Kitchen knife - Steel, Wood - Japan - 伝統的和出刃・柳刃包丁 堺貞峰/伊吹 関孫大

● IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR CERTAIN EU COUNTRIES - IOSS SHIPMENTS UNDER EUR 150

Due to recent changes in EU import procedures, temporary shipping restrictions may apply to IOSS shipments under EUR 150 to the following countries:

- Austria
- Germany
- Finland
- France
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Shipping availability may change depending on Japan Post and the destination country's postal procedures.

Please consider this possibility before placing a bid.

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Vintage Japanese Deba & Yanagiba Kitchen Knife Set – “Sakai Sadamine” / “Ibuki Sekison Dai” – 2 Signed Traditional Japanese Knives

An attractive set of two vintage Japanese traditional kitchen knives, consisting of a substantial Deba and a long, slender Yanagiba.

Both knives bear clearly visible Japanese inscriptions and retain the characteristic forms of older Japanese working kitchen knives. The broad, powerful Deba and the elegant, narrow Yanagiba create an appealing contrast and represent two distinctly different traditional knife styles used in Japanese cuisine.

These knives are offered in their authentic, used and unrestored vintage condition, making them particularly suitable for collectors, restorers and experienced Japanese knife enthusiasts who appreciate older blades with visible history and restoration potential.

1. Deba Knife – “Sakai Sadamine” (堺貞峰)

The knife on the left is a traditional Japanese Deba, characterized by its broad blade, substantial heel and strong, compact proportions.

The blade is inscribed:

堺貞峰 – Sakai Sadamine

The presence of 堺 (Sakai) in the inscription is especially appealing, as Sakai has long been associated with Japanese cutlery and traditional kitchen knives.

The blade has a broad and robust profile typical of the Deba form, traditionally used in Japanese cuisine for fish preparation.

Its relatively deep blade and compact overall proportions give it a strong and practical appearance, while the visible sharpening marks and aged surface preserve the character of an older working knife.

Approximate dimensions:

Overall length: 30 cm
Blade length: 16.5 cm
Handle length: approximately 13.5 cm
Maximum blade height: approximately 5.0 cm

Fitted with a traditional wooden Japanese handle and dark ferrule.

2. Yanagiba Knife – “Ibuki Sekison Dai” (伊吹 関孫大)

The knife on the right is a traditional Japanese Yanagiba, featuring a long, narrow blade and sharply pointed tip.

The blade is marked:

伊吹 関孫大 – Ibuki / Sekison Dai

The inscription remains clearly visible on the blade and adds distinctive visual character to this vintage example.

The elongated blade gradually narrows toward the pointed tip, creating the elegant silhouette traditionally associated with Yanagiba knives used for slicing fish and sashimi.

At approximately 21 cm in blade length, it provides a graceful contrast to the broader Deba beside it.

Approximate dimensions:

Overall length: 35 cm
Blade length: 21 cm
Handle length: approximately 14 cm
Maximum blade height: approximately 2.5–3.0 cm

Fitted with a traditional wooden Japanese handle and dark ferrule.

Two Contrasting Traditional Japanese Knife Forms

One of the strongest visual features of this set is the contrast between the two blade geometries.

The Sakai Sadamine Deba has a broad, substantial profile with considerable blade height, while the Ibuki / Sekison Dai Yanagiba has a long, narrow and elegant silhouette.

Together they illustrate the highly specialized nature of traditional Japanese kitchen knives, where different blade forms were developed for different culinary tasks.

Both knives also retain clearly visible Japanese inscriptions, making the pair particularly attractive to collectors of older Japanese culinary tools.

Condition

These are genuine vintage, previously used Japanese kitchen knives and are offered in their present, unrestored condition.

They show various signs of age, long-term use, sharpening and storage, including:

Dirt and staining
Rust and oxidation
Patina and discoloration
Scratches and rubbing marks
Surface wear and blade wear
Evidence of previous sharpening
Edge chipping
Damage/chipping to the blade tips
Dirt and scratches around the ferrules
Age-related wear and deterioration around the ferrules
Dirt, staining and scratches on the wooden handles

Please examine all photographs carefully before bidding. The photographs form an essential part of the condition description.

