Sakon Murakumo

The name Murakumo comes from a well-known Japanese myth. The younger brother of the sun goddess Susanoo defeated the eight-headed dragon with the help of a trick and 8 barrels of sake. In his bowels he found the sacred sword Murakumo, which was later renamed  Kusanagi . Yes, exactly the Kusanagi that forms one of the insignia of the imperial court.

You must have a courage to call your knife Murakumo. But looking at producer origins, any doubts go away. The manufacturer is none other than Hokiyama Cutlery, one of the leaders in the important area of Tosa on Shikoku Island. 

You need 3 things to create a masterpiece. Determination, top materials and skilled craftsmen with many years of experience. Shinsuke Hokiyama has them all. The proof lies before you. 

The core of these exceptional knives is forged from SLD stainless steel. It is a higher level of development of the proven SKD-11. It is a die tool steel that is characterized by hardness, strength and tremendous abrasion resistance. Thanks to powder metallurgy, it excels in the fineness of its carbides. The magicians from Hitachi Metals mixed it from a good portion of carbon, which reaches 1.40 - 1.60%. It is balanced by 11-13% chromium content, so the steel does not require special care. Other important alloys such as vanadium, molybdenum, silicon and manganese also provide the required properties. As we have become accustomed to Japanese steel producers, unwanted sulfur and phosphorus make up less than 0.025%. The result is a blade with an uncompromising hardness in the range of 62 - 64 HRC. This noble material is produced at the well-known Yasugi Specialty Steel Center, so you may come across YSS SLD or Yasuki SLD. 

Damascene pattern  suminagashi is made of 36 layers of SUS-405 steel and nickel which are bonded from both sides to the core. This created a 73-layer, complex and aesthetically unforgettable blade that holds its symmetrical blade for a very long time. A welcome detail is the name, subtly embossed in kanji characters.  

You won't find any compromises on the rest of the knife. The half tang design is characteristic of Wa Bocho knives. A ferrule made of black stabilized   pakkawood flows smoothly into a dark brown roosewood handle. All in an octagon, of course. 

If you are a fan of small series, aesthetically pleasing knives, where tradition is complemented by advanced metallurgy, Sakon Murakumo should definitely be in your viewfinder.

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