Fleur de Lys Nickel San-Mai Nakiri-2 118mm (Blade Only)

SPECIFICATIONS

Knife Style: Nakiri
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Blade Material: 80crv2
Blade Finish: 410 Stainless with Nickel San-Mai
Blade Hardness: 62HRC (+/-1)
Bevel: Double
Handle: None ➛ Choose yours
Blade Length: 118mm

Forged in Québec. Built by hand. Made only once.

The Fleur de Lys Collection is a celebration of Québec bladesmithing at its most hands-on—a collaboration between Kakushin, Noah Vachon, and Jérémie Yelle created for cooks and collectors who appreciate Japanese-inspired geometry, purposeful performance, and the character that can only come from a truly handmade knife.

This version of Fleur de Lys is built around a striking San-Mai construction, combining an 80CrV2 high-carbon steel core with outer layers of 410 stainless steel, separated by pure nickel.

At the center of the blade, 80CrV2 provides the working edge. Known among bladesmiths for its toughness, fine edge potential, and dependable sharpening characteristics, it is a performance-driven carbon steel well suited to a kitchen knife designed to be used—not simply displayed.

Surrounding that core, 410 stainless steel forms the outer cladding, helping reduce the amount of reactive carbon steel exposed across the blade face. Between the core and cladding, nickel creates a bright, defined transition that emphasizes the handmade San-Mai construction and gives each blade a distinctive visual identity.

The result is a knife that balances two different worlds: the performance and character of a carbon steel cutting edge with the practicality and contrast of stainless cladding.

Every blade is individually forge-welded, shaped, ground, heat treated, polished, and finished by hand in Québec. Slight variations in the cladding line, nickel transition, grind, texture, and overall appearance are part of the process. These are not flaws to be eliminated—they are the fingerprints of a blade that was made individually rather than produced to look identical to the one beside it.

Inspired by traditional Japanese kitchen knives, Fleur de Lys combines thin cutting geometry, carefully shaped profiles, refined tapers, and precise edge performance with a distinctly Québec approach to bladesmithing.

This particular piece is Model No. 2, a one-of-a-kind 118mm Nakiri.

At 118mm, this Nakiri is an unusually compact take on the traditional Japanese vegetable knife. Its short rectangular profile keeps the blade quick, nimble, and extremely easy to control, making it especially well suited to smaller prep work where a full-size knife can feel excessive.

The relatively flat edge promotes clean board contact for push cutting and chopping, while the blade height still offers useful knuckle clearance and confident control. Garlic, shallots, herbs, fruit, garnishes, and smaller vegetables are exactly the kind of tasks where this compact format feels most natural.

Compared with a traditional Nakiri, the 118mm length gives Model No. 2 a much more agile and almost utility-like personality. It moves easily through tight spaces, feels precise during repetitive cuts, and is an excellent choice for cooks who naturally gravitate toward smaller knives.

Its compact blade face also makes the nickel San-Mai transition especially noticeable, highlighting the contrast between the 80CrV2 carbon core and 410 stainless cladding and giving the knife a visual identity all its own.

This knife is offered blade-only, leaving the final character of the piece in the hands of its future owner. Choose a handle from Kakushin’s available inventory and the knife will be professionally assembled, balanced, sharpened, and finished in our workshop.

Because the exposed 80CrV2 cutting edge remains carbon steel, it will react naturally to moisture, acidity, and use, gradually developing a patina over time. The stainless cladding makes maintenance more forgiving across most of the blade face, but the edge should still be kept clean and dry after use.

Fleur de Lys is about the work hidden inside the finished blade—the forge welding, shaping, grinding, heat treatment, and countless decisions made by hand along the way.

Kakushin can handle the blade-to-handle assembly for you at our shop. If you're new to the custom knife world and want to confirm the fit and sizing of a handle with a specific blade, feel free to reach out!