【Reading】Octopusひきぼうちょう

【English Name】Takohiki knife

The takohiki bocho is a sashimi knife that developed in the Kanto region. With a blade length of 18–36 cm, it has a straight blade and a distinctive shape with a squared-off tip. It forms a pair with the yanagiba bocho of Kansai, featuring a single-bevel structure with a hollow-ground back (urasuki). Thinner than the yanagiba, it is suited to slicing sashimi in a single drawing direction. The name derives from a shape that makes it easy to cut octopus (tako) legs, and there is also a folk theory that the tip is not pointed out of consideration by the hot-tempered Edo craftsmen to make it harder to repurpose in fights. In recent years the yanagiba has spread nationwide, and cases of Kanto chefs choosing it have increased. Constructed by forge-welding steel and soft iron, when sharpened on a whetstone the soft iron wears down first, producing a sharp edge.