Stainless Steel Yanagi Knives

At 30 cm, the G-14R is the length used behind sushi counters, where whole loins of tuna and full sides of salmon are portioned and sliced through service. The extra reach lets one long pull carry through a wide block of fish, so every slice has a single clean face.Like all yanagi, it is ground on one side, with a slightly hollow back that helps each slice release from the blade. The cook draws the knife from heel to tip without pressing down, letting the length do the work. That technique matters more here than with shorter slicers, and the long blade needs a large board and some practice to control.This knife is right-handed and is sharpened on whetstones only. For a kitchen that slices raw fish every day, it also saves the oiling a carbon steel yanagi requires.
12-inch or 10-inch?For home sushi and smaller fillets, the Global Classic 10-inch Yanagi Sashimi Knife is easier to handle. If you want a long slicer that works in either hand and sharpens like a Western knife, choose the Global Classic 10-inch Sujihiki. The Knife Merchant guide to knife shapes covers single-bevel Japanese knives. Learn More

For sashimi and sushi at home, the G-11R is the traditional Japanese tool in a form that is easy to keep. Its 25 cm yanagi blade is ground on one side only, the way Japanese sashimi knives have long been made, and the back of the blade is slightly hollow so each slice of fish separates and falls away.A yanagi is used with a single long pull from heel to tip. The length lets that one stroke cut through a block of tuna or a salmon fillet, leaving a glossy face on the slice that a sawing motion would tear. The single bevel also steers the blade slightly away from the cut side, which helps slices peel off cleanly. Traditional yanagi are usually carbon steel and need oiling after each use; this one needs only washing and drying.The single-bevel edge is made for the right hand and must be sharpened on whetstones. Cooks new to Japanese sharpening should weigh that before buying.
Which Global Slicer?The Global Classic 12-inch Yanagi Sashimi Knife is the longer version for large loins and sushi counters. The Global Classic 10-inch Sujihiki is ground on both sides, works in either hand and sharpens like a Western knife. See our kitchen knife shapes guide for more on yanagi and sujihiki. Learn More

A single-bevel knife only cuts properly in the hand it was ground for, so left-handed sushi cooks need a mirror-image blade. The FKW-9L is MAC’s 10.25-inch yanagiba ground for the left hand, in stainless steel.The MAC Japanese Series left-handed yanagi is an excellent choice and is very well priced. It is used for slicing and filleting fish, and for prosciutto, carpaccio, ham, roast beef, chicken, tomatoes and garnishes. The bevel sits on the left face, so the flat back faces the fish block when held in the left hand and each slice separates cleanly from the block.A matching left-handed wooden sheath is sold separately; the right-handed sheath does not fit this blade. Right-handed cooks should choose the FKW-9. Our guide to kitchen knife shapes describes the yanagi shape. Learn More

Sashimi is cut with a single long pull, and the yanagiba is built for that cut: a long, narrow blade sharpened on only one side. The MAC FKW-9 is a 10.25-inch right-handed yanagiba in stainless steel, so a sushi cook gets the traditional shape without the rust care a carbon steel blade needs.Besides raw fish, it slices prosciutto, carpaccio, ham, roast beef and chicken thinly, and its edge cuts tomatoes and garnishes cleanly. The single bevel lets the blade separate a slice from the block with less tearing than a double-bevel knife, which leaves a glossy cut face on tuna and salmon.A fitted wooden sheath (saya) is sold separately. Left-handed cooks should choose the FKW-9L. For a shorter or longer blade, see the 8.25-inch FKW-7 or the 11.5-inch FKW-10. Our Kitchen Knife Shapes guide explains the yanagi. Learn More

The I.O. Shen 10.7 in. (270mm) Yanagi is made of I.O. Shen Triplex Steel Technology so it tests on the Rockwell scale at 62 giving this knife good edge retention. This stainless Yanagi is made like a traditional carbon Yanagi so it features a Shinogi line. The Shinogi line is the flat face at the same angle as the edge. Use this Shinogi line to allow the knife to lay flat on a sharpening stone making this a much easier knife to hand sharpen. Learn More

Minonokuni Gin-san 210mm Yanagi Learn More

Minonokuni Gin-San 240mm Yanagi Learn More

The Minonokuni Ginsan 10.6 in. (270mm) Yanagiba is hand forged by master Minonokuni craftsmen using traditional knife making techniques. This Kasumi knife uses unique Ginsan steel and is jacketed by a softer (SUS405) Steel. This Kasumi process allows for such a hard Ginsan steel to be hammered out in a traditional method to a single sided edge. This knife features a burnt Chestnut wood handle and a Buffalo horn ferrule. A fitted Saya is included with this Minonokuni.

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The FKW-10 is the longest MAC yanagi, an 11.5-inch improved version of the traditional Japanese sashimi knife. The extra length lets a sushi chef draw through a wide block of tuna or a large salmon fillet in one stroke, which gives the smooth cut face sashimi calls for.The stainless steel blade is easier to care for than most traditional carbon steel yanagis, so you can work quickly without worrying about whether your knife will rust. It is sharpened on one side, for right-handed use.A fitted wooden sheath is sold separately. For a shorter board or a home kitchen, the 10.25-inch FKW-9 is easier to manage. Our Kitchen Knife Shapes guide explains the yanagi and sujihiki. Learn More