【Made to Order】Shotaro Nomura Yanagiba - 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.

The Traditional Slicing Knife of Japanese Cuisine

The Yanagiba is one of the essential single-bevel knives of traditional Japanese cuisine, developed for the precise slicing of raw fish for sashimi and sushi.

Its long, slender blade is designed to make a clean slice in a single, controlled pulling motion. Rather than sawing back and forth through delicate fish, the length of the blade allows the chef to draw smoothly through the ingredient, helping preserve its surface, texture, and presentation.

For chefs pursuing authentic Japanese knife technique, the Yanagiba is not simply a long slicing knife. Its single-bevel geometry, ura, blade thickness, taper, and overall balance work together to create the distinctive cutting characteristics of a traditional Japanese knife.

Sharpened and Finished by Shotaro Nomura

This Yanagiba is sharpened and finished by Shotaro Nomura, a nationally recognized Traditional Craftsman of Sakai, whose career has been devoted to the demanding geometry of traditional single-bevel Japanese knives.

In Sakai craftsmanship, sharpening is far more than creating a sharp cutting edge.

The sharpener shapes the blade itself — refining the bevel, thickness, taper, ura, and overall geometry that determine how the knife enters and moves through food.

This is where the experience of a master sharpener becomes particularly important.

A knife may be made from excellent steel, but its true character is ultimately revealed through its geometry and final sharpening.

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

The cutting core is White #2 (Shirogami #2), one of the classic high-carbon steels associated with traditional Japanese kitchen knives.

Its relatively simple, highly refined composition allows a skilled sharpener to create an exceptionally keen and responsive edge.

White #2 is especially appreciated by chefs and sharpeners for its interaction with whetstones, ease of sharpening, and ability to take a fine edge — qualities particularly well suited to a Yanagiba, where the quality of the cut is paramount.

As White #2 is a carbon steel rather than stainless steel, proper care is required. 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 contrast between the steel and softer cladding characteristic of fine traditional Japanese knives.

Rather than relying on excessive decoration, the understated Kasumi surface allows the blade geometry and craftsmanship itself to remain the focus.

It is an aesthetic closely connected to the working traditions of Sakai cutlery.

Available in Multiple Blade Lengths

This Yanagiba is available in several blade lengths, allowing the chef to select a size appropriate to their working environment, ingredients, and preferred cutting style.

Longer Yanagiba provide greater drawing distance for large pieces of fish and longer uninterrupted slicing strokes, while shorter sizes offer easier handling in more compact working environments.

Signed Saya by Shotaro Nomura

Each knife is accompanied by a wooden saya bearing Shotaro Nomura’s handwritten signature.

More than simply protecting the blade during storage and transport, the signed saya creates a direct connection between the finished knife and the craftsman responsible for its sharpening and final form.

It is a distinctive detail that makes each knife more personal and special.

For Chefs Who Understand That Sharpness Is Only the Beginning

A Yanagiba can be made sharp.

But a truly refined Yanagiba must also have the geometry, balance, ura, bevel, and finish required to allow that sharpness to perform as intended.

This is why YAMANI looks beyond steel specifications alone.

White #2 steel, traditional single-bevel construction, Kasumi finishing, and the sharpening expertise of Shotaro Nomura come together in a Yanagiba created for chefs who value the deeper principles of traditional Japanese cutlery.

Specifications

• Sharpener / Finisher: Shotaro Nomura
• Knife Type: Yanagiba
• 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 — Made to Order

This is a Request Order / Made-to-Order item. The knife is prepared after your order is confirmed and is not normally held as ready stock. As each knife is individually prepared, appearance and other subtle details may vary slightly from the example shown. Please contact us before ordering if you have any questions regarding specifications or availability.