Japanese Custom Knives by Takeshi Saji: Unique Blades for Sale

Mcusta MC-23 Series – The fusion of Japanese craftsmanship and American design

The MC-23 series marks the first collaboration between the Japanese brand Mcusta and renowned American knife maker Mike Irie, celebrated since 1991 for his compact, elegant, and highly functional hunting knives. This partnership has given rise to a line that reinterprets the classic style of the “Sport 100,” “200,” and “300” collections, preserving their original spirit while enriching them with Japanese precision craftsmanship.

Crafted in the city of Seki, the heart of Japanese knife-making tradition, the MC-23 is a fixed-blade knife that combines refined aesthetics with practicality. The blade, made of laminated VG-10 and Damascus steel with a matte gray finish and hammered texture (tsuchime), offers durability, high performance, and a distinctive visual impact. The spine features fine jimping to ensure greater control during use.

The contoured Desert Ironwood handle, embellished with elegant grooves, ensures comfort, balance, and solidity, reflecting Mcusta’s sophisticated style. A brown leather sheath completes the set, perfect for carrying and protection.

The MC-23 series is the ideal choice for collectors, outdoor enthusiasts, and lovers of quality craftsmanship, offering the perfect balance between Japanese tradition and American ingenuity.

Intended use: Collecting / Hunting

Production type: Industrial
Blade: Full tang in laminated Damascus steel, with a central core of VG-10 at 60 HRC
Blade finish: Hammered (Tsuchime)
Country of manufacture: Japan
Handle: Desert Ironwood with mosaic brass and copper pins
Blade length: 80mm.
Blade thickness: 3.2mm.
Overall length: 168mm.
Balance: rear-weighted
Weight: 88g.
Sheath: leather, belt-mounted, for vertical carry
Packaging: cardboard box, with manufacturer’s logos
Notes: -

KNIFE WITHDRAWN FROM PRIVATE COLLECTION
* Origin: Knife from the 1980s withdrawn from a private collection, previously purchased
* Condition: Overall in good condition, mechanically perfect, shows some signs of wear and age on the wooden handle with a deep notch on the tang with material missing a couple of mm thick near the lanyard hole and some signs of age and wear on the steel heads and steel blade. The sheath is in good condition, never used on a belt, also with signs of age on the outer surfaces and on the automatic button
* Available on the market: Out of production since the 1990s
* Sharpness: Factory sharpness, could be improved
* Marks on blade: Small scratches visible against the light due to age
* Marks on the handle: Small scratches on the steel heads and wood, part of the wood missing near the hole for the lanyard
* Box: Missing
* Sheath: Present and in good condition, with some signs of wear due to the passage of time
* Manuals, Certificates, and Warranties: Missing
* Checked and certified by our in-house laboratory

Intended use: Sports

Type of production: Industrial
Country of production: Japan
Blade: AUS-6 stainless steel with concave sharpening
Blade treatment: Satin finish
Handle: Cocobolo wood, steel heads, and brass internal plates
Blade length: 75mm.
Blade thickness: 3mm.
Closed length: 100mm
Total length: 172mm.
Weight: 100g.
Closure: Back Lock
Sheath: sturdy brown leather with white stitching, belt loop, and snap button for fastening
Packaging: -
Notes: rare sports knife, practical and sturdy, produced between the 1980s and 1990s, previously purchased, withdrawn from private collection

Kanetsune Seki produces traditional, high-quality kitchen spoons, suitable for daily use. These cuchillos are the result of the skill of craftsmen who implement scrupulous techniques. Our quality guarantees products that are exceptionally durable, sharp and of extraordinary beauty.

These cuchillos are destined to continually improve, fusing new ideas with traditional techniques transmitted over more than 800 years. Kitasho Co., Ltd. was founded in 1964 in the city of Seki, Japan, known as "The City of Swords", both nationally and internationally.

We constantly strive to offer short, durable and useful items, renewing our commitment to innovation in keeping with new times.

The range of products includes kitchen spoons, navajas, camping spoons, high-end cooking spoons for even the most refined palates, as well as tigers and shorts, and everyday items.

