Product detail
Premium manufacturers are aware of their long-standing position and go even further. From time to time they decide to please collectors with a special product in a strictly limited edition. But it is not just the limited availability that makes the product exceptional. Above all, they are the best materials and the famous Japanese craftsmanship with an unprecedented sense of even the smallest detail. The price does not play an important role and will only surprise a person who has not yet been familiar with the commodity.
Basically anyone has the right to produce a limited series. But only those from producers who have already achieved something have been "condemned" to success. It is difficult to imagine anyone more suitable than Marusho Industry Inc., a manufacturer of značiek Mcusta a Zanmai. Last year, he presented the first edition of SUZAKU from a multi-part astrological cycle. As they were Zanmai kitchen knives, Mcusta pocket knives got the opportunity this year.
SHINWA is the name of the cycle under which the manufacturer plans to produce editions of special knives. None of them will exceed 100pcs worldwide. Even the manufacturer does not know how many editions will be created in total. Not only good will is enough to make such gems, but above all the availability of exceptionally skilled craftsmen. We have witnessed several times the retirement of an experienced craftsman and thus the cessation of production of a particular type of knife. No one else could substitute him.
SHINWA represents Japanese mythology. It is based on Shintoism, which is characterized by the worship of many Kami deities. The individual stories are captured in the works of Kojiki /Ancient Essences/ and Nihonshoki /Chronicle of Japan/. One of them is the story of YATAGARASU.
When presenting the product itself, this time we chose the opposite procedure. We start with the packaging and keep the most important thing at the end. So welcome to today's popular "unboxing".
The "nest" of the mythical crow undoubtedly deserves our attention. It is a trendy box /Kiribako/ made of paulownia wood. There are 3 colors on the sliding lid. Black kanji characters represent the name of the product, gold is the engraved MCUSTA brand and there is a red stamp Rakuin. Just below the age, you will come across a quality certificate with a description of the legend presented by the company's president Tomohiro Hasegawa. It should be noted that the entire packaging is designed in the same way as in the case of Japanese swords. So in the wooden "formwork" we find Nishijin. It is a woven fabric in which the knife is carefully wrapped. Its floral decor is not printed, but woven with multicolored threads. This challenging method has been practiced in Japan for more than 1,200 years. In addition to the knife itself, you will find something else in the box. It is an inconspicuous yellow sticker. It is used to glue the sliding lid with the box itself. In Japan, this means that its content is intended solely for its owner, as it is a very personal matter. It is an exaggeration to compare this to the hotel's "Don't disturb".
Release the button on the red string /red is a symbol of happiness and well-being/ and unpack Nishijin. The first thing we register is an unusually heavy weight for a Japanese knife. 143g is a good 40g more than standard MCUSTA knives. Too bad the missing 1 gram. The symbolism would be perfect. But of course the weight has its justification.
It is unnecessary to talk about the line lock, Teflon inserts and the acoustic signature of the end positions of the blade. After all, we have the honor of the MCUSTA brand.
3 elements corresponding to the three legs of the mythical bird YATAGARASU can be easily found on your knife. The heavens are represented by the sky and the clouds, the earth by the mountains and the wood, and humanity by the emperor. But do not look for him on a knife. After all, you and 99 other lucky people are him.
© 2020 Copyright Roman Ulík, Nippon Knives, www.japonskenoze.sk,all rights reserved.
Photos and texts are protected by copyright and cannot be used without the author's consent.
About producer
![Mcusta](/vendors/phpThumb/phpThumb.php?w=150&h=63&sia=mcusta-seki-japan.jpg&src=/uploads/55/producers/mcusta-seki-japan.jpg&far=1)
The manufacturer of iconic MCUSTA knives is Marusho Industry Inc. from Seki City in Gifu Province. Any connoisseur of Japanese knives knows that this is a prominent area with more than 700 years of tradition. The Hasegawa family clan has been producing the most sophisticated pocket knives you can find here for three generations.
Marusho Industry Inc. has a rarely seen production background in this industry. Since we are lucky, or rather honored, to be a family friend of the Hasegawas, we did not miss the opportunity to tour their factory. We start with the design and construction section, where experienced programmers prepare algorithms for modern CNC machines. The most elegant materials that you can only imagine in a cutlery shop are casually resting in the entrance warehouse. VG-10 steel sheets from nearby Takefu, 33-layer damascene sheets, aluminum alloys, rare woods and high-quality micarta. Laser cutters and CNC mills work in the machining section. However, the most interesting thing for us is the finalization of the knives and their subsequent sharpening. Here, on the contrary, everything is done manually. Even the president of the company, Tomohiro Hasegawa, sits down at the rotating grindstone and skillfully shapes the razor blade. This is followed by a final inspection, where each knife is carefully examined and travels to the dispatch warehouse. The whole world is supplied from there. Today, you will hardly find a brand that is still produced in its country of origin. MCUSTA is among those that have retained this privilege.
©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.