The Bear Claw Chef Knife 155mm is a compact and highly versatile Japanese chef knife built around one simple question: how much real chef-knife functionality can we fit into a smaller, more portable format?

The concept grew from more than two decades of professional kitchen experience, years immersed in sushi tradition, and working with Japanese knives. A physical prototype was designed, heat-treated and tested in real use before being sent to Japan as the foundation for the final Bear Claw. With its compact 155mm (6.1") blade, Bear Claw can chop vegetables, prepare meat, work around bones, fillet fish and handle smaller precision tasks — all with one knife.

BLADE SHAPE:

Bear Claw uses a compact chef-knife profile designed for versatility and portability. The blade is tall enough at the heel to provide proper finger clearance on the cutting board, while the gently curved edge works especially well with push-cutting. The sakimaru-inspired tip remains precise enough for detailed work while being stronger than the fine tip of a traditional gyuto, making it useful for filleting fish, trimming meat and working around bones and joints.

STEEL:

The core is made from SG2 powder steel, hardened to approximately 62 HRC. SG2 is a high-performance stainless Japanese steel known for excellent edge retention, sharpness and corrosion resistance. The hard SG2 core is protected by softer stainless outer layers in a traditional san-mai construction, finished with a distinctive damascus pattern.

GEOMETRY:

Bear Claw has a double-bevel symmetrical edge, making it suitable for both right- and left-handed users. Its curved blade profile, pronounced choil, offset tang and sakimaru-style tip immediately distinguish it from conventional gyuto, santoku and petty knives.

The offset tang raises the handle above the cutting edge, providing enough finger clearance while keeping the overall knife compact. The pronounced choil also exposes a small section of the heel behind the fingers, making it useful for precision tasks such as peeling and cleaning garlic or vegetables.

HANDLE:

Bear Claw features a traditional octagonal Japanese Wa handle made from ebony wood with a buffalo horn ferrule. The handle is intentionally shorter than a standard Wa handle, helping keep the knife compact, balanced and easy to control.

LEATHER SAYA:

Portability was part of the Bear Claw concept from the beginning, so we designed a dedicated leather saya for safe and easy transport. It can be attached directly to a belt, while a lanyard hole provides another way to secure it to a backpack, bag or other equipment. The leather is finished with an embossed Nikku bear logo.