This sleek layered-steel knife straddles the line between a thin chef’s knife and long slicer. The blade isn't so long as to be unwieldy, just enough to create smooth, clean slices even with larger cuts of meat. Its narrow shape reduces friction between food and your blade, and the hand-hammered tsuchime surface is a traditional Japanese approach to a nonstick coating, allowing airflow beneath foods being cut. The Damascus stainless steel has a classic two-toned rippled appearance from the forging process, and paired with the hand-hammered finish it makes for a beautiful rustic blade.

The oldest continuous knife-maker in Japan, Kikuichi uses methods from the samurai era, inherited from imperial blade-maker Shiro Kanenaga through four generations. This knife is produced using the warikomi method, a traditional “split and insert” forging technique in which soft blade steel is wrapped around a hard steel core, forming a steel sandwich. The exterior both protects the inner steel and adds some flexibility to the blade for a nimble, lively feel. The center VG-10 steel core, meanwhile, takes on and maintains a razor-sharp edge. The knife is hardened to 60-62 Rockwell, meaning it'll hold a keen edge through countless kitchen tasks (routine steeling on a honing rod will prolong that edge between sharpening).