【Made to Order】Shotaro Nomura 270mm Left-Handed Sakimaru Takohiki - White #2 (Shirogami #2) Kasumi Finish with Signed Saya

【Made to Order / Request Order】
This knife is made to order after your request is confirmed. It is not a regular ready-stock item. Each piece is prepared individually upon order.

A Traditional Sakai Sashimi Knife, Made for the Left Hand

A true left-handed traditional Japanese knife is more than a conventional knife with the handle changed or the edge sharpened differently.

With a single-bevel knife, the geometry of the blade itself must be created for the intended hand.

This 270mm Left-Handed Sakimaru Takohiki is built accordingly, with its single-bevel construction, ura, blade geometry, and sharpening configured specifically for left-handed use.

For chefs who have had to adapt to right-handed Japanese knives, this distinction is fundamental.

Sakimaru Takohiki — Elegance in a Traditional Sashimi Knife

The Takohiki is a traditional single-bevel sashimi knife historically associated particularly with the Kanto region of Japan.

The Sakimaru form gives the blade its distinctive rounded, sword-inspired profile at the tip, creating a graceful silhouette that sets it apart from the more familiar pointed Yanagiba.

Its long, narrow blade is designed for controlled slicing through fish with a smooth drawing motion, helping create clean, refined cuts while minimizing unnecessary damage to the delicate flesh.

At 270mm, this knife offers a practical balance between the long slicing stroke expected from a professional sashimi knife and maneuverability in the kitchen.

Sharpened and Finished by Traditional Craftsman Shotaro Nomura

The blade is sharpened and finished by Shotaro Nomura, a nationally recognized Traditional Craftsman of Sakai.

In traditional Sakai knife making, sharpening is not simply the final act of making an edge sharp.

The sharpener establishes and refines the blade geometry — the bevel, thickness, taper, ura, and overall balance that determine how the knife actually performs in the hand.

A fine steel alone does not make a fine Japanese knife.

The ability to translate the potential of that steel into geometry, balance, and cutting performance is where the skill of the sharpener becomes visible.

This is an essential part of what distinguishes Nomura's work.

White #2 — A Classic Carbon Steel for Traditional Japanese Knives

The cutting core is made from White #2 (Shirogami #2), one of the classic carbon steels associated with traditional Japanese cutlery.

Its relatively simple, high-purity composition allows it to take an exceptionally fine edge when properly heat-treated and sharpened.

It also responds beautifully to whetstones, making it particularly well suited to traditional single-bevel knives whose performance is maintained through careful sharpening over many years.

White #2 is carbon steel rather than stainless steel and therefore requires appropriate care. The blade should be cleaned and thoroughly dried after use to help prevent corrosion.

Traditional Kasumi Finish

The blade is completed with a traditional Kasumi finish, creating the subtle visual contrast between the hard cutting steel and softer cladding characteristic of traditional Japanese knives.

Rather than relying on decorative excess, the Kasumi finish allows the blade's geometry, materials, and craftsmanship to remain at the center of the knife's character.

Signed Saya by Shotaro Nomura

The knife is accompanied by a wooden saya bearing Shotaro Nomura's handwritten signature.

The saya protects the blade during storage and transport, but in this case it also creates a direct connection between the finished knife and the craftsman responsible for its sharpening and final form.

For a knife of this character, that signed saya makes the piece particularly distinctive.

A Rare Combination

A traditional left-handed Sakimaru Takohiki, sharpened and finished in Sakai by Shotaro Nomura, combines several qualities that are not commonly encountered together:

Left-handed single-bevel geometry.
Sakimaru Takohiki form.
White #2 carbon steel.
Traditional Kasumi finish.
Shotaro Nomura's sharpening and finishing.
And a saya personally signed by the craftsman.

For the chef seeking a traditional Japanese sashimi knife made properly for the left hand, this is not simply a left-handed version of a standard knife.

It is a knife built around the requirements of the left-handed user from its geometry onward.

Specifications

• Sharpener / Finisher: Shotaro Nomura
• Knife Type: Sakimaru Takohiki
• Blade Length: 270mm
• Hand Orientation: Left-handed
• Steel: White #2 / Shirogami #2
• Construction: Traditional single bevel
• Finish: Kasumi
• Saya: Wooden saya with Shotaro Nomura's handwritten signature
• Origin: Sakai, Osaka, Japan
• Order Type: Request Order / Made to Order

Important Notice — Request Order

This is primarily a Request Order / Made-to-Order item. Unless the product is specifically marked “In Stock,” production, sharpening, and finishing begin after your order is confirmed.

Because the knife involves specialist craftsmanship, lead times may vary depending on the craftsman's production schedule and availability. Please contact YAMANI SHODOSHIMA before ordering if you would like to confirm the current estimated lead time.