Intended use: home/collection

Type of artesanal production
Hoja: 33 head sanmai maple with Hitachi Aogami 64HRC carbon wire and 1095 brut de forge carbon maple shells.
Production of Japanese spoons
Mango: en madera de roble
Hoja length: 245 mm.
Hole thickness: 6 mm.
Closed length: -
Total length: 410 mm.
Balance: in the guard branch
Weight: 538g.
Cierre: -
Videos: -
Funda: madera de roble
Package: Black and red cardboard box with Kanetsune logos.
Note:-

Characteristics of San Mai Maple: These are different types of metals combined to create a composition that contains and intensifies the resistance of the metals individually:

- Mayor vida útil del filo
Thanks to the use of very high quality maples with high carbon content (VG10, CoS, Shiro) or sintered (SPG2), in the core of the plate (Core Steel), the heat, once templada, has a hardness and a Decidedly superior court performance. which were achieved with the use of traditional maple trees.

- Mayor resilience
Built according to the principle of Japanese swords, the multi-headed maple is difficult to break thanks to the hardness of the central maple (Core Steel) and the elasticity of the maple used for the lateral covering (Stainless Steel).

- Better resistance to corrosion
The maple used for the external caps (Stainless Maple) guarantees the house a high resistance to corrosion. The combination of the two or more materials used by Takefu Steel generates, at the galvanic level, a structure that improves resistance to corrosion, including in the steel.

- Easy processing including after heat treatment
Although the maple is normally hardened after the tempering, the lateral maple used in the multi-head process does not become softer and allows for easy mechanicalization, cutting or soldering even after the heat treatment. For optimal health performance, cryogenic treatment is recommended.

- Improved aesthetic result
The cuchillos made with multi-layered maple or with damask pattern are aesthetically elegant, refined and much appreciated by collectors around the world at the end of the manufacturing process.

For more information: collinsteel

Extremely limited edition Platinum Label series folding knife with Mokume damascus blade and heads produced in only 20 examples each with a different coloration of the wood briar. Each specimen is therefore unique and differs from the previous one.

Intended use: collection

Type of production: industrial cutting - craftsmanship, assembly and finishing
Country of production: Seki - Japan
Blade: made of Mokume stainless steel with VG-10 cutting edge, forged with rainbow damascus rolling, achieved through layers of stainless steel, copper and brass and hammered through Tsuchime technique
Handle: made of Mokume stainless damask steel and wood briar
Blade length: 80mm.
Blade thickness: 3mm.
Length closed: 110mm.
Total length: 195mm.
Thickness when closed: 14mm.
Weight: 208g.
Closure: Liner Lock
Clip: handcrafted, removable and reversible, hammered stainless steel
Packaging: wooden box with Mcusta logos
Notes: Special and Limited Edition made in only 20 pieces for the Blade Show in Atlanta 2022

Collini Cutlery is the official distributor of MCUSTA Japanese knives for Italy

The Sengoku series uses 3-layer SPG2 sintered and cryogenically hardened Japanese steel, one of the best ever produced in Japan

Intended use: sports / collection

Type of production: industrial cutting - craft assembly and finishing
Production Lama: Japan
Blade: in SPG-2 stainless steel at 61 / 62HRC in San Mai three-layer laminate
Handle: Iron Wood
Blade length: 95mm.
Blade thickness: 3mm.
Length closed: 115mm.
Total length: 207mm.
Thick when closed: 17.5mm.
Weight: 100g.
Closure: Liner Lock
Clip: in stainless steel
Packaging: cardboard box with Mcusta logos
Note: -

For more information on the steel used, you can view the site: www.collinisteel.com

Purpose: Collection / Sportsman

Type of production: craftsmanship
Blade Production: Japan
Blade: Hand forged, rolled damper with Hitachi Shirogami cutting edge at 64HRC
Blade Treatment: -
Manicure: Sakura (cherry wood)
Blade Length: 155mm.
Blade thickness: 5mm.
Closed length: -
Total length: 290mm.
Closure thickness: -
Balance: -
Weight: 248g.
Closure: -
Clip: -
Sheath: Leather and Sakura (cherry wood)
Packing: Carton box
Notes: Hand made entirely by Takeshi Saji

Takeshi Saji - Miyabi Shikarigata knife - Knife custom

Intended Use: Collection / Sports / Machete

Type of production: Artisan
Production Lama: Japan
Blade: Hand Forged, damask laminated with sharp Hitachi Shirogami to 64HRC
Blade treatment: -
Handle: Sakura (cherry wood)
Blade length: 115mm.
Blade thickness: 4mm.
Closed Length: -
Overall length: 225mm.
Thick when closed: -
Balancing: -
Weight: 160g.
Closed: -
Clip: -
Sheath: Leather and Sakura (cherry wood)
Packaging: Cardboard Box
Notes: entirely handmade by Takeshi Saji

