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nutmeg

nutmeg

kasumi nut
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We collect knives and the very top of our collection is seldom the best cutting tool but the biggest quantity of handcraft put into a blade.
The kitchen knife as piece of art.

Every time I'm holding this blade I'm thinking Is it possible to find a better one? hmmm... Have I already seen one? no, never. Even if the Okishiba Masakuni was quite in the same ball park.
When it comes to art, we're dealing with taste, wich is quite difficult to measure. For my taste, this is the maximum ever done on a knife.
Best bang for the buck? I don't know. Though one forgets the price quite soon.
Best for price no object: Yes.


It's been almost three years of waiting time. Now, the blade is here.
This is a 300 mm yanagiba with sword-like tip, a honyaki made of tamahagane (Bushido serie) by Yasha Yukawa.
https://sensedged.weebly.com/

In one hand the finish was quite rustical, I mean not finished. In the other hand it was already better than on any knife for any price.
BTW. already seen a single honyaki BNIB finished on stones?


Now I'm taking the time to make the blade alive. On #2000 at the moment. It may take a while and I'm very, very excited to see the result :)
 
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Very nice! I used to own katanas and tantos from Matsuba Kunimasa, so I’m very curious to see how the student compares to the master here :)
 
Very nice! Looks a little rough so far, but the hada can definitely be pulled out a little more :)
Compared to his master, his hamon pattern is relatively simple. Matsuba-san's hamon is much more vivid and can range from very calm to very wild, depending on the build. That said, he does make iaido swords too so those are simpler than his museum pieces.
 
the knife i consider the best ive ever owned (mizuno white2 honyaki 240), i sold because it wasnt the right length. i will have it again one day but in the proper length and it will absolutely be the best cutting of my kit.
 
lemeneid said:
Very nice! Looks a little rough so far, but the hada can definitely be pulled out a little more :)
Compared to his master, his hamon pattern is relatively simple. Matsuba-san's hamon is much more vivid and can range from very calm to very wild, depending on the build. That said, he does make iaido swords too so those are simpler than his museum pieces.
Click to expand...
This has been still very coarse grain stones so far. So, I can't predict how the blade will become.
 
refcast said:
Does yours have an ura? I got to see a single bevel one in person but it didn't have an ura. It, too, had a low sword-like hamon.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't have an ura. It is like a flat side, just very slightly convex.
And boy, oh boy, that was a great surprise! Yasha did it right. Very smart.

Usually, single bevels won't never be polished properly on the ura side, wich is very frustrating for collector knives.
 
Excited to walk through the process steps as you go through them Ben
 
What a joy...

@nutmeg, you spoils us. Thanks for taking us on the ride. Your skill goes without saying. I've said it before but I'll say it again, thank you for taking the time to take such wonderful photos to document your efforts. I know it is extra effort! It really adds to the visual treat you are sharing with us. Very generous of you!

:)
 
Nutmeg do outline the stones used in progression for this. Would be keen to see how they are acting on the steel thanks!
 
nutmeg said:
No it doesn't have an ura. It is like a flat side, just very slightly convex.
And boy, oh boy, that was a great surprise! Yasha did it right. Very smart.

Usually, single bevels won't never be polished properly on the ura side, wich is very frustrating for collector knives.
Click to expand...

So is it a sujihiki then more than a yanagiba?
 
Qapla' said:
So is it a sujihiki then more than a yanagiba?
Click to expand...
no, it's definitely 100% yanagiba. But with TWO beautiful sides 🥰
On a yanagiba with classical concave ura, one can polish only one side which is a waste for a collector knife. And a big waste of material in the case of tamahagane.
So, ok, the knife was extremely expensive. But not that much considering this.
 
ian said:
Nice toque. I just had mine on for lunch prep too.

Can’t wait, @nutmeg!
Click to expand...

Hehe... It is supposed to be a head exploding... Don't know about toque... it almost looks like I was reading @nutmeg's post in the shower whilst I was shampooing my hair. Something like:

🚿+😓+🌰+🔪 = 🤯
 
Qapla' said:
So is it a sujihiki then more than a yanagiba?
Click to expand...

Looks shaped more like a sakimaru takobiki (curved, pointy tip). BUT... the blacksmith Yasha Yukawa is a swordsmith who makes some kitchen knifes. So the knife isn't really any typical Japanese knife profile (I don't think). More nihonto inspired....


Hey @nutmeg, do you polish Nihonto? There is a whole world of 'hada' that your fingers could do magic on!
:)
 
Luftmensch said:
Looks shaped more like a sakimaru takobiki (curved, pointy tip). BUT... the blacksmith Yasha Yukawa is a swordsmith who makes some kitchen knifes. So the knife isn't really any typical Japanese knife profile (I don't think). More nihonto inspired....


Hey @nutmeg, do you polish Nihonto? There is a whole world of 'hada' that your fingers could do magic on!
:)
Click to expand...
Thanks! I was searching for this sakimaru word and couldn't find it anymore..
I'd say it's more a sakimaru yanagi. Takobiki I've owned were all very straight, parallel and narrow.

Nihonto swords are probably very interessant to polish. So, in the future, maybe...
 
This made me think you may enjoy Katanas:

nutmeg said:
On a yanagiba with classical concave ura, one can polish only one side which is a waste for a collector knife. And a big waste of material in the case of tamahagane.
Click to expand...


nutmeg said:
Nihonto swords are probably very interessant to polish. So, in the future, maybe...
Click to expand...

I'd love to see your talents extend in that direction. I bet you'd have a hellava fun time with the hamon and steel 'grain'. At the very top end of the kitchen knife market, you may as well start thinking about katana....
 
Luftmensch said:
This made me think you may enjoy Katanas:






I'd love to see your talents extend in that direction. I bet you'd have a hellava fun time with the hamon and steel 'grain'. At the very top end of the kitchen knife market, you may as well start thinking about katana....
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your encouraging words!

Actually, Yasha Yukawa doesn't take any special order on his wonderful tamahagane knives anymore.
Luckily I was at the right time and at the right place and could place the very last order! 🤗
Naturally, it's going to take at least 2 years until I get it. In the meanwhile I may jump into this rabbit hole and watch the katana side from times to times.
Tamahagane is really a magic material to polish.
 
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