Nakiyo Magnolia Sujihiki/Slicer

The sujihiki (筋引), literally “muscle puller,” or slicer, is a traditional Japanese knife specialized for slicing meat. Elegant but functional, the light, narrow blade is known for the unparalleled quality of its cut when trimming, slicing, and filleting, and makes an invaluable addition to the arsenal of any omnivore.

Function

Thanks to its thin, narrow blade, the sujihiki encounters little resistance when slicing through any cut of meat or boneless fish. Its length and sharpness carry it through even large pieces with a single draw cut—combined with the acute angle of the edge, finer than on most Western knives, this allows it to create flawless slices with minimal cellular damage on the cut surface.

Form

Damascus steel was first developed in India over 2,000 years ago and quickly established a reputation not only for its beauty, but also as one of the greatest metallurgical innovations in history. Swords forged in Persia and sold in the Syrian city of Damascus inspired legends of their ability to slice through a gun barrel or part a hair falling across the blade. Although the ancient technique was lost to history around 1900, modern metallurgists have succeeded in reproducing the effect with state-of-the-art alloys to bring performance to the next level.

Nakiyo Damascus blades are forged from 63-layer (all larger knives) or 37-layer (paring, peeling, and petty knives) Damascus steel, which is made by repeatedly folding and forge welding two stainless steels with different carbon contents. The resulting material bears the elegant, wavelike pattern produced by its many fine layers—a testament to its strength, flexibility, and durability. This Damascus envelops a core of harder VG-10 cobalt alloy steel, a high-carbon stainless steel developed in Japan. Hardened to a Rockwell hardness of 62, it accommodates a long-lasting, razor-sharp edge.

The handle is crafted from lightweight Japanese magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora) wood, which provides a secure grip without upsetting the knife’s balance. The light-colored wood is secured and accented by a ferrule (collar) of black water buffalo horn. Its D-shaped shinogi profile maximizes comfort and ease of control.