Fleur de Lys Nickel San-Mai Nakiri-3 128mm (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: 128mm

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 forms the working edge. Valued for its toughness, fine edge potential, and approachable sharpening characteristics, it is a performance-focused carbon steel chosen for a knife intended to work hard in the kitchen while still delivering a refined cutting feel.

Surrounding that core, 410 stainless steel forms the outer cladding, reducing the amount of reactive carbon steel exposed across the blade face. Between the core and cladding, pure nickel creates a bright visual transition that clearly reveals the handmade San-Mai construction and gives each blade its own distinctive character.

The result brings together the best qualities of both materials: the responsive cutting performance and personality of a carbon steel edge with the added practicality of stainless cladding.

Every blade is individually forge-welded, shaped, ground, heat treated, polished, and finished by hand in Québec. Slight differences in the cladding line, nickel transition, grind, texture, and overall appearance are part of the process. These are not knives built around perfect repetition—each one carries visible evidence of the hands that made it.

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

This particular piece is Model No. 3, a one-of-a-kind 120mm Nakiri.

At 128mm, this Nakiri remains firmly in the compact category while offering just enough extra blade length to make it surprisingly capable for everyday prep. Its short, rectangular profile feels quick and precise on the cutting board, while its blade height provides comfortable knuckle clearance and excellent control.

The relatively flat cutting edge is naturally suited to push cutting and chopping, allowing the blade to make clean, consistent contact with the board. Vegetables, herbs, fruit, garlic, shallots, garnishes, and smaller ingredients are where this compact profile really shines.

The 120mm length gives Model No. 3 an interesting balance between a traditional Nakiri and a compact utility knife. It is small enough to feel extremely agile and easy to maneuver, yet substantial enough to take on a meaningful amount of daily kitchen prep.

For cooks who prefer smaller knives, work on compact cutting boards, or simply appreciate having maximum control over the blade, this unusual format offers a particularly enjoyable alternative to a full-size vegetable knife.

Its compact dimensions also put the handmade nickel San-Mai transition on full display, with the contrast between the 80CrV2 core and 410 stainless cladding becoming an important part of the knife’s visual identity.

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 naturally react to moisture, acidity, and use, gradually developing a patina unique to its owner. The stainless cladding makes maintenance more forgiving across most of the blade face, but the exposed 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!