SUSHI fish knife ‘UOKIRI’ was created in Tsubame-Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture, which is famous in Japan for its knives, as a special knife for handling fish.

Mr. Takashi Nagao of Nagao Co., Ltd. who has been producing high-quality products both in Japan and overseas for 72 years was involved in the planning and development of this product. As a result of taking into account the opinions of many knife craftsmen and requests from chefs, ‘UOKIRI’ was born, which allows you to handle fish beautifully with just one knife instead of using multiple knives.
This knife has been used and endorsed by Mr. Takashi Sakagami, a famous sushi master chef in Japan.

The project began with the desire to use this knife as the first knife to fillet fish for those who have been uncomfortable with filleting fish and for those who want to try it.
We made prototypes with many different blade materials, weights, hardness, and handle materials.
As a result of many years of development, the design of the UOKIR incorporates the best features of both the ‘Deba’ and ‘Yanagiba’ knives and has become a favorite knife of many professional chefs in Japan.

Attention to materials and hardness

The steel of the blade part is molybdenum-vanadium steel made in Japan.
By adding molybdenum and vanadium to high-grade stainless steel, it is ultra-high-performance blade steel that achieves a high level of hardness, wear resistance, durability, impact resistance, and corrosion resistance. This steel is highly resistant to rust and is used for a variety of high-grade knives.
The thickness of the plate is 3.0mm, making it sturdy enough to withstand dismantling fish bones. (General Western kitchen knives are about 2.0mm thick.)

It is sometimes thought that the higher the hardness, the higher the performance, as in the case of Damascus knives, but this is by no means the case. However, this is not the case. The higher the hardness, the harder it is to maintain durability and impact resistance, and above all, the harder it is to sharpen. The hardness of this kitchen It is possible to increase the hardness by heat treatment, but after having chefs try out knives of various hardnesses, we decided that this is the ideal hardness for a knife used for filleting fish.
When selecting the material, we considered Damascus steel, but it is not necessary to use a high hardness material, and above all, it is too expensive for those who want to start filleting fish.
We did not dare to choose Damascus steel.

UOKIRI recommended by Japan’s top sushi master chefs

He has been making sushi for 33 years. Mr. Takashi Sakagami has worked as the head sushi chef at the luxury hotel Conrad Tokyo and Grand Hyatt Tokyo. 
He is now independent and opened a members-only restaurant, “鮨がみ/Sushi Gami” in Nihonbashi, Tokyo in July 2021. 
Please check out the review of ‘SUSHI fish knife UOKIRI’ by Mr. Sakagami, who is highly trusted by celebrities and VIPs in Japan and abroad.

The particular about  blade shape

This is a fish-slicing knife made by Tsubame Sanjo that pursues a balance between ease of use, durability, and ease of maintenance. This is a 2in1 knife that is a well-balanced combination of a ‘Deba knife’ and a ‘Yanagiba knife’.

While the overall construction is that of a chef’s knife familiar to modern cooks, this product is packed with the functions necessary for fish filleting.

The straight edge is designed to make the best use of the characteristics of the ‘Yanagiba knife’, making it easy to check the line of cutting and easy to remove the skin. The 30mm section from the tip is convenient for fine work such as removing guts. (part A in the image)

In addition, the base of the blade (part B in the image) is intentionally long to take advantage of the characteristics of ‘Deba knife’. This makes it easy to use to cut off fish bones.

The single-edged construction is essential for fish filleting, where the knife is often laid down to proceed with the cutting process.
The UOKIRI is available for right-handed use, but it can be customized for left-handed use.

The particular about handle and weight

The weight of the knife is a little heavier than that of a normal knife of the same size.
The weight balance is slightly forward and the center of gravity is near the center so that the power is evenly transmitted to the blade and the weight of the knife itself is added to the cutting power, making it easy to cut and very comfortable to use.

The shape of the handle is ergonomically designed to closely resemble the natural shape of the hand, allowing the ring and pinky fingers to apply force firmly and delicately to the blade.
Gently rounded and beautiful, the design is suitable for any handedness and is handcrafted one by one by craftsmen.
The material is “Laminated Reinforced Wood,” which has the advantages of wood and resin with a gentle touch, non-slip and high durability.

Protecting the fish-eating culture for the future

In developing this product, we placed the utmost importance on the opinions of people who have used it.
We asked professional chefs, fishermen, and other people who have used a variety of kitchen knives to give us their opinions from a strict perspective. After repeated research, the shape of each knife is carefully edged by the metal craftsmen of Tsubame Sanjo to create the product. The entire production process is carried out by skilled craftsmen under strict control.
We deliver with the best quality.

Quenching process

Sharpening angle

In recent years, as our dietary habits have changed drastically, fish has been gradually decreasing from our tables, and because of this change, the culture of processing fish at home has also been diminishing.
This campaign was launched by Mr. Nagao to contribute to this sad situation.
Filleting fish from scratch is a challenging task, but by evolving tools that are easy to use for everyone, we hope to dispel this sense of discomfort and leave a valuable food culture to the future.

Product Specs

Pledge Rewards

Risks & Challenges

• The designs, colors, and specifications are subject to change.
• The shipping time may be delayed depending on the order status, the supply status of the materials, and the manufacturing process. 
• Due to COVID-19, the production of UOKIRI may take longer than our manufacturing schedule.
• We ask for your understanding in this matter. COVID-19 is affecting delivery and transportation speed, so please keep in mind that the delivery of the UOKIRI may be delayed.
• If we are successful and the project is funded, we will not be able to offer refunds.
• Any import taxes and fees will be paid for by the backer.

About the Campaign Owner

Our vision: Make Japan Brand No. 1

Neworld inc. is a start-up company that aims to make Japanese brands flourish in the world. Starting with the operation of the EC site “CRAFT STORE” dedicated to those who love Japanese products, we will continue working together with Japanese manufacturing companies in sharing their unique traditions and innovative technologies with the rest of the world. If you are interested in handling products in your country, please contact us.