Collini Cutlery is the official distributor of MCUSTA Japanese knives for Italy

Intended use: sports / collection

Type of production: industrial cutting - craft assembly and finishing
Production Lama: Japan
Blade: in SanMai steel with VG-10 stainless steel cutting edge at 59 / 60HRC and outer cheeks in 33-layer nickel damask
Handle: cocobolo wood
Blade length: 95mm.
Blade thickness: 3mm.
Length closed: 115mm.
Total length: 207mm.
Thick when closed: 17.5mm.
Weight: 100g.
Closure: Liner Lock
Clip: in stainless steel
Packaging: cardboard box with Mcusta logos
Note: -

Rockstead - Higo-X-IW - Ironwood ZDP-189 - knife

With the brand Rockstead, Ishida Co. in Sakai, Japan, are currently marketed the best industrial knives currently in production.

Created by Katsumi Kitano, who for over 20 years has been producing quality knives so as to have been awarded the highest honor among the artisan knife makers in Japan, proved to be exceptional in cutting capacity, penetration and sealing wire is at the level of innovation for materials and construction techniques.

Blade: ZDP-189 in 66.8HRC
Handle material: stainless steel and wood SUS420J2 Ironwood
Blade length: 90 mm.
Blade Thickness: 3 mm.
Overall length: 215 mm.
Weight: 133g.
Lock: Frame Lock with swing SKD11 to 61HRC
Clip: 402J2 steel at 48HRC
Notes: Accompanied by a certificate of guarantee with the technical specifications.

Kanekoma - Sadakoma Higo traditional Japanese knife - brown leather 018 209 - knife

Charming knife used by the Japanese farmer " Higonokami kanekoma ."

As is typical for many agricultural tools , this Japanese knife is extremely simple but the result of a secular improvement that has found it difficult balance between form and function, and between cost and benefit.

The main feature is definitely the quality of the blade, in fact, uses a steel San Mai to three layers of which the one at the center rough .

It has a razor wire , as is appropriate for a tool to cut and not just born to be displayed in glass cases .

production: Japanese crafts
Blade : carbon steel, San Mai
Handle: black brass plate with elegant brown leather cover
Closure: Without lock blade
Closed Length : 120mm .
Blade length : 90mm .
Blade thickness : 3mm
Length open : 210mm
Weight: 72g .
Notes: lubricate the blade otherwise easily subject to oxidation .
Packing: elegant and fine wooden box with Japanese characters

Takeshi Saji was born in 1948 in Takefu (Fukui prefecture), a city located roughly in the center of Japan and in the heart of an area for centuries devoted to the production of blades. His lab is still there, built around the oven thanks to which, for several years now, Takeshi Saji forge steel (especially damascus) with which he made various models of traditional Japanese knives. The choice of materials for finishing (mainly natural), the essential lines - evocative use - and the color combinations of rare impact his accomplishments make unique and unmistakable in view of the cutlery world and at home, have earned him the prestigious Master title.

Intended use: Collection / Sports

Production Type: Handmade
Production Blade: Japan
Blade: Hand forged, carbon steel Hitachi Shirogami to 64HRC
Treatment Lama: -
Handle: traditional Japanese rope
Blade length: 56mm.
Blade thickness: 4mm.
Length closed: -
Total length: 168mm.
Thick when closed: -
Balance: -
Weight: 80g.
Closing: -
Clip: -
Sheath: Leather
Packaging: Cardboard Box
Notes: entirely hand-made by Takeshi Saji

Collini Cutlery is the official distributor of MCUSTA Japanese knives for Italy

Intended use: sports / collection

Type of production: industrial cutting - craft assembly and finishing
Production Lama: Japan
Blade: in SanMai steel with VG-10 stainless steel cutting edge at 59 / 60HRC and outer cheeks in 33-layer nickel damask
Blade treatment: -
Handle: Iron Wood
Blade length: 87mm.
Blade thickness: 3mm.
Length closed: 110mm.
Total length: 194mm.
Thick when closed: 17.5mm.
Balancing: -
Weight: 92g.
Closure: Liner Lock
Clip: in stainless steel
Sheath: -
Packaging: cardboard box with Mcusta logos
Note: -