Maguro Kiri VG-10 Raindrop Damascus 465mm (18.3")

Maguro Kiri 465 mm VG-10 Damascus is a specialized knife for breaking down large tuna, designed by SharpEdge as a lighter, more manageable and more versatile interpretation of traditional long tuna knives.

We designed it to keep the main advantage of a Maguro Kiri: a long blade for long, clean cuts. At the same time, we wanted to create a knife that one person can use through several stages of the breakdown process.

The knife was developed and tested for more than a year through actual tuna breakdown. Through testing, we worked to find the right balance between a long, thin blade, flexibility and edge stability. The first version was heat-treated to more than 60 HRC, while approximately 59 HRC proved more practical for this type of work.

A big knife for precise cuts and precise hands.

BLADE SHAPE:

Maguro Kiri is a large, double-bevel knife made for precise cuts. Its long, narrow profile allows much of the cut to be completed in one smooth stroke, especially when working along the backbone, separating fillets and portioning larger blocks of tuna.

The blade ends in a sakimaru tip. Unlike a fine pointed tip, the rounded sakimaru shape leaves more material at the end of the blade, giving it extra stability and strength for more demanding work, such as cutting through smaller cross bones during filleting.

As each knife is finished by hand, final dimensions may vary slightly.

STEEL:

The blade has a core made from VG-10, a Japanese stainless steel known for good sharpness, reliable edge retention and strong resistance to corrosion.

For a knife designed to break down large tuna, this choice of steel is especially practical. Water, blood, ice and salt are a normal part of the working environment, so the blade needs to be easier to maintain than a traditional carbon-steel tuna knife.

VG-10 also allows the knife to take a clean, sharp edge, while remaining durable enough for controlled work along the skeleton and through larger sections of fish.

The blade is heat-treated to approximately 59 HRC. During testing, this hardness proved to offer the best balance between sharpness, edge stability and toughness for this type of work. A harder blade would hold the edge longer, but would also be more delicate; at around 59 HRC, the knife remains sharp, stable and more forgiving during demanding tuna breakdown.

DAMASCUS CLADDING:

The VG-10 core is surrounded by stainless damascus cladding, giving the long blade its distinctive appearance.

BLADE GEOMETRY:

At almost 465 mm in length, a spine thickness of approximately 2.1 mm makes this blade unusually thin for its size.

This thin construction keeps the overall weight down, making the knife easier to control during long cutting sessions. It also gives the blade enough flexibility to follow the anatomy of the fish when working along the skeleton, around the backbone and through larger sections of tuna.

The blade height of approximately 47 mm adds stability during long horizontal cuts. It helps keep the cutting line steady when separating fillets, working close to the bones and portioning larger blocks of meat.

The result is a long blade that feels lighter and more responsive than a traditional heavy tuna knife, while still offering enough structure for clean, controlled cuts.

USE:

The Maguro Kiri is designed to cover as much of the large-tuna breakdown process as possible: long cuts along the backbone, working around the skeleton, separating fillets and portioning larger blocks of meat.

It is not intended for heavy chopping through thick bones, where a more robust specialized blade or saw is more appropriate.

One knife can cover several stages of the process, reducing the need to switch tools.

HANDLE AND SAYA:

The Maguro Kiri is fitted with an octagonal monoblock wa handle made from stabilized wood. The octagonal profile provides a secure grip and clear blade orientation, while the stabilized wood offers good resistance to moisture and dimensional changes.
The saya is made from locally sourced cherry wood and protects the long blade during storage and transport.