Submitted to Urban Dictionary, because language is a locomotive and you just told on yourself.
Knife Japan: What's notable, worth buying, etc.?
- Thread starter DitmasPork
- Start date
Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:
@HumbleHomeCook great minds. I have both the Okahide and the Yoshimitsu (but in 220) on order from over a week ago. I guess that’s my answer. I can let you know my thoughts when they arrive next week or so.
aporigine
The slow blade penetrates the winter squash
Oh you.
Last edited:
The winter blade penetrates the slow squash I guess.
which: The Okahide.Pretty sure I know what the majority will respond but let's play anyway.
Which one and why...?
https://knifejapan.com/okahide-hamono-polished-sabaki-bocho-140mm/
If I remember right, this is Michael's favorite nakiri.
https://knifejapan.com/ikenami-hamono-nakiri-160mm-shirogami-1/
https://knifejapan.com/yoshimitsu-hamono-black-forged-gyuto-180mm-aogami-super/
https://knifejapan.com/okubo-kajiya-santoku-170mm-aogami-2/
why: I can think of lots of ways to use it, plus it might be a welcomed outlier (blade shape) in your collection from what I’ve seen.
Good luck with decision.
Jovidah
I'll make you a sponsor offer you can't refuse...
I'd go for whichever is most different from what you already have. I always try to avoid too much repetition.
The Okahide, because it's unique.
I have the Ikenami and have the Okubo on order.
Just me, but I don't need another Gyuto.
I have the Ikenami and have the Okubo on order.
Just me, but I don't need another Gyuto.
How do you like the Ikenami?
aporigine
The slow blade penetrates the winter squash
The Okubo Santoku - its the only one without a plastic ferrule.
170x51x3 mm also sounds like a very useful size.
170x51x3 mm also sounds like a very useful size.
I like it. I have had it a few weeks and have processed a bunch of onions, peppers, carrots and tomatoes. Does a great job, light, nice balance in a pinch grip. My new go to veggie knife.
Thank you.
Felescoda
Member
Mate it is an horrible knife once you get it, but if you refine it!! Is actually nice
I am glad you're liking it. It's perfect for veggies and has some decent food release too.
@ ARM
I still think more people need to try Yosimitu Kajiya, (Junichi Ide). Rustic finish and each knife is different due to free forging, but I like his aesthetics.
A few of the shapes that Ide-san makes, deba(ryoba), nakiri(large, from the carrot harvest), Petty's, Bunka, Gyuto's, Sujihiki, camping knives with integral handles.
A few of the shapes that Ide-san makes, deba(ryoba), nakiri(large, from the carrot harvest), Petty's, Bunka, Gyuto's, Sujihiki, camping knives with integral handles.
That's freaking sexy. I sure wish shipping from NZ to USA wasn't so damned expensive!
The more you buy in one order the cheaper the shipping!
I'm working on shipping, hopefully I can reduce the price.
How is his work compared to Yoshimitsu Hamono? I have some of their work and it is excellent. I was curious if there was a connection between the two.
Michael shipped my Okubo Kajiya santoku on 05-02 at 1:44 PM and it arrived today in Florida, 5-03 2:31 PM! He made sure he shipped before the 4 day holiday. Fast DHL shipping. Once I clean up the knife, I will post photos and some comments. Great to do business with Knife Japan.
Yoshi
Shindo Maniac
At this rate half of the forum will have an okubo in no time lol
Just tried mine out for the first time last night, loving it so far. Well worth the effort to drill that metal lined wa handle
I haven't got any Yoshimitsu Hamono yet so I can't give a comparison of thier knives.
They are both based in Shimabara but separate workshops. Yoshimitsu Hamono is 2 or 3 brothers, I think, and they have successors in their family so there is a few people in the workshop.
Yosimitu Kajiya is just Ide-san, the one man band, he's had 3 daughters so no successor.
BillHanna
Gotta get ready for ARM
Apprenticeship time? Ask the fam.
Genuine question, are there cultural taboos against women working in forges there? I don't hear of any female smiths from Japan (or western aside from the infamous ferrier one) I think closest I've hear is like Shungo Ogata's wife helping him with the business and Kanji and plenty of similar situations like that.
Can't blame the daughters for not wanting to pick it up if they don't want though. My dad was a farmer, that shït sucked, I wanted a job with healthcare and PTO.
BillHanna
Gotta get ready for ARM
The Kono MM was a woman, right? Did she forge or sharpen?
Forge.
I thought there was a woman involved in smithing at Isamitsu, but I may be misremembering.
Ide-san said his daughter's don't want to become blacksmiths but I think they help with English translations? His wife and mother do help with a lot of the shop logistics and his wife Chikako makes some beautiful custom handles and leather work.
I asked Ide-san about the history of Nagasaki blacksmiths and this is his answer
Nagasaki Prefecture used to have many blacksmiths. There were so many that there is still a town named "Kajiya-cho" in the central city of Nagasaki Prefecture. Unfortunately, however, there are no more blacksmiths in the central city of Nagasaki.
There are now blacksmiths in three districts.
Ohmura district
Kayaki district
Shimabara District
The three are.
The characteristics of each are,
Blacksmiths in the Ohmura district have traditionally specialised in making sickles.
The Kayaki district specialised in cooking knives, while the Shimabara district was good at making farming tools.
However, due to the evolution of agricultural machinery, all three districts now focus on the production of kitchen knives.
However, there are few successors anywhere and the number of blacksmiths is decreasing.
In the Ohmura district, four workshops remain, but only two have reliable successors.
In the Kayaki area, there were three workshops until last year, but one of them closed down due to the illness of the craftsman. Only one of the remaining two workshops has a successor.
In the Shimabara area, there are six workshops left, but only two have a definite successor. My workshop will be finished when I retire because there is no successor to me. But I'm going to keep working as a blacksmith until I'm 75 years old if I don't have any physical problems, so I'm going to continue for another 31 years
.There is another remote island in Nagasaki Prefecture called the Goto Islands, and there is a young blacksmith there called Mr.Miyazaki. You know Mr.Miyazaki because you follow his Instagram too.
He became a blacksmith by learning from blacksmiths in Fukuoka. I think he is a very rare type.
He learns very well and I think he is a great blacksmith.
Kyushu consists of seven prefectures, and there are blacksmiths in all of them.
However, the number is very small.
Like Nagasaki Prefecture, Kumamoto Prefecture has the largest number of blacksmiths.
Kumamoto Prefecture had a thriving forestry industry, so saws, machetes and axes were widely produced. However, as forestry machinery has evolved, the industry has gradually declined.
The blacksmith in Kumamoto I work with is the only person in Japan who makes saws by beating and stretching steel.
He is now the only blacksmith in Japan who makes saws using this technique. Unfortunately, he has no successor either. When he retires, the traditional technique of sawing by beating and stretching steel will disappear.
There is a YouTube video of him, which I am attaching
.I hope you will watch it.
You're correct
I also may not be understanding this properly as Google Translate is my helper, but forget female blacksmiths, it seems most Japanese blacksmiths have no heir or apprentices so that in 20 years (or so), there will be very few independent knife makers.
I've read/heard more or less that same thing from different sources. Now is the time to get the ones ya want.
