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Two years after arrival Suzaku - Firebird, the eagerly awaited Byakko - White Tiger has arrived in our region. He came exactly as only he knows how. He appeared quietly, unnoticed and dignified. With its impressiveness, it leaves us standing motionless in awe, just like a tiger its prey. Welcome to us Byakko!
We come to the second symbol of Chinese astrology. The white tiger in Japanese Byakko is the protector of the west and has usurped autumn from the seasons. According to fables, the tiger turns white if the emperor rules virtuously or if there is peace in the whole world. Based on this statement, it is clear that Naruhito is a virtuous emperor, because the second condition, unfortunately, is far from being fulfilled. Byakko also has another symbolism. It embodies the company's 55-year mastership of Marusho Industry Inc.
For those who are on our site for the first time, we inform you that, like Suzaku it is produced in strictly limited and numbered edition. Only 50 sets were produced for the whole world and it will remain that way. This is guaranteed by the company president Tomohiro Hasegawa himself.
Thematically, Byakko is of course a continuation of Suzaku. This is a well-thought-out Constellation project that combines functionality with collectible value. The individual editions have the same types of knives and the method of packaging, but they differ in the materials used, the type of handle and the external design.
The set consists of the following 4 knives: Petty, Santoku, Gyuto and Kiritsuke. While Suzaku flaunts fiery red, Byakko is stoically cool. White and silver shades predominate. The linings of the "sarcophagi" in which the knives rest are also white.
You found fire feathers on Suzaku's blades. Byakko grins his tiger teeth from them. It is the main theme of this edition. The 61-layer blade was forged by craftsmen so that the teeth formed the lower part of the blade. They then turn into a beautiful damascene drawing. The core consists of SPG-2 high-speed tool steel processed by powder metallurgy. It is a modern and very hard steel reaching 62° - 63°HRC. It comes from Takefu Special Steel Co. where it is also called Super Powder Gold due to its excellent properties. The hamaguri blade found its inspiration in famous Japanese swords. The right side of the blade bears the Mcusta Zanmai brand, the name of the steel and the kanji characters representing Byakko, but the exclusivity mainly comes from the gold inscription on the left side: Limited Edition Byakko and of course the number of the given set.
Typically for Zanmai, the precisely milled bolster made of nickel and silver alloy passes into a decagonal handle, which stands out for its ergonomics. Acrylic resin in the color of white marble is interwoven with black irregular lines. A small decorative application found its place in the middle. The same goes for the nickel-silver alloy tip. At its very end, a tiger's head is depicted.
The four-story paulownia wood case is also marked with a serial number and texts in Japanese kanji characters: Special limited series Byakko , produced by Marusho Industry Inc. In addition to knives, small accessories with a manufacturer's certificate and a small gift found a place in it.
Those who missed the first edition of Suzaku have a chance to join the 50 club right now. Just don't wait too long, this kind of opportunity doesn't come around often.
© 2021 Copyright Roman Ulík, Nippon Knives, www.japonskenoze.sk all rights reserved.
Photos and the texts are protected by copyright law and their use without the author's consent is not possible.
About producer
Marusho Industry Inc. - a company producing refined Mcusta pocket knives, luxurious Zanmai kitchen knives and iconic Silky scissors - located in the center of Japanese cutlery, in the city of Seki. The city gained this status already in the middle of the 13th century thanks to sand with a rich content of iron ore, high-quality peat and water sources. These were the reasons why the renowned sword maker Motoshige relocated to this area from the island of Kyushu. During the Muromachi period (1338-1573), more than 300 blacksmiths worked in Seki. Among the most famous were Kanemoto Magoroku and Saburo Shizu. Seki swords quickly gained a reputation throughout Japan.
The Marusho company was founded in 1964. Today, it is run by the founder's grandson and his family. It operates one of the most advanced knife factories not only in the city of Seki, but in all of Japan. Thanks to advanced technologies (laser cutters, CNC mills, 3D CAD/CAM projection), the company produces products refined to the smallest detail. The best example is Zanmai brand kitchen knives. But without manual finalization by experienced craftsmen, the products would be far from perfect.
Zanmai means Luxury in Japanese. However, the word is actually derived from the Sanskrit "Samadhi", which is the term for the process of meditation leading to consciousness. It is not known how deeply the Hasegawa clan devotes itself to meditation, but this matter is more than clear. Their knives are consciously polished to the highest luxury.
©2010-2018 Copyright Roman Ulík, Nippon Knives, www.japonskenoze.sk all rights reserved.
Photos and texts are protected by copyright law and their use without the author's consent is not possible.
