Yanagi Petty Kanji ID

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cotedupy

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I’m re-handling a knife for a friend today, which I think he bought in Japan, but doesn’t know the maker. Wondering if anyone could help out?

It’s rather a cute 150mm single bevel, and seems pretty well made. Might have some polishing fun later :).

As ever - many thanks!

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鎌倉 - Kamakura

Made by Kikuichi Togi (菊一伊助) in Kamakura. Here's an old thread with photos of two other knives with this kanji and a link to the store's webpage. A little confusing though, because one member misreads Togi as Isuke, which is the more common reading of 伊助

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/another-kanji-id-needed.11094/
But the reading is definitely Togi. They even spell it out in Hiragana on their entrance curtain, probably because it's often misread

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Many thanks both! I'll have a read up, so I can tell him a bit about it tomorrow :).

Handle came out really nicely; my friend is a winemaker and wanted a simple one-piece handle from an old oak barrel he'd cut up. The wine doesn't stain very far into the wood, but if you work it cleverly you can keep some of the colour along the sides, in a kinda gradation with the taper...

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鎌倉 - Kamakura

Made by Kikuichi Togi (菊一伊助) in Kamakura. Here's an old thread with photos of two other knives with this kanji and a link to the store's webpage. A little confusing though, because one member misreads Togi as Isuke, which is the more common reading of 伊助

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/another-kanji-id-needed.11094/
But the reading is definitely Togi. They even spell it out in Hiragana on their entrance curtain, probably because it's often misread

View attachment 146924

I am afraid that is incorrect. 伊助 can only be read Isuke. The Togi とぎon the noren in the photo is Togi 研ぎ as in sharpening. Kikuichi Isuke Shouten is known as a Togi Senmonten 研ぎ専門店、Sharpening Specialty Shop.

菊一伊助商店 – 鎌倉ツリープ オンラインストア (treep.jp)
 
I am not an expert in this field... but the kanji seems nicely carved? :)

Probably completely irrational... but it makes me think: if somebody took the care to nicely carve kanji into a blade, the rest would be a matching quality.

It does seem to be a very nice knife, and as you say - very swish hand-carved kanji. I'm looking forward to giving it a polish and sharpen this eve / tomorrow :)
 
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