Genbu

Despite centuries of isolation, Japan was influenced by nearby China. From there flowed not only knowledge from the field of agriculture and crafts, but also religious and philosophical teachings. Thus, Japanese Shintoism was gradually enriched by Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Chinese astrologers divided the ecliptic into 28 palaces and those into four groups. Each of the groups belongs to one of the cardinal sides and has its own animal god, element, color and season. This approach was adopted by Japan sometime during the Asuka period (538-710). And this is what became the inspiration not only for teaching Feng Shui, but also for the creation of an extraordinary series called Constellation.

The time intervals between individual editions are considerable, and therefore we consider it is good that we have recalled the main motif of this work. After the arrival of the Vermilion bird from the south (Suzaku), the White tiger from the west (Byakko), the Blue dragon from the east (Seiryu), it is time to welcome the Black turtle (Genbu) that arrived from the north. As it is our custom, we will first describe the heavenly guardian of the north. He is associated with the color black and chose water from the elements. It symbolizes life, purification and rebirth. It represents winter season which bring longevity, happiness and wisdom. He is also referred to as a dark warrior abounding in strength and courage. It is most often depicted as a turtle with a snake wrapped around its shell, which symbolizes the flow of water. The turtle itself is of the male yang principle, while the snake is of the female yin principle. Perfect harmony. After the unprecedented creations of the previous editions, it is hard to imagine what else can be created in the case of kitchen knives. So let's see how Genbu was portrayed by the masters from Marusho Industry.

At first glance, our fears were unfounded. Perhaps our imagination is limited, but what landed on our table exceeds all its limits. The blade manufacturing technique is truly unique. Structurally, it is a traditional San Mai, i.e. a three-layer composition with a hard core and softer outer layers. But the core itself is coreless. It is made by interlaying of two top steels VG2 and VG10 from the masters of Takefu Special Steel. The outer layers of SUS410 anti-corrosion steel in the 3D form of a turtle shell end approximately in the middle of the blade's width. Further towards the blade, the coreless composition continues, creating a beautiful damascen pattern. Imaginative, perfect! Well, not quite in the eyes of the creators themselves. Therefore, they chose PVD technology for surface treatment. This is vacuum vapor deposition. The solid material turns into a gas in a vacuum through physical processes and is applied as a super fine and solid layer to the desired object, in our case a blade. The result is not only a dark color /Black turtle/, but above all a firm, hard and wear-resistant surface with low friction. The blade is of the Hamaguri type, of course. Such a perfect blade must not be missing the appropriate marking. This is in white and informs about the manufacturer, blade type, name and serial number of this limited edition. In the same way, Genbu is depicted on the blade.

The silver-nickel alloy ferrule flows into an impressive twelve-sided green acrylic resin handle. The diagonal edges represent the snake wrapping around the turtle. On the sides we find decorative applications. The tip, made of the same material as the ferrule, has the shape of a pyramid with two smaller decorative applications. Knives are stored in green beds. This color, as well as the color of the handles, is a reference to the green fat cells of the real Black Turtle. The cassette is identical to the previous editions. A total of 50 sets were produced. It is the penultimate edition of the Constellation series.

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