These beautiful knives are made by Master Blacksmith Kamo-san from Takefu Village in Japan. It's rare to find blacksmiths who excel with both grinding and forging but Kamo-san is one of them. He works with a very small crew of just two other workmen. While many shops farm their blades out to various workmen for the different stages of manufacture, Kamo-san keeps these operations in house and under his personal supervision.
Constructed from White #2 carbon steel, the knife is then clad with reactive Damascus steel for a beautiful looking blade that will gain character as patina forms on the blade with use. The face etching is very well realized and reveals a lovely pattern from the cladding layers. This is a light blade but one that feels strong in the hand. Edge sharpness out of the box is excellent, as are the overall fit and finish.
The blade shape is tall and gives you knuckle clearance so you can use it on a cutting board instead of in hand. It will excel with push and pull cutting and mincing things like garlic. We are now supplying these knives with a beautiful sandalwood D-shaped handle with a black pakkawood ferrule. This is a really fun knife and one that will surprise you with its ability to perform many tasks around the kitchen. It’s also a great and inexpensive way to experience White #2 steel.
Blacksmith: Shiro Kamo
Location: Echizen, Japan
Factory: Takefu Village
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Cladding: Damascus
Edge Steel: White Paper #2 Steel
HRC: 61
Edge Grind: Even (See Choil Shot)
Handle: D Shape Sandalwood
Weight: 2.4 oz (68 g)
Edge Length: 130 mm
Total Length: 257 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 2.2 mm
Height: 42.8 mm
Engraving: Hand Engraved