Kujira

"Maestro, please make me a knife that my little son can use to sharpen his pencils at school without getting hurt by the sharp point." That was supposedly the plea of a mother to a blacksmith in Tosa. And here we have the birth of the cute little knife Kujira – a whale. This story is very popular, but we cannot guarantee its veracity. Other sources state that the southern part of the island of Shikoku (former Tosa province) is famous for whale watching, which is why such a knife began to be made there. Whichever alternative is true, the fact is that it is a practical and, moreover, nice tool for both young and old. 

This cheerful knife is deceptive in its appearance. Is it a children's toy or a serious knife? Definitely the latter. The Japanese call it Kogatana – a multifunctional knife. It opens an envelope or cardboard, cuts paper, sharpens a pencil, helps in the garden, and all with a smile from its owner. At the same time, it is a good opportunity to teach your child the first steps with a real knife. Of course, under your careful supervision. The fact that this is a real Japanese knife is evidenced by its three-layer San Mai construction and a core of SK5 carbon steel from the Akiyama Seiko steelworks. Thanks to the good hardenability provided by manganese, it reaches a hardness of up to 65 HRC. The steel is also alloyed with copper, which reduces the tendency to oxidize, but the low chromium content does not make it anti-corrosion. Therefore, the knife must be kept dry and the blade treated with oil. 

It is not good to believe everything you read on the websites of various sellers. Of course, the knife is not hand-forged by masters from Tosa. It is a stamped knife in the Kurouchi design, but hand-ground and sharpened. The reference to Tosa /today's Kochi Prefecture/ can be found in the form of an inscription above the waves of the ocean. 

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