Kitchen knife - Wood, Steel - Japan - 伝統的和鎌形薄刃・菜切包丁 堺菊孝/本長手打特製

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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 Usuba & Nakiri Knife Set – “Sakai Kikutaka Betsuuchi (堺菊孝 別打)” & “Registered Honcho Hand-Forged Special (登録本長 手打特製)” – Traditional Japanese Kitchen Knives

An attractive pair of vintage Japanese kitchen knives, consisting of a traditional Usuba and Nakiri, both bearing distinctive Japanese inscriptions and retaining interesting original details.

This set brings together two classic Japanese vegetable-knife forms. Although similar in purpose, the two knives have noticeably different blade profiles and individual character, making them an appealing pairing for collectors and enthusiasts of traditional Japanese cutlery.

Both knives remain in genuine, unrestored vintage condition and show the natural traces of age, previous use, sharpening, and storage.

1. Usuba – Sakai Kikutaka Betsuuchi (堺菊孝 別打)

The knife on the left is a traditional Japanese Usuba, featuring a relatively tall, slender blade with a distinctive rounded front profile.

Usuba knives are specialized Japanese vegetable knives traditionally associated with precise vegetable preparation and cutting techniques.

The blade bears the inscription:

堺菊孝 – Sakai Kikutaka

The reverse side is additionally marked:

別打 – Betsuuchi

“Betsuuchi” is a traditional designation frequently encountered on Japanese knives and forms an interesting part of the knife's original markings.

The combination of the Sakai inscription, the reverse-side Betsuuchi marking, the traditional wooden handle, and the dark ferrule gives this knife a classic Japanese appearance.

Approximate Dimensions

Overall length: approx. 30 cm
Blade length: approx. 17 cm
Maximum blade width: approx. 4.2 cm
2. Nakiri – Registered Honcho, Hand-Forged Special (登録本長 手打特製)

The knife on the right is a substantial traditional Japanese Nakiri, characterized by its tall rectangular blade and relatively straight cutting edge.

Nakiri is one of Japan's classic vegetable-knife forms. Its broad blade and straight cutting profile are particularly suited to vegetable preparation. The Echizen Cutlery Cooperative also identifies the Nakiri as one of the traditional knife forms associated with Echizen cutlery.

The blade bears the inscription:

登録本長 手打特製 – Registered Honcho / Hand-Forged Special

The wooden handle also retains a branded inscription:

登録本長 吟撰 – Registered Honcho Gin-sen

In addition, an old label on the handle reads:

切味優秀 越前 検査済合格品

Approximately:

“Excellent Cutting Performance – Echizen – Inspected and Approved Product”

The survival of the blade inscription, branded handle, and old Echizen-related inspection label gives this knife especially interesting vintage character.

Echizen in Fukui Prefecture has a knife-making tradition dating back approximately 700 years, and its cutlery industry has long produced practical tools including Nakiri knives.

Approximate Dimensions

Overall length: approx. 32 cm
Blade length: approx. 18 cm
Maximum blade width: approx. 5.0 cm

All measurements are approximate and have been estimated from the measuring tape visible in the photograph.

Condition

These are genuine vintage, pre-owned Japanese kitchen knives and show clear signs of age, previous use, sharpening, and storage.

Please note the following condition issues:

Age-related dirt and staining
Rust and oxidation
Scratches and scuff marks on the blades
Chips and imperfections along the cutting edges
Dirt and staining around the ferrules
Scratches and other signs of wear around the ferrule areas
Dirt, staining, scratches, and signs of use on the wooden handles
Age-related wear and deterioration to the surviving label
Other age-related marks and imperfections consistent with vintage used kitchen knives

The knives have not been fully cleaned, polished, restored, or professionally sharpened and are offered in their present vintage condition.

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

These are not fully restored or maintenance-free modern kitchen knives. Depending on their intended use, cleaning, sharpening, adjustment, or other maintenance/restoration work may be required.

Please bid only if you fully understand and accept the above vintage condition and are capable of cleaning and sharpening the knives yourself as necessary.

This is an appealing pairing of a Sakai Kikutaka (堺菊孝) Usuba with “Betsuuchi” (別打) marking and a Registered Honcho (登録本長) Nakiri retaining its “Hand-Forged Special” inscription, branded handle, and old Echizen inspection label.

An interesting set for collectors of traditional Japanese cutlery, sharpening and restoration enthusiasts, chefs, and admirers of authentic vintage Japanese kitchen tools.
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● 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.

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