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Sakai Kyuba – Vegetable Knife – The Nakiri with Mediterranean Blue handle on white background
Sakai Kyuba – Vegetable Knife 16cm – The Nakiri with Mediterranean Blue handle held by hand
Sakai Kyuba – Vegetable Knife – The Nakiri with Mediterranean Blue handle on white background
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Sakai Kyuba – Vegetable Knife 16cm – The Nakiri with Natural Brown handle on hand
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Sakai Kyuba – Vegetable Knife 16cm – The Nakiri

£270

  • Handcrafted in Europe/Japan. One of a kind.
  • Free delivery for orders above £70 in the UK and £200 internationally.
  • 50 day returns. No questions asked.

Coveted for their beautiful and detailed design, as well as the cuts they produce. Under the Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬 brand lies the artistry of one of the most famous masters in Sakai in Japan, drawing from over 600 years old blacksmithing tradition. Sakai Kyuba Nakiri kitchen knife is designed for home cooks to intensify pleasure from cooking. Nakiri is perfect for more fleshy structured vegetables and fruit like potatoes or butternut squash. Blade is set in a premium-cut, waterproof stabilised maple burl wood. The knife comes in a handcrafted, minimalist wooden box wrapped in a unique illustration strip. A lifetime guarantee.

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EAN Code SKU: KI_KN_KYUBANAKIRI_MAPLE Categories: ,

Product Description

About the nakiri

Japanese Nakiri knives are mostly used for cutting vegetables. They feature a thin and wide blade and squared off tips. As it is designed for chopping veggies, the knife has a straight blade that can cut through long items (think eggplants, carrots) as well as make super thin slices out of cucumber, bitter gourd, tomatoes and the likes. Its double bevel makes it perfect for both left and right-handed use. 

Thanks to their straight blade, Nakiri are ideal for julienne, brunoise allumette and other precision knife cuts for vegetables.  Also a great tool for cutting into very hard skinned produce like pumpkins and squash.

About the blade

The blade is handcrafted with premium Japanese VG10 high-carbon stainless steel by skilled Japanese blacksmiths in Sakai. VG10 is a cutlery grade stainless steel, the name stands for V Gold 10 (“gold” meaning quality). It is a stainless steel with a high carbon content, making VG10 harder than most stainless steel types. With VG10 you get the hardness of a carbon steel but the corrosion resistance of stainless. Hence, VG10 steel offers an excellent balance between toughness, durability, and razor sharpness.

The blade has a Rockwell Hardness rating (HRC) of 62 which means the edge stays noticeably sharper for a longer time. It is forged with 46 layers Damascus steel which is legendary for its plasticity, hardness and distinctive patterns. The blade is designed to increase strength, edge-holding, and cutting ability.

About the handle

Signature Japanese Kitchen Knives by Sakai Kyuba Custom Handles Premium Kitchen Knives

The beautiful handles are made with extremely limited European Maple Burl dyed in Olive Green, Mediterranean Blue or available in a Natural Brown colour. The wood is dried for two years before it undergoes the process of stabilisation and colour dying. This ensures the wood is completely waterproof to avoid bacteria growth and is able to last generations. The stabilised premium-cut maple burl is cut into the octagonal shaped ambidextrous handle, giving you a firm grip on the knife.  Not only are the handles aesthetically pleasing, they are also perfectly balanced and light. This allows for maximum precision and more controlled movements during use. After all, maple wood is known for being a strong and durable wood with good resistance to decay. 

The packaging

sakai kyuba decorative packaging box ash wooden

All Sakai Kyuba knives come in a handcrafted, minimalist fine ash wooden box wrapped in a Japana signature illustration strip presenting Onna Bugeisha – Japanese women warriors. The box is filled with recycled wooden wool guaranteeing a safe transport and aesthetically pleasing unboxing experience.

Timeless

Nothing about Sakai Kyuba is left to chance. It has been designed, forged and rigorously tested to serve your family for generations. Made from the highest quality V10 46-layer Damascus Hammered Stainless steel – sturdier and sharper than anything you have experienced before. Presented in a natural-coloured ash box for safe storage and keeping. Wrapped in a beautiful Japana illustration strip styled on ancient Japanese paintings. Backed by a lifetime guarantee.

Craftsmanship

Although inspired by over 600 years of tradition, each of the Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬 blades is absolutely unique. Every single one has been meticulously handmade and perfected in Japan by Sakai’s  (堺市) master blacksmith. Each blade is then forged and hand-polished in Japan by master swordsmen using techniques perfected by their families over centuries. The handle and blade are satin-finished to a subtle, yet stunning lustre. Crafted, not manufactured. No handle pattern is the same, guaranteeing you a unique piece of craftsmanship.

Technical Spec

Weight N/A
Dimensions N/A
Color

Mediterranean Blue, Natural Brown, Olive Green
Maker

Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬, Japana
HRC

Steel Type

, ,

Knife Handle Material

Blade Length

Knife Type

Handle Waterproof

Yes
Knife Bevel

Double
Knife Purpose

Veggies
Made in

Japan
Hand Feature

Ambidextrous
Weight

Who is Sakai Kyuba and how can your knives be as good as other high-end knives if they cost less?

sakai kyuba making process osaka 2

sakai kyuba making process osaka 2

sakai kyuba making process osaka 2  sakai kyuba making process osaka 2

Under the Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬 brand lies the artistry of one of the most famous blade masters in Sakai (Osaka Perfecture), Japan, drawing from over 600 years old blacksmithing tradition. As a result, you’re getting the high-end craftsmanship masterpiece at the fraction of the price.
Most knives cost so much because of traditional retail markups, branding and other fees. You’d be shocked to know how little many well-known premium knives actually cost to make. Another factor of driving the price to an unhealthy size is the limited supply and controlled market channels. By partnering closely with our blacksmiths and selling directly to you online, we’re able to offer incredible knives at pricing with zero artificially pumped markups. You get better materials at the lower price. Simple.

