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Ume Series
Ume (translated: Plum, Pr: oo-may) Constructed of kasumi SK4 high carbon steel with polycarbonate ferrules and magnolia wood handles. These high carbon knives are an excellent choice for the beginning chef or for occasional use. This steel type is softer than either white or blue steel and as such is easier to sharpen. The most important aspect of the traditional Japanese knife for most users is the quality of the grind-work. The knife must be flat enough for the shinogi line to contact the stone all the way to the edge. This quality is rarely seen on a production knife from one of the name brand Japanese factories. But the Ume are produced by individual craftsmen as part of the Minonokune project and the quality is unbeatable for this price point.
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Minonokuni Ume 8.3-inch (210mm) Kama-Usuba
The 210mm Ume kama-usuba is a full-size Kansai vegetable knife for a cook who preps vegetables in quantity and wants a forgiving steel to learn on. Its length handles cucumber and daikon sheets for sushi, and its tip handles the garnish work.Kama-usuba knives are lighter than a square usuba of the same length because the spine is rounded down toward the tip. The flat section of the edge does the push cutting and katsuramuki, and the point reaches into a vegetable for carving and scoring.
Which Line?The three standard Minonokuni lines suit different cooks. Ume is the most forgiving and the best for learning to sharpen, which makes it a good choice for a novice or a cook new to single-bevel knives. The Take 210mm kama-usuba is the sweet spot for cooks ready for harder white steel, and the Matsu 210mm kama-usuba is for experienced hands.The Ume 180mm kama-usuba is lighter. For square-tipped work at this length, see the Ume 210mm usuba. See the knife shapes guide for the square and pointed usuba. Learn More$135.00 -
Minonokuni Ume 7.1-inch (180mm) Left-Handed Kama-Usuba
This left-handed kamagata usuba is an introductory knife for left-handed cooks curious about traditional single-bevel Japanese knives. The bevel is on the left face, and the curved spine leads to a pointed tip in the Kansai style.The kama-usuba is the chisel-ground relative of the santoku shape. It is designed for slicing, dicing and mincing vegetables with push cuts, while the tip gives the precision for garnishes and decorative cuts. At 180mm, it is comfortable on a home board.
A Forgiving IntroductionUme is the most forgiving of our three standard lines and the best for learning to sharpen. A left-handed cook trying single-bevel knives for the first time will find the softer carbon steel tolerant while technique develops. We stock it. A cook who later wants a harder edge can move to the Take 180mm left-handed kama-usuba.The right-handed version is the Ume 180mm kama-usuba. For a square tip, see the Ume 180mm left-handed usuba. The kama-usuba appears in our kitchen knife shapes guide. Learn More$125.00 -
Minonokuni Ume 7.1-inch (180mm) Kama-Usuba
The kama-usuba is the Kansai-style vegetable knife, with a curved spine that ends in a point. This 180mm Ume version is a good introduction for a cook who wants both push-cutting power and a tip for detail work.The flat length of the edge slices and dices vegetables with straight push cuts and handles katsuramuki. The pointed tip carves decorative garnishes, scores mushroom caps and trims around blemishes. Together, they make one knife cover most vegetable prep.
Learning on UmeUme is the most forgiving of the three standard Minonokuni lines. It is the line we recommend to a novice and the best for learning to sharpen a single bevel, which includes keeping the tip of a kama-usuba fine. When a harder edge is wanted, the Take 180mm kama-usuba is the next step.The Ume 210mm kama-usuba is longer. For square-tipped work, see the Ume 180mm usuba. Left-handed cooks should choose the Ume 180mm left-handed kama-usuba. The knife shapes guide covers both forms of usuba. Learn More$87.25 -
Minonokuni Ume 8.3-inch (210mm) Left-Handed Usuba
For the left-handed cook dedicated to vegetable preparation, this Ume 210mm usuba is ground for the left hand. The single bevel sits on the left face, which gives straight push cuts and even katsuramuki sheets when the knife is held as a left-handed cook naturally holds it.The 210mm length handles long daikon and whole heads of cabbage, and the tall blade gives the knuckles clearance above the board. Slices separate fully because the flat edge meets the board along its whole length.
Ume for Left-Handed CooksUme is the most forgiving of our three standard lines and the best one to learn sharpening on. A long single bevel takes time to sharpen evenly, so that tolerance is useful on this size. We stock left-handed Ume knives, and the Ume 180mm left-handed usuba is the shorter option.The right-handed version is the Ume 210mm usuba. A left-handed cook ready for harder white steel can look at the Take 180mm left-handed usuba. See the knife shapes guide for the usuba. Learn More -
Minonokuni Ume 8.3-inch (210mm) Usuba
Long daikon and whole cabbages are easier with a 210mm usuba, and the Ume version puts that length within reach of a cook still learning the shape. The tall, flat blade also scoops the cut vegetables off the board for the pan.The longer edge gives more room for katsuramuki, so the sheet stays on the blade as it unrolls. For julienne, stack the sheets and push-cut them into fine threads, a technique called sengiri. Each cut should be a straight push forward and down.
