In my earlier life, before I became a big-time auto journalist, I was trained as a chef. As such, I appreciate a good blade. So, apparently, do the fine people at Nismo — Nissan’s high performance skunkworks division — if this story out of Yokohama is anything to go by. It seems like Nismo’s newest release isn’t a hopped-up version of the GT-R or an eye-wateringly quick race car, but the Z NISMO Precision Sushi Knife inspired by the new Nismo Z.
Nissan Design America, in association with Chef Hiroyuki Terada, just dropped a beautiful, limited-edition sushi knife that, according to Nissan, pays homage to the Z’s qualities of precision, performance, and expertise. These qualities are, coincidentally, embodied by the knife-maker that NDA chose to make its new hi-po blades: Satoshi Kiryu of Japan’s Kiryu Kogyo.
The kiritsuke-style knife has an 8.75-inch, double-bevel, laser-cut blade and a wooden handle with a bright red stripe inlaid in it, a reference to the NISMO Z’s red details. Limited to 240 units, a nod to the legendary 240Z, each blade has its number, the Z logo, Chef Hiro’s name, and the Kiryu insignia engraved on it.
That’s Nismo Steel!
Kiryu, the bladeworks responsible for the Z Nismo Precision Sushi Knife, was founded in 1927 by Satoshi Kiryu’s grandfather. Satoshi-sama himself, Kiryu’s principal knifemaker and a dyed-in-the-wool Nissan fan, has worked for the company for 48 years now.
“When I was a kid, the Fairlady Z was my favorite car, especially the 240Z. It was such a cool-looking car,” he said. “Today, we have a new Z that reminds me of the first Z’s design. When Nissan approached me for this project, I was so happy. I was constantly thinking of the side view of the Z when I was making the knife.”
For his part, Chef Hiro — a Miami-based sushi chef with a massive YouTube following — is also a big Nissan guy and was pretty stoked to be involved with the project.
“A chef is only as good as their knife,” Chef Hiro said. “A handcrafted kiritsuke-style knife like this one allows us to elevate our craft to the highest level possible. Whether you’re a professional chef or a passionate home cook, you’ll immediately feel the quality in your hand.”
The Z Nismo Precision Sushi Knife would have set you back around $300 Yankee Dollars, had you acted fast enough. Sadly, according to the NISMO Parts website, all 240 examples have already sold out.
