The sujihiki: Japan's slicing knife

What is a sujihiki?

A sujihiki (筋引, roughly "sinew slicer") is the Japanese take on a Western carving or slicing knife. It's long (240–300 mm, with 270 mm the common size), narrow, and ground on both sides like a Western knife — so, unlike a yanagiba, it works in either hand and sharpens conventionally.

Its job is slicing proteins cleanly: carving a roast, portioning a brisket, cutting ham, skinning a fillet, or slicing raw fish. The thin, low blade is the opposite of a tall all-rounder like a gyuto — it's built to glide through a single long cut, not to chop on a board.

How it cuts: one long draw

Like any good slicer, a sujihiki works in a single, smooth drawing stroke — pulling the full length of the blade through the food rather than sawing. A sawing motion tears meat fibres and roughens the surface; one long draw leaves a clean, even face. The narrow blade means very little metal drags against the cut, so slices release cleanly instead of sticking.

That same narrowness is why it isn't a board knife: the low height leaves little knuckle clearance, so it's poor at chopping or dicing. Use it for slicing and carving, and keep a gyuto or nakiri for everything on the cutting board.

Sizes by job: 240, 270 or 300 mm

Sujihiki are sold by blade length, measured from the heel of the edge to the tip. The three common sizes cover almost every job; the inch figures below are rounded conversions (mm ÷ 25.4).

Rule of thumb: choose a blade noticeably longer than the widest thing you slice, so a single pull from heel to tip finishes the cut. If the blade runs out mid-slice you end up sawing back and forth, which is exactly what a slicer is meant to avoid. For brisket, 270 mm handles most home cooks' briskets; 300 mm gives extra margin on a large whole packer brisket. Longer blades are harder to store and to sharpen evenly, so there is no benefit in going longer than you need. Our knife size guide covers sizes for every type.

Sujihiki vs yanagiba

The sujihiki and the yanagiba are the two long Japanese slicers, and choosing between them comes down to versatility vs specialisation. The sujihiki is the double-bevel generalist; the yanagiba is the single-bevel sashimi specialist.

Choose the sujihiki if you want one easy slicer for meat and fish alike; choose the yanagiba if you're committed to traditional sashimi and the cleanest possible cut.

Sujihiki for sashimi and fish

Yes — a sharp sujihiki slices raw fish well. Its long, narrow blade lets you cut each piece of sashimi or sushi topping in one pull, which is the key to a smooth, glossy cut face. It also trims and skins fillets and portions cooked fish neatly.

What it gives up against a yanagiba is a little refinement. A single-bevel yanagiba has a flat back that rides against the fish, so it tends to leave a slightly cleaner, flatter cut face and is traditional in sushi kitchens. The sujihiki's double-bevel edge is easier to use and sharpen, works in either hand, and doubles as a meat slicer. If raw fish is only part of what you slice, the sujihiki is the practical choice; if sashimi is the main job, a yanagiba — or the square-tipped takohiki — is the specialist tool. Either way, the technique is the same: see how to slice sashimi.

Sujihiki vs Western carving or slicing knife

A sujihiki does the same job as a Western carving knife or long slicer — including the round-tipped, dimpled (granton-edge) "brisket slicers" common in barbecue. The differences are in how the blade is made. The figures below are typical, not rules; individual knives vary, so check the stated hardness and angle.

In practice the sujihiki cuts with less effort and leaves a cleaner face, but its harder, thinner edge is more likely to chip if it hits bone, a carving fork or a ceramic platter. A Western slicer is softer and shrugs off rough treatment, but dulls sooner and needs more frequent touch-ups. The dimples on a granton edge can help slices release a little; the thin, narrow sujihiki relies on its low drag instead. For the broader trade-off, see Japanese vs German knives and knife hardness (HRC).

Sujihiki vs gyuto: do you need both?

For most home cooks a gyuto alone is enough — it will carve in a pinch. The sujihiki is a second knife you add when you slice proteins often and want the cleaner, easier cut a dedicated slicer gives.

