Kitchen knife - Steel, Wood - Japan - 伝統的和柳刃・薄刃包丁 土佐龍千代/登録龍千代

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Shipping availability may change depending on Japan Post and the destination country's postal procedures.

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Vintage Japanese Yanagiba & Usuba Knife Set – “Tosa Ryuchiyo (土佐龍千代)” & “登録龍千代 特製” – Traditional Japanese Kitchen Knives
An attractive and characterful pair of vintage Japanese kitchen knives, combining two classic traditional blade forms: a long, elegant Yanagiba and a broad, rectangular Usuba vegetable knife.
What makes this set particularly interesting is that both knives carry the “龍千代” name.
The Yanagiba on the left is inscribed “土佐龍千代” and retains two vintage labels on its wooden handle, including markings referring to inspection, quality assurance and hand forging.
The Usuba on the right bears the inscription “登録龍千代 特製”, while its wooden handle retains a branded mark reading “登録商標 龍千代”.
Together, these surviving inscriptions, labels and handle branding give the pair a strong sense of identity and vintage Japanese character.
1. Yanagiba – “土佐龍千代”
The knife on the left is a traditional Japanese Yanagiba, distinguished by its long, narrow blade and sharply pointed tip.
Yanagiba knives are traditionally used for slicing prepared fish for sashimi and sushi. Their elongated blade allows a long drawing cut through the fish, producing a clean slice without repeated sawing motions. 農林水産省
The blade bears the inscription:
土佐龍千代
Tosa Ryuchiyo
The traditional wooden Wa handle retains particularly interesting vintage labels.
One label includes the wording:
検査済
保険之証
最高級
while another includes:
品質保証
手打
These may be rendered approximately as:
“Inspected / Certificate / Highest Grade”
and
“Quality Guaranteed / Hand-Forged.”
These expressions are presented strictly as surviving wording on the original vintage labels. They should not be interpreted as a modern certification or as a guarantee of the knife's present sharpness, quality or performance.
The combination of the “土佐龍千代” blade inscription and the surviving vintage labels makes this a visually distinctive older Japanese Yanagiba.
Approximate dimensions:
- Overall length: approx. 36 cm
- Blade length: approx. 23 cm
- Maximum blade width: approx. 2.8 cm
2. Usuba – “登録龍千代 特製”
The knife on the right is a traditional Japanese Usuba, characterized by its tall, broad and relatively straight-edged blade.
The Usuba is a specialized traditional Japanese vegetable knife. Its broad blade is associated with precise vegetable preparation, including fine cutting and traditional techniques such as katsuramuki (rotary peeling). 農林水産省
The blade bears the inscription:
登録龍千代
特製
The traditional wooden Wa handle is additionally branded:
登録商標 龍千代
approximately meaning:
“Registered Trademark – Ryuchiyo.”
This is an especially attractive detail because the “龍千代” identification is preserved both on the blade and on the wooden handle.
For accuracy, the inscriptions and surviving markings are reproduced as found. No unsupported claim is made regarding the exact production date, individual craftsman or steel composition of this vintage knife.
Approximate dimensions:
- Overall length: approx. 31 cm
- Blade length: approx. 18 cm
- Maximum blade width: approx. 4.7 cm
Please note: All measurements are approximate estimates based on the measuring tape visible in the photograph. Slight differences from the actual measurements should be expected.
A Matching “龍千代” Pair with Two Traditional Blade Forms
A major attraction of this lot is that both knives retain the “龍千代” name while representing two completely different traditional Japanese knife forms.
The approximately 23 cm Yanagiba has the long, slender profile traditionally associated with slicing sashimi, while the approximately 18 cm Usuba has the tall, broad blade associated with precise vegetable work. These are both established specialist forms within traditional Japanese cuisine. 農林水産省
The Yanagiba retains:
Blade: “土佐龍千代”
Handle labels: “検査済・保険之証・最高級” / “品質保証・手打”
while the Usuba retains:
Blade: “登録龍千代 特製”
Handle branding: “登録商標 龍千代”
This combination of related inscriptions, surviving labels, traditional wooden Wa handles and two contrasting blade profiles gives the set considerably more character than an anonymous pair of vintage kitchen knives.
Condition
These are vintage, pre-owned Japanese kitchen knives and show clear signs of age and previous use.
The condition includes:
- Age-related dirt and staining
- Rust / oxidation
- Scratches and scuff marks on the blades
- Chipping / damage to the blade tips
- Chips and imperfections along the cutting edges
- Wear from age and previous use
- Dirt and scratches around the ferrules
- Dirt and signs of use on the wooden handles
- Age-related deterioration to the surviving vintage labels
- Other age- and use-related imperfections
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 blades, cutting edges, tips, ferrules, wooden handles, inscriptions, labels and branded markings.
These are vintage working knives rather than fully restored or maintenance-free modern kitchen knives. Depending on their condition and intended use, cleaning, rust removal, sharpening and other maintenance or restoration work may be required.
Please bid only if you fully understand and accept the vintage condition—including the dirt, rust, scratches, tip damage, edge chipping and wear—and are capable of carrying out the necessary cleaning and sharpening yourself.
With the long “土佐龍千代” Yanagiba retaining its vintage labels and the broad “登録龍千代 特製” Usuba with “登録商標 龍千代” handle branding, this is an appealing matching pair for collectors of vintage Japanese cutlery, sharpening and restoration enthusiasts, and admirers of traditional Japanese culinary tools.
■ 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.

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● 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.

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● shipping method and delivery time
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● agreement
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