suminagashi or Damascus pattern that ensures each knife is visually unique. Core Benefits: Legendary Aogami #2 Steel Core: Experience unparalleled sharpness and extraordinary edge retention. Aogami steel is the choice of professionals for its pure, aggressive cutting performance that glides through food. Protective Damascus Cladding: Multiple layers of soft iron are forged around the hard core, creating a stunning ripple pattern. This cladding adds durability and protects the precious Aogami steel. The "Three Virtues" Blade: At 170mm (6.7"), the Santoku shape is perfect for rapid dicing, fine mincing, and clean slicing. The flatter belly makes it ideal for direct, downward chopping with minimal rocking. Traditional Wa-Handle: The octagonal handle is crafted from beautiful red sandalwood, providing a comfortable, secure, and precise grip for all-day use. This traditional "Wa-handle" offers exceptional balance and control. Hand-Forged Artistry: Each knife is a unique piece of functional art, handcrafted by skilled blacksmiths in Sakai, Japan, a city with centuries of blade-making history. A Note on Care: Aogami is a reactive high-carbon steel. This is what allows for its extreme sharpness. It must be hand-washed and dried immediately after use to prevent corrosion or rust. A beautiful patina will develop over time, telling the story of your culinary journey. Learn More

The Quintessential Japanese Workhorse: The Minonokuni Aogami Damascus 210mm Gyuto The Gyuto is the heart of the Japanese kitchen, and the Minonokuni 210mm Gyuto is a masterclass in the form. This is the one knife that can do it all, from slicing and dicing vegetables to portioning fish and meat. Forged by hand by skilled artisans in Sakai, Japan, this knife is a perfect fusion of raw cutting power, delicate precision, and timeless artistry. The soul of this blade is its core of Aogami (Blue Paper) #2 Steel, a legendary high-carbon steel prized by master blacksmiths for its ability to take an incredibly fine, scalpel-like edge and hold it. This pure steel core is protected by layers of soft iron, forged into a breathtaking suminagashi or Damascus pattern that ensures each knife is visually unique. Learn More

Minonokuni Sakura Damascus 210mm Kama-Usuba: The Art of Vegetable Mastery Experience the pinnacle of Japanese blade artistry and culinary precision with the Minonokuni Sakura Damascus 210mm Kama-Usuba. More than just a knife, this is a handcrafted masterpiece designed for the chef who demands unparalleled performance in vegetable preparation and appreciates the profound beauty of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. The "Sakura" (cherry blossom) motif, delicately integrated into its design, evokes the transient beauty of Japanese spring, making this knife a stunning centerpiece in any collection. The blade itself is a testament to the smith's skill, featuring a breathtaking Damascus pattern created by expertly forging and layering different steels around a core of ultra-pure Shirogami-Ko (White Paper Steel). This not only results in a unique, rippling aesthetic but also contributes to the blade's resilience and the core steel's legendary cutting performance. At its heart, the 210mm Kama-Usuba (sickle-shaped thin blade) is a specialist's tool. The "Kama" style, with its pointed tip, offers exceptional agility for intricate decorative cuts (kazari-giri), precise peeling (katsuramuki), and detailed vegetable work, setting it apart from the blunt-tipped Kanto-style Usuba. The traditional single-bevel edge, forged from Shirogami-Ko hardened to an impressive HRC 62, is ground to a scalpel-like sharpness. This allows for incredibly thin, clean slices that preserve the delicate cell structure of vegetables, enhancing their flavor and texture. Learn More

A union of traditional artistry and high-performance materials, the Minonokuni Sakura Usuba (SKU: Sakura-1615) is a precision tool crafted for the specialist. Its purpose is to perform meticulous vegetable work with unparalleled ease and accuracy. The Damascus Blade: The soul of this knife is its striking Shirogami-Ko Damascus blade. The construction features a core of high-purity Shirogami-ko (White Steel #1), a carbon steel revered by Japanese bladesmiths for its ability to achieve an incredibly sharp edge. This hard cutting core is protected by layers of softer steel forge-welded around it, creating the elegant, wave-like pattern characteristic of Damascus steel. This process provides the perfect blend of properties: the extreme sharpness of the Shirogami core with the added durability and resilience of the Damascus cladding. Hardened to a Rockwell Hardness of 60/62, the blade offers exceptional edge retention through rigorous use. The 210mm (8.3-inch) blade is ground to a traditional Urasuki Chisel profile—a single-bevel edge with a concave hollow on the back. This specialized grind is the key to creating razor-thin, clean slices while minimizing friction and preventing food from sticking.   Learn More

