Samura Kaiju Yanagiba Knife 240 mm, with Bolster

The Samura Kaiju yanagiba knife is a long Japanese-style slicing knife with a 240 mm blade and a bolster. It is made for slicing fish, and it handles vegetables as well. The hammered AUS-8 stainless steel blade is paired with a Pakka wood handle.

Blade and steel

The blade is made from a single layer of AUS-8 stainless steel and hardened to 58–59 HRC. That gives you an edge that holds up well in regular use and is straightforward to restore on a whetstone. The length of the blade lets you draw through a fillet in long strokes rather than sawing back and forth.

The hammered finish shows the lunar pattern of the Kaiju series. Its tiny craters help slices come away from the blade instead of sticking to it. The polished double-bevel edge is ground on both sides, with an original factory bevel angle of 15–17°.

Handle and balance

The handle is made of Pakka wood with classic geometry. The dense wood resists moisture as well as odours, which suits a knife that is often used for fish. A bolster sits where the blade meets the handle. The knife weighs 171 g net and measures 369 mm overall.

Best uses

• Slicing fish fillets
• Cutting fish into portions
• Slicing vegetables

Care and sharpening

Rinse the knife with hot water and wipe it dry before first use. Wash it by hand with non-abrasive materials, wipe it dry and do not leave it in the sink for a long time; a dishwasher is not recommended. Cut on wooden or plastic boards, never on glass, and take care with food that contains bones: use a SAMURA cleaver for meat and bones and a double-sided serrated saw knife for frozen food. Store it in a brush block or knife holder where the blade does not touch metal items, use a honing rod between sharpenings and resharpen on a whetstone at the original factory bevel angle of 15–17°.

About the Kaiju series

The Kaiju series takes its name from the giant monsters of Japanese myth and pairs hammered, lunar-pattern blades with Pakka wood handles, in two lines with and without a bolster; this yanagiba belongs to the bolster line. Like all SAMURA knives, it comes with a 2-year warranty.