Ishizuchi Blue #1 Kurouchi Sabaki Honesuki 165mm (6.5")

• Brand: Ishizuchi Knife Factory (石鎚刃物)
• Style: Honesuki (Boning Knife)
• Length: 165mm (6.5")
• Blade Steel Type: Blue 1 Steel clad with Soft Iron
• Handle Material: Octagonal Walnuts
• Ferrule Material: Yellow Poplar (compressed wood)
• HRC: 63-65
• Weight : 5.7 oz (162g)
• Bevel Angle Ratio: Single Bevel (Right-handed)
• Cover : Not included

Precaution

• Tosa Hamono knives have a thicker spine compared to other Japanese knives, so regular Sayas may not fit.
• All Ishizuchi knives are Soft Iron Clad and may rust.

Ishizuchi knives are renowned for their authentic kuro-uchi style. Unlike black-dyed knives that use a special coating for an overall black appearance, Ishizuchi’s “Kuro-uchi” knives retain the natural oxide film formed during the quenching process. This gives them a rugged, robust look and a handcrafted feel, showcasing true craftsmanship and traditional techniques.

“Black Rust”
Black rust, or protective rust, forms an oxide film on the surface of iron, preventing further rusting and avoiding the crumbling associated with red rust.

Sharpening Tip from Ishizuchi
Ishizuchi recommends sharpening the dominant side more for kuro-uchi knives, with a 40/60 bevel angle ratio for right-handed users and a 60/40 bevel angle ratio for left-handed users. Disclaimer

In 1590, warlord Chosokabe Motochika unified Tosa, documenting 399 blacksmiths in the region. Known for its forest-rich environment, Tosa required durable, high-performance tools for forestry, leading to the establishment of specialized blacksmiths. Following this tradition, Kajihira Tomika founded the Ishizuchi Agricultural Tool Company in 1920. Over 100 years later, they continue to maintain the distinctive thick, reassuring spine of Tosa knives while achieving the sharpness expected of fine Japanese knives.

The Honesuki is a Japanese boning knife used to butcher meat and poultry. This knife does not have the flexibility of a typical Western boning knife but its pointed tip lets it nimbly slip into joints and its heavily asymmetrical grind lets it ride along the cartilage and bone to get as much meat off the animal as possible. This is considered a Western-style knife in Japan and will typically not be seen in true single-bevel variants, though they do exist. Both sides of this knife should be sharpened, however the non-dominant side of the knife will be sharpened nearly flat.