New yanagiba, help identify?

Hey guys, just scored this but have no maker info. If anyone has the ability to help identify the maker id appreciate it.

Blade length : 32cm
Total: 48cm
Handle:magnolia and buffalo horn

To sweeten the deal it came with a little hunk of stone too!

Looks like 丸五 from Nagoya.

https://plus.google.com/115291436824870646964/about?gl=us&hl=en

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/exdoo788/24312515.html

Any way to tell the name of the smith that made it? Do you have a link to a site that may sell their product?

Hey Jeremy, you better not be planning to use that for anything else than cutting raw fish!

No help, but looks like a nice knife. How is the stone?

jklip13 said:

Hey Jeremy, you better not be planning to use that for anything else than cutting raw fish!

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Lol. It will see use on all varieties of boneless protein.

No idea how they are yet, just ordered yesterday.

I'd imagine you'd have to take it up with the dealer and see if you can weasel the info out of them. I'd roughly translate ⑤請合 as "produced for circle 5 (dealer)"

yeah kuromaku is right. You'll likely need to call 丸五庖丁店 to find the info. They look to be a store selling knives rather than a particular producer.

where do you order a knife that you don't know the maker of..?

Lots of Japanese knife shops sell knives made by a variety of makers and branded for them. Aritsugu for one. It's not unusual.

Adrian said:

Lots of Japanese knife shops sell knives made by a variety of makers and branded for them. Aritsugu for one. It's not unusual.

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Sure, Masamoto for another. I know that, what I'm saying is how did this fellow end up with the knife... if he went to that store and bought it for himself it's not much use to tell him that the knife came from the store... I'm assuming he didn't purchase it at the store, otherwise why wouldn't he ask the staff at the store who manufactures the knife... See where I am going with this? I'm guessing he bought it privately.

Is it known who forges all of JKIs knives. Just saying.

Jaspernowhere said:

Is it known who forges all of JKIs knives. Just saying.

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huh?

No offense intended Jon. I wasn't aware that the smith was known on all of the Gesshin lines. I was pointing out that stores rebrand knives regularly. BTW, I want that heiji chukabocho you have in stock...ah cooks wages.

no offense taken... i just didnt understand where you were going with it.

Not all of the smiths are known, but some are for sure.

-Jon

For the record I wasn't disagreeing, just questioning the logic of coming here and asking who made the knife if he bought it in (Nagoya? eBay? B/S/T? Private sale?)...

Online auction site, not Ebay.

Thanks for the conversation so far guys. I get what you're saying about knives made for stores.