About the Shape - A Nakiri is a vegetable knife. Under utilized in the Western kitchen, the Nakiri’s flat blade is meant for the push/pull chopping of vegetables. Since the entire flat edge of the knife kisses the cutting board at once, you wont be turning the vegetable into an accordion. Accordion vegetables are still connected like a paper doll after you're “done” cutting them. To truly understand the awesomeness of a Nakiri we recommend making onion soup your first night with the knife. The ease of chopping will blow you away.

About Hinokuni Sakai - Yukihiro Sakai-san was apprenticed under Nishida-san in Kumamoto, who strictly forge-weld steels in house. Sakai-san has learnt everything from Nishida-san and continues to do like his sensen. Sakai-san recently started his own workshop in Kumamoto making his own knives.

Now he forge-welds everything in house, from hard carbon steel clad with soft steel. The Shirogami #1 steel used in these knives is forge-welded in house by Sakai-san. This is a very traditional steel that can achieve incredible sharpness and has great edge retention, a favourite of more traditional blacksmiths.

Hinokuni is a nickname for Kumamoto Prefecture, meaning a Country of Flame, because of the famous volcano Mt. Aso.