At the point where Don Nguyen's engineering talents and knifemaking acumen converge, at that precise apex, you will find this yanagabi slicing knife. The product of years of research, development, testing, and refinements (see his 5-part Yanagiba YouTube series), fully hardened 52100 carbon steel in traditional single-bevel construction, with precisely finished, compound ura on the blade's left side (for right-handed chefs), and crisp shinogi above a silky, hand-sanded kireha, or slightly convex bevel, on the right side, form a sushi chef's dream. A balance point approximately one inch, or 25mm, in front of the blade's heel, provides a responsive and natural feel in the hand, giving its user the control and finesse required of this purpose-built tool. Removeable for care, maintenance, and uraoshi sharpening, the handle in traditional octagonal form is shaped from three layers of premium, small-batch, gold-tint carbon fiber with a unique and captivating weave pattern, around a dual 'racing stripe' paper micarta frame, and finally, capped with a ferrule of black paper micarta. From the blade’s final distal taper to a needle-like tip, to the sculpting and polishing of the asymmetrical choil, to the exactness of the blade's uraoshi designed to maximize the knife's longevity through a lifetime of sharpening, Don has finely tuned every element of this incredible tool.