Vintage Japanese Sakai Shigemitsu Santoku Knife 180mm Made in Japan 1571

Experience Everyday Versatility with a Vintage Sakai Shigemitsu Santoku

This vintage Japanese Santoku pairs recorded high carbon steel construction with a wood handle and a flatter blade profile for controlled preparation. Identified as Sakai Shigemitsu in the original notes, it offers a versatile pre-owned knife for vegetables, fish and meat, with individual character preserved in its recorded markings.

The Specs

• Recorded brand / artisan name: Shigemitsu (重光)
• Recorded regional marking: 堺 (Sakai)
• Additional recorded markings: 手造り (Te-zukuri) and circled 本 (Hon)
• Knife type: Santoku
• Steel: High carbon steel; exact alloy not recorded
• Recorded hardness: 58 HRC
• Recorded construction: Fully forged
• Blade length: 180mm 
• Recorded blade thickness: 1.4mm
• Overall length: 290mm
• Handle: Wood
• Weight: 120g
• Origin: Made in Japan
• Condition: Vintage / pre-owned; described in the original notes as beautifully preserved

Recorded Sakai Shigemitsu Markings

The existing inscription notes associate 堺 with Sakai in Osaka, a historic Japanese cutlery region, and read 重光 as Shigemitsu, a brand or artisan name. They translate 手造り as handmade or handcrafted and the circled 本 as Hon, meaning authentic, true or standard. These readings are retained as recorded information, not a newly authenticated identification or certification.

The Santoku is an all-purpose Japanese kitchen knife suited to vegetables, fish and meat. Its flatter profile encourages controlled push-cut preparation, while the recorded 120g weight gives useful handling context without promising fatigue-free use. Carbon steel takes a keen edge and develops natural patina with use. No production date or individual workshop history is added.

Care & Maintenance

• Hand wash only - never put in the dishwasher
• Dry immediately after washing to help prevent rust
• Apply a light coat of food-safe camellia or mineral oil periodically
• Sharpen on a whetstone, preserving the existing edge geometry
• Hone only where appropriate for the blade's edge geometry
• Store on a magnetic strip or in a knife roll, avoiding loose drawers