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Hand-forged blades will always play an important role in the knife segment. We dare to predict that their exclusivity will have a bullish tendency. Not that the minted high-end pieces from famous manufacturers could not match them, but the embodiment of the soul of the author in his handwork has an unrepeatable charm. In addition, it literally applies here that every piece is an original. And who wouldn't want to own an original?
The great masters are slowly leaving and not everyone has a successor. From the discovery of a new blacksmith to the acquisition of his products, a fairly long time will pass. And that's only if you're lucky and convince the master that you're worthy of his trust. That's why we got into the car more than a year ago and drove through the island of Shikoku. The below offer is proof that our efforts were not in vain.
Maeda-san was a sought-after blacksmith who supplied the local peasants with the necessary tools. He excelled above all in hand scythes, which had a one-sided edge. Since he did not have a son but a daughter, only his grandson took over the succession. Due to the mechanization of agriculture, the demand for hand tools decreased. That's why Kitaoka-san started making knives. You can see for yourself that it is successful.
Like many others, Kitaoka san likes to work with "blue" steel, specifically Aogami 2. This traditional material has so many distinctly positive qualities that the need to oil the blade is a real trifle. On the core with a hardness of 63 HRC, the craftsman forges a layer of softer iron. The result is a typical Wa Bocho with a San Mai construction. The blade is in the Kurouchi version, which gives the knife the desired patina. The kanji of Aogami 2 is dark because it was stamped before hardening. Conversely, the Maeda Forge markings have been stamped onto the final blade so they are bright silver.
One of the differences between hand-forged and stamped blades is their edges. If for the latter the value of the angle in the range of 15-20° is mostly valid, the masters will treat their forged blades to a more robust edge. The main reason is its durability. Such a blade really doesn't need to be sharpened for a long time, and that's what it's all about in normal practice. It should also be added that the razor blade type would look quite comical on such knives. Finally, each blade can be resharpened according to the user's preferences. But this is how you get an original symmetrical Hamaguri cut with a master's handwriting.
The handles were installed by craftsmen from Hokiyama Cutlery. And not just any. The oval handle made of exotic rosewood flows beautifully smoothly into the ferrule made of stabilized pakkawood. The whole looks very authentic, and it actually is. If you're looking for a piece of genuine Japan, you're just a stone's throw away.
©2023 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.
About producer
Tosa is the ancient name of today's Kochi Prefecture, which is located in the southern part of the island of Shikoku. The north of the prefecture is made up of inhospitable mountains, which towards the south pass into a fertile plain filled with countless rice fields. They are protected from possible tsunami waves by barriers built on the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Connoisseurs of Japanese blacksmithing will not call this area anything other than Tosa.
For more than 800 years, the interlaced steel made famous by samurai swords has been forged in Tosa. It can be said that this area has become a kind of "open-air museum" of traditional blacksmithing. You will find small workshops scattered here, in which individual family generations create gems that are incomprehensible to us. It is almost a rule that father and son work in the workshop to ensure the continuity of the tradition. All kinds of blades are made here, from agricultural tools to rare knives, but in a diametrically different way than in the Seki, Sakai, or Tsubame/Sanjo areas. Knives intended for decoration were never produced here, but durable work tools. That is why knives from Tosa are sought after by connoisseurs all over the world.
Since 1919, the Hokiyama Cutlery company has been among the pioneers in improving the traditional production of kitchen knives. In accordance with the motto "the good must be preserved and, if possible, also improved", Shinsuke Hokiyama created 3 lines in his company: traditional, practical and innovative.
The traditional line /Tosa-Ichi/ consists of hand-forged blades from such masters as Takeo Murata. It is a layered steel, the core of which is high-carbon shirogami or aogami type steel. Hitachi Blue Super is used for the best pieces. The blades are most often in the unpolished form of kurouchi. Knives require care, as this material is not anti-corrosive. The practical line /Sakon/ is a symbiosis of traditional production procedures with modern materials and design. In addition to high-carbon steel, very hard powder tool steel and damascene steel are also used. Emphasis is placed on precisely processed and ergonomically tuned handles. The innovative line /Mugen/ is the pride of Hokiyama Cutlery. It adopts advances from other fields into the production of its knives. These are mainly self-sharpening knives SAKON+ with the patented Vee-Tech technology taken from the aviation and space industry.
Friendly relations with the owner of Hokiyama Cutlery, Mr. Shinsuke Hokiyama, enabled us to gradually bring you the most interesting knives from the legendary Tosa region.
©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.
