Ukiba

Ukiba(浮き刃, floating edge) finish describes a very specific look where the blade is finished mostly in Migaki/brushed finish, and a band of hazy matt finish is applied right above the cladding line using sandblasting. The shiny core steel contrasts with the matt band on the cladding and highlight the edge. As the cladding lines are usually wavy, ...

An ukiba (浮き刃, "floating edge") finish is produced by polishing most of the blade to a migaki/brushed finish, then leaving a deliberate hazy band of unfinished or kasumi-style polish along the cutting edge area. The visual effect makes the cutting edge appear to "float" against the polished body of the blade.

Ukiba is a specialty finish found on premium Japanese kitchen knives where the maker wants to visually emphasize the cutting edge zone — often seen on higher-end gyuto, sujihiki, and slicer profiles from select makers.

The polished area requires migaki-style care (wipe to prevent water spots and fingerprints), while the hazy edge band is essentially a kasumi finish requiring only standard hand-wash-and-dry care. The contrast between the two zones may evolve subtly over years of sharpening.