No professional restoration, complete rust removal, polishing or refinishing has been carried out for this sale. The knives retain the scratches, oxidation, patina, sharpening marks and other traces accumulated during their long working lives.

Important Notice for Bidders

These knives are not presented as restored or immediately ready-to-use kitchen knives.

Due to their age and current condition, they are recommended primarily for collectors, restorers and experienced Japanese knife enthusiasts who are capable of carrying out their own cleaning, sharpening and maintenance.

Depending on the intended use, they may require thorough cleaning, rust removal, sharpening, correction of edge chips and tip damage, and other restoration or maintenance work.

Please bid only if you fully understand and accept their present vintage condition and are capable of carrying out the necessary cleaning and sharpening yourself.

All dimensions stated above are approximate measurements estimated from the measuring scale visible in the photograph.

A distinctive vintage pairing of a broad “Sakai Sadamine” Deba and an elegant “Ibuki / Sekison Dai” Yanagiba — two signed traditional Japanese knives with authentic traces of age and use, strong visual character and excellent potential for careful restoration.
■ IMPORTANT NOTICE - PLEASE READ BEFORE BIDDING

● NO SHIPPING TO DENMARK,UNITED KINGDOM,UNITED STATES (USA)

● bidding and payment
please do not place a bid if you do not intend to complete the purchase and make payment. by placing a bid, you confirm full intention to complete payment if you win. non-paying bidders cause serious delays. if payment is not completed after reminders from catawiki, the order may be cancelled under catawiki policy.

● condition of the item
all items are vintage, antique, or pre-owned unless stated otherwise. signs of age, wear, scratches, stains, rust, oxidation, patina, repairs, sharpening marks, and other imperfections should be expected.
please carefully examine all photos before bidding. photos form an important part of the description.
please also understand that some defects or imperfections may not be visible in photographs. hidden or non-visible flaws may exist.
in addition, the condition of the item may change during transport due to vibration, impact, temperature, humidity, or handling.
therefore, items are sold strictly for buyers who have knowledge and ability to perform cleaning, sharpening, restoration, or repair if necessary. this lot is not suitable for buyers expecting fully restored or ready-to-use items without maintenance.
all measurements are approximate.

● important notice regarding traditional japanese knife handles
traditional japanese kitchen knives (wa-bocho) use replaceable wooden handles. handles are consumable parts and may require repair or replacement due to age, drying, shrinkage, cracking, looseness, or transport stress. replacement parts are not included.

● shipping restrictions - knives
due to uk law, we do not ship knives to the united kingdom. due to strict regulations, we also do not ship knives to denmark. shipments to other countries may also be restricted depending on local laws. bids from restricted countries will be cancelled.

● international shipping - customs
import rules for knives vary by country. buyer confirms legality of import. seller ships from japan with accurate customs declarations. customs delays, inspections, confiscations, taxes, or import issues are outside seller control.

● countries we do not ship to
We do not ship to the United States at this time due to ongoing international shipping restrictions.
Shipping service to the United States remains temporarily suspended and we are currently unable to accept orders with US delivery addresses.
We also temporarily do not ship to Portugal due to logistics instability.
Bids from these countries will be cancelled.

● international situation - shipping limitations
due to global conditions, sanctions, transport restrictions, or postal issues, shipping may become impossible to certain countries. in such cases, orders may be cancelled.

● important notice for italy
delivery to italy may take one month or longer due to customs and postal delays. please bid only if you accept this.

● no combined shipping
each item will be shipped separately even if multiple items are purchased.

● shipping method and delivery time
all items are shipped from japan via japan post. estimated delivery time is 3?4 weeks. delivery time is not guaranteed.

● import duties and taxes (EU buyers)
import duties, VAT, and other taxes are not included. buyer is responsible for all charges.

● customs contact and buyer responsibility
buyer must respond to customs requests promptly. failure may result in delay, return, confiscation, or destruction of parcel.

● returned parcels
if returned due to customs refusal or non-response, reshipping requires double shipping cost.

● force majeure
seller is not responsible for delays or failures caused by war, sanctions, disasters, postal suspension, or other force majeure events.

● agreement
by placing a bid, you confirm you have read and accepted all conditions and understand the item may contain non-visible defects and may require cleaning, sharpening, restoration, or repair.