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Money Clip Knife Reveal From Seki-City Maker You Didn’t Know You Knew

June 22, 2016

You might not be familiar with the name G. Sakai, but there’s a decent chance you already own one of their knives. This Seki-City, Japan knife maker has done OEM work for several companies, most notably Spyderco. The C01 Worker, the very first Spyderco folding knife model, was assembled by G. Sakai. In return, the Golden, CO maker distributed Sakai knives in the US throughout the 90s. The relationship between the two companies continues to this day, although Sakai wouldn’t specify which models in Spyderco’s current lineup they are producing.

G. Sakai manufactures a wide variety of its own designs as well. The newest model is the Ukimon, a small, money clip-style knife with a twist: the show side scale of each Ukimon knife features a recreation of famous ukiyo-e artistic prints. These images are done using a unique process involving raised printing and UV radiation. A technique similar to screen printing is used to color the images. The result is finely textured renditions of famous Japanese works of art. The Ukimon is a tribute to Japanese craftsmen, by traditional craftsmen.

G. Sakai Ukimon Money Clip Knives

Seki-City is the heart of the Japanese cutlery industry. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), a group of swordsmiths fled the capital in a time of unrest and settled in Seki. Fortunately, the area was blessed with rich soil, sand, charcoal, and readily-available water, all the ingredients needed for bladecraft to flourish. That tradition has carried into the modern age, with Seki-City producing some of the most popular cutlery and steel in the industry. “The essence of our predecessors’ skill and spirit is condensed in this simple phrase: ‘Tough and sharp and dependable,’” Sadaharu Sakai tells us.

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As with any modern knife company, newer machines have made their way into the G. Sakai factory. This allows for large scale and consistent production of models. But every knife that leaves the shop receives some degree of hand-tuning or hand-finishing. In the case of the Ukimon knives that means hand fitting the tiny framelock. “The harmony of traditional craftsman skills and advanced technology make G. Sakai knives,” Sakai says.

Coming Soon: Ukimon Damascus

If you want to add some Japanese charm to your collection but have grown attached to your wallet, the Ukimon’s money clip doubles as a pocket clip. There are four different Ukimon knives available now, each with a different Ukiyo-e print on the show side. Current models are all in VG-10 steel, but G. Sakai has plans for Damascus steel models later this year.

Knife featured in image: G. Sakai Ukimon

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