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We are honored to present another series of Tosaichi knives from Hokiyama Cutlery. The Tosaichi group includes knives made from traditional high-quality materials, i.e. carbon steels. In professional circles, because that is where these knives undoubtedly belong, they are also called Yasuki, according to the location of their manufacturer.
Tosaichi Hakusui knives are primarily intended for professionals, or users who have experience with such materials. The core consists of the "white" steel Shirogami 1. It is the most advanced of the entire "white" family. It is the hardest and holds the blade perfectly. But even a good student is sometimes a devil. In this case, it is a tendency towards fragility. However, if used correctly, it will hardly find competition. This is also confirmed by the very name Hakusui, which in translation expresses a simile: elegant as amber.
The three-layer material itself, composed of SUS405 – Shirogami 1 – SUS405, is supplied by a specialist for composite steels with a Yasuki core. It is the Sanyoriki steel plant. The blade is not punched out, but hot rolled , which is a specialty of the Hokiyama Cutlery company. This manufacturer, as one of the few, is able to carry out all production steps in-house. That's why his knives are very authentic.
The San Mai blade has a sandblasted Shinogi and an embossed name in kanji characters. The symmetrical blade reaches steep angles, so typical for this manufacturer. This is made possible by the materials used and the experience of working with them. The half tang construction passes through a genuine buffalo horn into an octagonal Japanese magnolia handle. Knives are pleasantly light, warm to the touch and exemplary ergonomics. They represent a typical Japanese professional knife not only in material composition but also in construction.
©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.