Matching the Line to the CookUme is the most forgiving of the three standard Minonokuni lines and the best for learning to sharpen. On a long single bevel, an even edge takes practice to keep, and a softer steel makes that practice easier. The Take 210mm usuba is the sweet spot for cooks ready for a harder edge, and the Matsu 210mm usuba suits experienced hands.Left-handed cooks can order the Ume 210mm left-handed usuba. For a shorter blade, see the Ume 195mm usuba. The Ume 210mm kama-usuba adds a pointed tip. The two forms are compared in our guide to knife shapes. Learn More -
Minonokuni Ume 7.7-inch (195mm) Usuba
The 195mm usuba sits between the compact 180mm and the long 210mm. It gives a little more length for daikon and cabbage than the shorter knife while staying light enough for a home cook to control through a long prep session.The single-bevel blade cuts vegetables with a straight downward push, with no wedging action to crack a carrot or bruise a herb. That clean separation is what makes the usuba suited to fine julienne, paper-thin slices and katsuramuki sheets for garnish.
A Size Only in UmeThis in-between length is offered only in the Ume line. Ume is the most forgiving of the three standard Minonokuni lines and the best for learning to sharpen, which makes this knife a good fit for a cook who wants a bit more blade but is still building skills. A cook ready for harder white steel can compare the Take 210mm usuba.The Ume 180mm usuba is shorter and the Ume 210mm usuba longer. For a pointed tip, see the Ume 180mm kama-usuba. Our knife shapes guide covers the usuba. Learn More$104.00 -
Minonokuni Ume 7.1-inch (180mm) Left-Handed Usuba
A left-handed cook starting with traditional Japanese vegetable knives will find this Ume usuba a fantastic first knife. The bevel is on the left side of the blade, so katsuramuki sheets come off even and push cuts fall straight when it is held in the left hand.At 180mm, the knife suits a home board. It slices, dices and minces vegetables with straight push cuts, and the flat edge meets the board along its length so that slices separate fully. It is not designed for rocking cuts, which a chef’s knife handles better.
Why Ume for a First UsubaUme’s steel is the most forgiving of our three standard lines and the best for learning to sharpen. For a cook already familiar with chisel-ground hocho and looking for a harder steel with a longer-lasting edge, the Take 180mm left-handed usuba is the step up. We stock left-handed models in both lines.The right-handed model is the Ume 180mm usuba. The Ume 210mm left-handed usuba is longer, and the Ume 180mm left-handed kama-usuba adds a pointed tip. The knife shapes guide explains the shape. Learn More$125.00 -
Minonokuni Ume 7.1-inch (180mm) Usuba
An usuba is the knife for learning traditional Japanese vegetable cutting, and the Ume 180mm is a fantastic starter. It is a manageable size for a home kitchen, and the Ume line is the most forgiving of the three standard Minonokuni lines.The tall, flat blade meets the board along its entire edge, so a straight push cut separates every slice of cucumber, carrot or scallion. Turned against a piece of peeled daikon, the single bevel unrolls a thin, continuous sheet, the technique called katsuramuki. It is made for push cutting and slicing.
The Best Usuba to Learn OnUme is the line we recommend to a novice. Its softer steel is the most forgiving and the best for learning to sharpen a single bevel. A cook familiar with chisel-ground knives who wants a harder edge can look at the Take 180mm usuba or Matsu 180mm usuba.Other Ume sizes are the 195mm and 210mm. Left-handed cooks should see the Ume 180mm left-handed usuba. Our knife shapes guide sets the usuba beside the nakiri. Learn More -
Minonokuni Ume 11.8-inch (300mm) Yanagiba
The 300mm Ume yanagiba is a long sushi counter knife in the most forgiving steel Minonokuni offers. Its length slices large blocks of fish in one stroke, and it holds its edge through a long session of slicing.A blade this long gives the cook fine control over the thickness and angle of each slice, which matters for thin cuts of white fish and for presentation. It needs space, though, and a cook stepping up from a shorter yanagiba should expect to practice keeping the tip steady.
Why a Forgiving Steel at This LengthA long single bevel takes time to sharpen evenly from heel to tip. Ume’s steel is the easiest of our three standard lines to sharpen and the least likely to chip, so a cook still learning to maintain a long edge will find it more tolerant. When the time comes for a harder edge, the Take 300mm yanagiba and Matsu 300mm yanagi use white and blue steel.For a shorter knife, see the Ume 270mm yanagiba. The knife shapes guide explains the yanagiba. Learn More -
Minonokuni Ume 10.6-inch (270mm) Left-Handed Yanagi
This 270mm yanagi is ground as a true left-handed knife, with the bevel forged and finished on the left side of the blade. A left-handed sushi cook gets the straight, flat slice the shape is designed for, without fighting a blade that steers the wrong way.The 270mm length handles wide blocks of tuna and full salmon fillets in a single stroke. It needs a deeper board than the shorter sizes and a little practice to control the tip, but it rewards a smooth, unhurried draw with clean slices.
Left-Handed and LearningUme is the most forgiving of our three standard lines and the best one on which to learn to sharpen. A left-handed cook who is moving to a longer knife while still developing technique will find the softer carbon steel more tolerant. We keep this knife in stock. The Take 270mm left-handed yanagi is the white steel option for a harder edge.The Ume 240mm left-handed yanagi is shorter. The right-handed model is the Ume 270mm yanagiba. See the knife shapes guide for more on slicers. Learn More
