Hitohira Kikuchiyo Yohei Shirogami # 3 Honyaki Gyuto 240mm Ebony wood
Brand: Hitohira ひ と ひ ら (一片)
Blacksmith: Kikuchiyo 菊 千代
Region: Sakai-Osaka
Profile: Gyuto
Steel type: Carbon (Oxidisable)
Steel: Honyaki Yasuki (Shirogami) # 3
Handle: Ebony wood and Amber buffalo horn
Blade length: 240mm
Grinder: Yohei 与 平
Handle manufacturer: Taihei 太平
This item includes the custom made Saya for this knife.
Technical Detail
Kikuchiyo:
In the early 2000s, Kikuchiyo was invited by Sakai's master craftsman to join them as a blacksmith. The art of blacksmithing is physical, the harsh working environment of fire and iron weighs heavily on the body, and many of the masters' abilities begin to fade in their forties and fifties. As Kikuchiyo started earlier in life, he acquired most of the knowledge and fine forging and tempering skills, before his physical abilities deteriorated.
Kikuchiyo has been proactively experimenting with new steels that are not generally used by Sakai's blacksmith, steels like stainless steel. His experience and skill has made his Ginsan (Silver 3) knives popular among Japanese chefs, with many saying "If you use Kikuchiyo's Ginsan once, you'll never replace it." Kikuchiyo is also known for its fine Honyaki temper, beautiful Hamon and hardness only achievable by experienced masters who reach the right temperature. His Honyaki is backed by many sharpeners and finishers at Sakai, professionals who know what makes a good kitchen knife. When Kikuchiyo became a blacksmith, he dreamed of succeeding and becoming a great man. He continues to develop his skills as a craftsman, modeling each of his knives in the image of his master's forge.
Most Japanese knives are made like a 'sandwich', a very hard steel core covered on each side with softer steel. Hard steel is what makes a Japanese knife sharper and keeps its edge longer than other knives. Mild steel acts as a shock absorber to protect harder steel from damage. This is the common way of making a knife in Japan, but there is an older and more romantic way of making a knife, the honyaki.
Less than 1% of knives in Japan are forged honyaki. Making a honyaki knife is like making a katana. The knife is made from one piece of steel and heat treated so that the edge is very hard and sharp for a very long time. The knife's spine, although the same piece of steel, is softer and protects the blade from breaking.
You can refer to the article '' steel '' to know a little more about this type of knife, Honyaki.