8.5" Sakimaru Knife - Retro Series (PM8S)

Reach for this when a whole salmon fillet is on the board and every slice needs to lift away clean, in one long pulling stroke. The Sakimaru is a Japanese slicer with a rounded, katana-style tip, and the geometry is built entirely around that draw cut. HEZHEN sharpens this one as a modern double bevel at 15 degrees per side, which opens it past traditional sashimi work into any long-slicing task you put in front of it.

The Sakimaru Profile in the Retro Series

A sakimaru has a mostly flat belly and a tip that sweeps gently upward rather than ending in a point. That curve is what lets you start a long slice through soft flesh without the point digging in and tearing. This one has enough length to carry through a whole tuna loin or a cold roast in a single stroke, which is exactly how a slicer should work. It's also the shape that makes thin, even cuts across a cooked brisket or a glazed ham look deliberate rather than accidental.

3-Layer Steel in a Long-Edge Format

The blade is 3-layer 10Cr15CoMoV composite: a hard high-carbon core flanked by two layers of softer stainless. Vacuum heat-treated to 60-62 HRC, it takes a very fine edge and holds it through a full carving session, where a softer slicer would start tearing flesh by the tenth pass. The Retro Series' octagonal Red Wood handle with genuine black buffalo horn collar sits naturally in a pinch grip for the controlled draw cut this knife is built for.

Specifications

• Blade Steel: 3-Layer 10Cr15CoMoV Composite Steel
• Hardness: 60-62 HRC (Vacuum Heat Treated)
• Blade Profile: 8.5-inch Sakimaru (double bevel, 15 degrees per side)
• Handle: Red Wood & Black Buffalo Horn (Octagonal), full tang
• Use: Long pulling slices through raw fish and sashimi, and carving cooked proteins like roast, ham, and brisket into wafer-thin slices.
• Series: Retro Series (PM8S)
• Model: PM8S-XWD

Complete Your Set

Pair it with the Retro 8.5" Chef Knife (PM8S-CS) for the bulk of daily prep, and the Retro 7" Santoku (PM8S-RS) for the vegetable half of the session where this long slicing profile is the wrong tool entirely.