Handle: Magnolia with buffalo horn ferrule (wa-handle)
Maker’s mark: 菊守 (Kikumori)
Origin: Japan
About This Knife
This usuba carries the kanji 菊守 (Kikumori), a name with strong roots in Sakai’s knife-making tradition. The red handle sticker also bears the Kikumori trademark, tying it directly to a respected line of workshop blades.
Additional kanji on the blade include 極上 (gokujō), meaning “highest grade” — the workshop’s own stamp of quality. Together, these marks tell us this knife was produced as a premium line, aimed squarely at professional chefs.
At 181g, this usuba has a reassuring heft in hand. The single bevel, ground for right-handed use, makes it perfect for katsuramuki (rotary peeling) and ultra-precise vegetable work — exactly what the usuba was designed for in traditional Japanese kitchens.
The Kikumori name carries a legacy of Sakai craftsmanship, and this usuba wears that proudly. It’s a precision tool meant for specialists, a knife that rewards careful technique and brings a sense of tradition to every cut.
