Ikenami Hamono Yanagiba sashimi-bocho 170mm shirogami #1

Ikenami Hamono is an island knifemaker surrounded by deep sea so it's natural that they produce a varied range of fish-specific knives. The company's specialist sashimi knives include their high-end single-bevel yanagiba and takohiki and this, their 'ryōba' double-bevel yanagiba for the home.

In Japanese 'yanagi' is willow, and 'yanagiba' has the rather poetic meaning of willow-leaf blade. A double-bevel yanagiba like this one is produced for the user who might find a nice sashimi-grade fillet in the supermarket but can't justify owning a high-end knife to slice it into those shiny slabs of satisfaction. This knife's sharpness and length mean you can do a good job of it, taking care of each separation with one deft slice. 

This knife is a little more multi-purpose than its single-bevel stablemates. It's great for slicing rolled sushi of course, ham too, or konyaku, chicken breast or pretty much any boneless protein. Sharpening is straightforward and the white#1 steel is relatively quick to hone. A ceramic-wheel sharpener or similar will work perfectly well.

If you're looking for a little more length in the blade Ikenami Hamono also produces this knife with a 200mm willow leaf, available here.