What are Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬 blades made from?

Our knives are handcrafted with the premium Japanese VG10 high-carbon stainless steel by skilled Japanese blacksmiths in Sakai, a small village in Osaka. VG10 steel offers an excellent balance between toughness, durability, and razor sharpness. It has higher carbon content than some other premium brands, which helps the edge stay noticeably sharper for a longer time. Our blades are 46 layers Damascus steel. To form pattern at least two difference steels are forge welded together (hammered together at forging temperatures) and then folded multiple times to produce layers.

What is the difference between Sakai Kyuba and Sakai Kyuba Classic?

These knife ranges differ in terms of the wood used in the handles: Cherry wood (Sakai Kyuba Classic) and Stabilised Maple Burl (Sakai Kyuba). Both types of wood are cut into octagonal shaped ambidextrous handles, giving you a firm grip on the knife. They are both perfectly balanced and light, allowing for maximum precision and more controlled movements during use.

Sakai Kyuba handles are made of limited European Maple Burl. The burl has to be dried for two years before it undergoes the process of stabilisation and colour dying. This ensures the wood is completely waterproof to avoid bacteria growth and is able to last generations. These are available in Green (dyed), Mediterranean Blue (dyed) or Natural Brown (not dyed) colour. 

Sakai Kyuba Classic handles are made of limited European Natural Cherry. The wood is dried well before it undergoes the process of handle forming and blade mounting. Consequently it has a high water resistance and is able to last generations.

For more specifics read our Wooden handles: Maple burl vs Cherry wood blog post. 

Does it make sense to buy one knife first, and not a set?

If you can’t afford or do not want to commit to buying a set immediately, the single most important tool in your kitchen is The Gyuto – The Chef’s Knife. It’s the workhorse you reach for most often. Investing in one great knife now will change your cooking for life and make it a pleasure rather than a chore. Our Sakai Kyuba Gyuto can do 99% of your kitchen cutting. Another option for a daily knife is Santoku knife. However, if you’re looking for an ultimate experience, you should consider investing in a 3-pieces set; including The Petty (Paring/Utility Knife), Nakiri (Veggie/Fruit Knife) in addition to The Gyuto (The Chef’s Knife).

Do these knives require special care?

Sakai Kyuba high-end knives are extremely durable and easy to care for. However, any knife, even the premium one needs sharpening at some point. As a good custom, you should sharpen them regularly and dry them immediately after use. These are 3 general rules you should follow:

  1. Don’t put your knife in a dishwasher.
  2. Store your knives either on the magnetic knife strip, knife stand, or sheathed in the utensil drawer.
  3. Don’t slide your knife, blade down, across the cutting board to clear away what you just chopped.

Also, check our full guide how to properly maintain the knife and sharpen it.

How long will this knife stay sharp?

It really depends on how often you use the knife, how do you care for it and what items you’re cutting but for a person cooking 5 times a week, it would be around 4-8 months. When tested in the rigours of a professional kitchen, the Sakai Kyuba x Japana knives outperformed brands that cost much more. However, no knife — including ours — will stay sharp forever. Which is why we provide all-you-need sharpening stones – that is King 1000/6000 combo and a King G-1 #8000. When the blade starts to dull, you can sharpen it easily at your home in 5-10 minutes.

How does your lifetime warranty and trial work?

We’re 100% confident you’ll love your Japana knives. Here at Japana we make sure that the products we send to you are checked for exceptional quality and that the packaging is always secure and sturdy, so that you receive undamaged, high quality goods which will last a lifetime. We believe our customers should not worry about buying premium products online, this is why our Sakai Kyuba x Japana range comes with a lifetime guarantee. We’re also giving our customers 50-day in-home trial. If for any reason you’re not satisfied, just send it back for a full refund. No questions asked.

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Here at Japana we make sure that the products we send to you are checked for exceptional quality and that the packaging is always secure and sturdy, so that you receive undamaged, high quality goods which will last a lifetime. We believe our customers should not worry about buying premium products online, this is why our Sakai Kyuba range comes with a lifetime guarantee. 

The lifetime guarantee covers any defects in manufacturing and materials that functionally impair the knife. Japana will repair or replace any of the Sakai Kyuba products free of charge. Please note that in the case of a set, only the faulty item will be replaced. 

Our lifetime guarantee does not cover:

  • Damage caused by normal wear and tear, accident or negligence. 
  • Damage caused by improper use (knocks, dents, crushing, drops, etc.).
  • Damage due to loss, theft, fire or other causes beyond our control.
  • Damage caused by commercial, professional, or workplace use.
  • Damage due to improper storage.  

 All returned items will be posted at the buyers expense other than where it’s a manufacturers fault. In this instance we will be happy to refund any postage costs along with arranging a replacement. You will need to send us a copy of your postage receipt in order to receive a refund. If you have any quality concerns, please contact us at info@japanahome.com.

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