another honyaki question

[orange]

well...yet again another question for a honyaki.
this time it's a little different: anybody knows how Japanese cutlery industry developed a honyaki?? I am talking about motivation, background, and history.
I recall that I read something about kasumi type knife's bending over time provided a motivation to make a honyaki or something in that nature.
And Shigefusa kitaeji was an alternative solution to the bending of the kasumi type??

Anyone has more info?

Thanks.

 

[EdipisReks]

Japan is iron poor, and thus experimentation would have been a fruitful endeavor, to try to make the highest quality steel possible, in order to efficiently use the iron available. I doubt you'll find a better answer.

 

[orange]

Japan is iron poor, and thus experimentation would have been a fruitful endeavor, to try to make the highest quality steel possible, in order to efficiently use the iron available. I doubt you'll find a better answer.

Thanks for your reply EdipisReks.
With all due respect, your reply does not address my question. One may feel the question itself is somewhat fuzzy but what I'd like is someone more knowledgeable about Japanese cutlery industry/history sheds some light on my quest for history or point me to the right direction to find relevant answer. ^^
Like in any industry, products we see/use now is the result of incremental improvement over time.
I don't know if a honyaki or kasumi was invented first but given the history of Japanese sword construction and availability of carbon rich iron, I imagine a kasumi style knife was first to be created and then its drawback was addressed with the honyaki construction. Of course, I am not sure nor have factual info about it. This is why I'd like to tap on members' knowledge base.

 

[DaninMD]

i remember reading about this is a Shig thread, cant find it.

EDIT - see post 8, is this what you are asking about: http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...ing-to-understand-Shigefusa-finish-variations

 

[orange]

i remember reading about this is a Shig thread, cant find it.

EDIT - see post 8, is this what you are asking about: http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...ing-to-understand-Shigefusa-finish-variations

Thanks a lot. In fact, the post is very informative. I confirmed in the past a couple of times with knowledgeble vendors that Shigefusa does not make a honyaki and the post provides explanation on Shigefusa's view on a honyaki knife.
What I'd like is more elaborate history; something like this (I am writing a novel here);
During the Meji period, the banning of wearing swords by a samurai caused collapse of sword making business, some bladesmith/hamono converted their function to kitchen cutlery business and they started producing quality kitchen knives in late 19th(?) century. Competition/demand for better knives was answered by ( ) hamono in ( ) to come up with a honyaki knife. Initially, hardness of the honyaki was in ( ) hrc scale but with the introduction of mizu-honyaki by ( ) hamono in the year ( ) upgraded kitchen knife to the next level......blah blah blah

So, I'd like to know if blanks can be filled in and the story/history can be detailed further by knowledgeable members. ^^

 

[TB_London]

Take a look at shear steel coming out of Sheffield as another example of refining steel for cutlery. Also crucible steel made by Benjamin Huntsman.

http://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Huntsman,_Benjamin_(DNB00)

 

[orange]

Take a look at shear steel coming out of Sheffield as another example of refining steel for cutlery. Also crucible steel made by Benjamin Huntsman.

http://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Huntsman,_Benjamin_(DNB00)

Thanks much. Good info to know. ^^