Sakai Takayuki Ginsanko Deba 165mm with Ho Wood Handle Chef Series

Yes, the bones of fish and fowl. Japanese dictionaries describe the deba (出刃包丁) as wide, thick-spined and heavy, used to fillet fish, to cut fish and fowl bone and all, and for rough chopping.

When you chop bone, use the heel of the blade (刃元), the Sakai cutlery association says. It is a fish and poultry knife, not a cleaver.

A standard single bevel knife is ground for right-handed use, and a left-handed one is made with the bevel reversed. Some makers offer left-handed versions.

Contact us and we will check what we can order or have in stock.

Ginsan is the name used for GIN 3, a stainless steel from Proterial. Proterial lists the carbon at 0.95 to 1.10% and the chromium at 13.00 to 14.50%.

Proterial describes it as a "Stainless steel which has hardness and sharpness comparable to carbon steel".

We find it suits a cook who wants a stainless knife that sharpens on stones. Dry it after use, like any knife.

Yes. Proterial lists the steel as GIN 3 with 13.00 to 14.50% chromium, above the Japan Stainless Steel Association's 10.5% minimum for stainless steel.

Proterial describes it as a stainless steel with hardness and sharpness comparable to carbon steel, used in various kitchen knives and scissors, and the association notes that stainless, strictly, means it rusts less. Wash the knife and dry it after use.

The Takayuki Ginsan Chef Series Single Bevel is a professional-grade line of knives forged in Sakai from Ginsan (Silver #3) steel, designed for working chefs and serious enthusiasts who prioritize refined fit and finish over a lower budget.

This series sits above the standard Gintan line in the Sakai Takayuki range, offering noticeably more consistency on the stones and the board, though it commands a higher price point. You can see this in the in-stock Sakai Takayuki Ginsanko Deba 165mm with Ho Wood Handle Chef Series at the higher price point, or the slightly smaller 150mm version a step below. These tools are built for high-volume professional use where the extra cost buys you better performance and durability, but they require a dedicated budget and the skill to maintain a single-bevel edge.

Sakai Takayuki (堺孝行) is a brand of Aoki Hamono Seisakusho (青木刃物製作所) in Sakai, Osaka, and the company's own page says so directly. The trademarks for 堺孝行 and 堺菊孝 were registered in 1964.

The company started in Osaka in 1947 as a wholesaler of Sakai forged knives, set up a sales office in Sakai in 1963, and built a factory in Sakai in 1977. So when you see the Sakai Takayuki name, that is Aoki Hamono's own line.

Sakai Takayuki knives are made by Aoki Hamono Seisakusho and its craftsmen in Sakai, Osaka. The company's own traditional-craftsman page profiles its named Sakai smiths.

Aoki Hamono's own page says Sakai knives are made by division of labour: blacksmiths forge the blade, and sharpening craftsmen then grind and sharpen it. Aoki Hamono's Sanpou factory, home to its smiths and sharpeners since 1978, added an automatic grinding machine for Japanese knives in 2015.

A honyaki is water quenched with sword-style hardening, so it usually runs about 1 to 2 HRC harder than a comparable knife that is not honyaki, though that varies by maker. The quench has a high failure rate, and that craft is a large part of the price.

A honyaki also needs more care. If your kitchen is busy, an everyday line such as the 33-layer or 45-layer VG10 Damascus, which share a VG10 core and differ mostly in looks, is the easier choice; if you want a harder edge and the craft itself, a honyaki can suit you.