A renowned smith from Sakai-city, Kikuchiyo (a pseudonym) apprenticed for over two decades before taking over the master’s forge upon his retirement a few years ago. One of the most impressive traits of his working style is that he is not only fast in production but he is also one of the few remaining smiths in Sakai that can forge Honyaki blades, a technique of forging that yields knives with beautiful Hamon lines and exquisite hardness.

Manzo is the pseudonym for a sharpener hailing from Sakai, a city known for its prestigious sharpeners of single bevel knives. He was trained under the sole sharpener for a legendary bladesmith who produced some of the rarest and most illustrious Honyaki blades. Manzo’s consistent ura sharpening embodies the hallmark of what constitutes a great single bevel knife. His blades feel more heavy on the balance than, say, our Togashi Tachi line. 

This blade is ideal for any cooks looking for a high performing single-bevel Deba with a long-lasting edge that has an easy bevel to flatten. Manzo’s sharpening translates to ease of sharpening on the ura side for the customer, resulting in very little effort to maintain on sharpening stones. It is important to note that the thin uraoshi line demands patience and care when grinding to maintain an even width throughout the ura, a testament to Manzo’s skill. Those with experience in sharpening single-bevel knives who are looking to hone their fine-grit sharpening skills will find the Kikuchiyo Manzo Blue #2 to be a rewarding undertaking.

A Deba is a traditional Japanese fish filleting/butchery knife that is single-sided/bevelled. Despite its Santoku-like profile, it does not perform well on dense produce; however, it excels in deboning various fish, thanks to its weight and bevel shape. The technique of using a deba is quite different from using a flexible filleting knife (Western style fish deboning), but in practiced hands, both styles can yield very good results. We recommend a deba for any cook looking to get better at filleting fish and sharpening a single bevel knife in Japanese fashion.

Brand: Hitohira ひとひら
Blacksmith: Kikuchiyo 菊千代
Producing Area: Sakai-Osaka/ Japan
Profile: Deba
Size: 165mm
Steel: Yasuki Blue (Aogami) #2, Soft Iron Clad
Handle: Ebony & Buffalo Horn Ferrule Octagonal
Total Length: 315mm
Edge Length: 170mm
Handle to Tip Length: 184mm
Blade Height: 53mm
Thickness: 7.8mm
Handle Length: 130mm
Weight: 350g
Hand Orientation: Right-Handed
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Sharpener: Manzo