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Hitohira

Hitohira Tanaka Manzo White #2 Deba 165mm Ho Wood Handle (Saya)

Regular price
€325,00 EUR
Regular price
Sale price
€325,00 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. In the west Tanaka Gyutos are most sought after while this workshop has been making some of Japan’s highest single bevel knives for decades. 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.

For this series these excellent blades are paired with Manzo’s great and consistent single bevel sharpening. Manzo is a sharpener in Sakai who exclusively sharpens single bevel knives. His sharpening style is characterized by a deep Ura (concave backside) and flat Kireha (primary bevel). In his opinion the deep ura contributes to a better geometry, performance and longer lasting performance. A plus side of a deep ura is that you rarely get to see scratch marks across the ura when sharpening the back side yourself. Manzo sharpened knives are further refined with subtly chamfered back and choil, a good polish and good ‘out of the box’ edges.

What kind of knife is this?

The traditional Japanese fish filleting knife. A very old knife shape used for breaking down fish and often poultry. Very efficient in filleting due to their single bevel geometry designed to be strong, reduce friction and have a very keen edge. While it takes a small adjustment in technique the results are often much better compared to using a western filleting knife. Strong enough to cut through fishbones and a much sharpen edge resulting in higher quality cuts essential for taste, texture and quality of the produce. 

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.

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: Deba
Size: 165mm
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Steel: Yasuki White (Shirogami) #3, Soft Iron Clad
Handle: Ho Wood & Pakka Ferrule Octagonal
Come with Saya
Hand Orientation: Right-Handed
Sharpener: Manzo
Update: January 31, 2023