The Minonokuni Sakura Damascus 270mm Yanagiba is a refined expression of traditional Japanese knife craftsmanship, purpose-built for the art of sashimi and sushi preparation. Designed for clean, uninterrupted pull cuts, this long, slender blade allows proteins to be sliced with exceptional precision, preserving texture, flavor, and presentation. Forged from Shirogami (White Steel) Damascus, the blade delivers outstanding sharpness and edge responsiveness, prized by professional chefs for its ability to take a razor-fine edge with ease. The elegant Damascus cladding showcases subtle flowing patterns, inspired by “Sakura” (cherry blossoms)—a nod to the fleeting beauty and craftsmanship rooted in Japanese tradition. Hardened to HRC 60–62, the blade balances keen cutting performance with controlled toughness. The traditional Urasuki chisel grind creates a slight hollow on the blade face, reducing drag and ensuring smooth, effortless release during long slicing motions—an essential feature for precise fish work. At 270mm, the yanagiba’s extended length excels at single-pass cuts through larger fillets, minimizing cell damage and delivering pristine results. Finished with a Red Sandalwood wa-handle, the knife offers a warm, comfortable grip and excellent balance, complementing the blade’s refined performance with understated elegance. Handcrafted in Japan, the Minonokuni Sakura Damascus Yanagiba is an exceptional choice for chefs and dedicated enthusiasts who value tradition, sharpness, and uncompromising slicing performance. Learn More

The Minonokuni Sakura 9.4 in. (240mm) Yanagi is a traditionally forged, kasumi-style knife: a Shirogami-ko (White Paper) carbon steel edge laminated to a Damascus steel jacket. It is suited to skinning smaller fish and to precise sashimi work, and the weight of the blade assists in filleting. The long hexagonal handle is red sandalwood with a black laminated wood ferrule./p> Blade Width: 4.8 mm Blade Height: 30.3 mm Weight: 4.85 ounces Steel type: Shirogami-ko (White Paper) carbon steel (not stainless) Hadn Forged in Japan Learn More

The Minonokuni Sakura Yanagi is a masterclass in purpose-driven design, crafted specifically for the delicate art of slicing sushi and sashimi. This 210mm slicer combines traditional Japanese metallurgy with elegant materials to create a tool that offers both exceptional performance and aesthetic appeal. The Blade: Shirogami-ko Damascus The blade's construction is its most defining feature. At its core is Shirogami-ko (White Steel #1), a highly refined and pure carbon steel celebrated for its ability to achieve a phenomenally sharp edge. This allows for the cleanest possible cuts, preserving the delicate texture and flavor of raw fish. This razor-sharp core is protected by layers of steel that have been forge-welded to create a beautiful and unique Damascus pattern. This cladding adds durability and resilience to the hard Shirogami core. Hardened to a high Rockwell Hardness (approx. 60-62 HRC), the blade boasts superior edge retention. The blade features a traditional single-bevel Urasuki Chisel Grind. This geometry, with a hollow grind (urasuki) on the flat back side, is critical for performance. It minimizes drag as the knife passes through fish and helps each perfect slice to separate cleanly and effortlessly. At 210mm, this Yanagi is agile and perfectly suited for home use or for chefs working with smaller blocks of fish. The Handle: Red Sandalwood Providing balance and control is a handle made from rich, dense Red Sandalwood. Prized for its durability and deep, warm coloration, the traditional octagonal shape offers a comfortable and secure grip for the long, uninterrupted pull-cuts that define the Yanagi technique. Crafted in Japan, the Minonokuni Sakura Yanagi is a specialized instrument designed for those who seek perfection in every slice. Care Note: This blade is crafted from high-carbon Shirogami steel and is not stainless. To prevent corrosion, it must be hand-washed and dried completely immediately after use. A light coating of food-grade mineral oil is recommended for storage. Learn More