How to carve with a sujihiki

1. Rest the meat first. Carving straight off the heat lets juices run out and the meat can shred. A rested roast or brisket is firmer and slices more cleanly.
2. Steady it without touching the edge. Hold the meat with a carving fork, tongs or a flat hand on top, and keep the fork away from the blade's path — steel on steel can chip a hard edge.
3. Find the grain and slice across it. Look for the direction the muscle fibres run and cut at right angles to them, so each slice has short fibres and eats tender. On a brisket, the grain runs in different directions in the flat and the point, so many cooks separate the two, or turn the brisket as they reach the point, to keep slicing across the grain.
4. Start at the heel and pull. Set the heel of the blade on the far side of the meat and draw the knife toward you in one long stroke, finishing near the tip. Use the whole length of the blade.
5. Let the blade do the work. Use light downward pressure and let the length and sharpness make the cut. If you need to push hard or saw, the knife is dull or too short for the cut.
6. Steer around bone. Cut meat off the bone rather than through it; a thin, hard edge is not built for bone. See why thin Japanese blades chip on bone.

Carve on a wooden or soft plastic cutting board, never directly on a ceramic platter, slate or glass.

Sharpening a sujihiki

A sujihiki sharpens like any double-bevel Japanese knife — the only extra challenge is its length, which is usually longer than the stone. Our step-by-step whetstone guide covers the basics; for a long slicer, add these points:

• Work in sections. Sharpen the heel, the middle and the tip section in turn, moving the pressure point along the blade, rather than trying to cover the whole edge in one stroke.
• Keep the angle constant. Hold roughly 15° per side (or whatever angle the knife already has) on both sides. An angle that drifts between sections leaves an uneven edge.
• Lift slightly for the tip. Where the edge curves up toward the tip, raise the handle a little so the curved part stays in contact with the stone.
• Check the burr everywhere. Before switching sides, feel for a burr along the full length, heel to tip. Missed spots show up as sections that snag or tear on the next roast.
• Finish and deburr. A few light alternating strokes on a finer stone, then a light strop, remove the burr cleanly.

A longer stone makes the job easier; see which whetstone to buy. Avoid pull-through sharpeners — they can chip hard Japanese steel and tend to grind an uneven edge on a long blade. Between sharpenings, keep the edge keen with gentle honing or stropping rather than a hard steel rod.

How to choose a sujihiki

• Length: 270 mm for most people; 240 mm for smaller kitchens and fish; 300 mm if you regularly carve large briskets or hams (see sizes by job).
• Steel: a slicer spends a lot of time in wet, salty or acidic meat juices, and barbecue use often means humid outdoor conditions — so many cooks prefer stainless such as VG10 or SG2. Carbon steel takes a very keen edge but needs wiping dry during use; a stainless-clad carbon blade is a middle ground. Compare them in the steel chart.
• Handle: a light wooden wa handle shifts the balance toward the blade; a riveted Western yo handle feels heavier and more familiar. See wa vs yo handles.
• Height & stiffness: a slightly taller or stiffer blade tends to track straighter through a big roast and gives a little more knuckle clearance; a thinner, lower blade drags less. Most sujihiki are fairly stiff — true flexibility is more of a Western slicer trait.
• Bevel: virtually all sujihiki are double-bevel, so they suit left- and right-handed cooks alike.
• Storage: a long, thin edge needs protecting — a saya (sheath) or a magnetic strip long enough for the blade. See how to store Japanese knives.

Do you need a sujihiki?

The bottom line

The sujihiki is the easy answer to "how do I slice this cleanly?" — a double-bevel slicer that carves meat and portions fish without the single-bevel commitment of a yanagiba.

It's a considered second knife, not a first purchase. If you're still building your kit, start with an everyday blade — see the best Japanese knife for beginners — and add the slicer later.

Frequently asked questions