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Hitohira

Hitohira Tanaka Kyuzo Blue #1 Kurouchi Gyuto 210mm Yakusugi Cedar Handle

Regular price
€469,00 EUR
Regular price
Sale price
€469,00 EUR
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Description

Tanaka Yoshikazu is widely considered to be one of the best blacksmiths in Sakai, most renowned for his Blue #1. He’s been awarded the title Dento Kogeishi: a Japanese government certified traditional craftsman. To earn this title, one has to have many years of experience and vast knowledge of one’s craft.
Tanaka Uchihamono’s methods are very traditional: using white and blue steel, relying only on eyesight to determine steel temperatures, using pine charcoal in the forge and straw ash for annealing. Tanaka knives are most known for their incredible ease of sharpening and edge retention. They rely completely on their skill and intuition more than modern tools. Here the production time for a single knife is also notably longer than most other workshops which means they produce lower quantities.

In this series Tanaka’s work is paired with Kyuzo’s first class shaping and sharpening. Kyuzo, son of one of the busiest sharpeners in Sakai and student of one of the best and most influential double bevel sharpeners in Sakai. Now he is one of the few to be able to grind a crisp and consistent shinogi line on a wide double bevel knife.
This series is characterized as thin (edges and spines) with slightly more heel height, all with lovely taper, good balance and fitted with the best handles like ebony or ziricote.

What kind of knife is this?

The gyuto is a true all-rounder and suitable for a wide variety of cutting tasks. A go-to knife for many and an ideal shape to start out with. Based on the Western style chef’s knife, the gyuto has a decent length, enough height to clear the knuckles from the cutting board and a somewhat narrow tip. It’s just as good at chopping an onion or cabbage, as slicing a roast or portioning fish. There's no shame in owning multiple gyuto's

Care Instructions

This is a carbon steel knife. That means this knife is made of non-stainless steel. There is no or an insufficient amount of chromium and/or nickel to protect this steel against oxidation. Steel such as this will react to moisture and oxygen. That on itself is not a bad thing, you might even argue it’s a great thing. The knife will form a wonderful patina, it will sharpen easily and the edge life will not disappoint.

The care for a carbon steel knife such as this is not very elaborate, and very comparable to any other knife. Always store your knife clean and dry, no dishwasher, don’t let it air-dry and avoid extremely hard products like frozen foods or bones. With carbon steel you want to dry your knife also during cooking, never leave it moist or wet for too long. Often a quick wipe a dry cloth or towel is more than enough. A carbon steel knife can rust if not taken care of properly. Rust can removed but it is of course something we want to avoid.

Please note that there are many different carbon steels, just like stainless steels, each with its own properties and characteristics. Each should be judged individually.

Message from Craftsman

Because Tanaka's way of quenching, knife does not produce a Kurouchi dark finish enough. So in order to produce the finish, which is both aesthetically pleasing and useful in protecting against rust, sharpener uses a special and secret technique that has been used in Sakai for a long time and etches the surface of the knife.
This way of finishing creates the dark and beautiful Kurouchi finish found on this special line. While both types of Kurouchi finishes can fade over time, the etching technique used by sharpener may fade faster.
This is not signed that anything is wrong with the blade. so please do not worry if this happens, as it is natural.

written by: Hitohira 

Detailed Spec

Brand: Hitohira ひとひら (一片)
Smith: Tanaka Blacksmith 田中打刃物製作所
Producing Area: Sakai-Osaka/ Japan
Profile: Gyuto
Size: 210mm
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Steel: Yasuki Blue (Aogami) #1, Soft Iron Clad
Handle: Yakusugi Cedar & Buffalo Horn Ferrule Octagonal
Total Length: 360mm
Edge Length: 206mm
Handle to Tip Length: 215mm
Blade Height: 46mm
Thickness: 3mm
Handle Length: 144mm
Weight: 144g
Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
Sharpener: Kyuzo
Update: April 29, 2021