220mm Kamagata Usuba- Why so long?

[Bert2368]

I have mainly seen these knives offered in 150 to 180mm length.

From reading about J knives and what little experience I've had with the usuba, the curved down tip is used for intricate cuts, making garnishes & etc. On a longer blade such as this 220mm example I have been looking at, wouldn't precise control of the tip suffer? If so, what is the particular utility of such a long blade in this style?

(I bought one very cheap blue steel edged 150mm kamagata usuba a while back, mainly learned how to deal with a NOT STRAIGHT bacon rippled edge on a single bevel blade from that experiment. Lots of sandpaper and sweat, now I can turn a cylinder of vege into a sheet, on a good day... My least used knife.)

#2 Blue Steel Kamagata Usuba- Worth it?

 

[ojisan]

My understanding is that 210mm is popular and some even prefer 225mm. They use the heel side for katsuramuki, and the tip side for cutting stuff on the board (uchimono). They say longer is better for katsuramuki and some weight is good for uchimono.
For delicate work, they often use a yanagi or a petty. There are also special tools called "Mukimono Set" for garnishes, so although the pointed tip is still handy, it's not so important.

This guy explains how to use a Usuba (in Japanese, but he also uses some gestures)

I myself have been looking for a 210mm usuba, but it's pretty hard to find one here. I guess Usubas are not so popular in the US and shorter ones are mainly for home users?

By the way, the one in the picture is 210m or 225mm. There are only 3cm/1.5cm * X length for traditional Japanese knives in general. 3cm comes from "sun", which is a traditional Japanese unit.

 

[Bert2368]

Thanks, ojisan! Check your PMs-