Yosegi Coreless Santoku 170mm

Traditional 700-year-old technique

Fukui Prefecture

Echizen Uchihamono

Echizen Uchihamono (forged knives) are said to have originated in 1337, when Chiyozuru Kuniyasu, a swordsmith in Kyoto, moved to the Echizen region (present Echizen City) looking for a better place to forge katana or Japanese swords and made sickles for neighboring farmers. It is said that every time Kuniyasu made a katana, he carved a guardian dog from a grindstone and sank it in a well. This contained his wish as an artisan that a sword must not be a tool for killing people and should be only a symbol of a samurai. This spirit has been handed down to artisans of Echizen Uchihamono, who are determined to make tools of the highest quality.

Designated as a traditional craft product in 1979 for the first time in the blade field

In recognition of its history and techniques, in 1979, Echizen Uchihamono became the first designated traditional craft in the blade field.

Echizen Uchihamono-superb craftspersonship shining in distinctive forging techniques and manual finishing

Echizen Uchihamono products are still being made while sticking to traditional Japanese forging techniques and manual polishing steps. Using the forging techniques, which were important for making Japanese swords, we make tough blades that have high strength in bending and breaking.

Echizen Uchihamono artisans’ pursuit

Echizen Uchihamono artisans continue to pursue how to make light, thin, robust and long-wearing blades so that any user can be satisfied regardless of material. Each Echizen Uchihamono product has a quality that can satisfy anyone who actually uses it.

Responding to changing times, we have transformed their excellent techniques into those for household utensils that are closely connected to people’s lives, and now we deal in a wide variety of products, including farming, forestry, gardening and fishery-related tools, in addition to familiar knives and other kitchen utensils, which are our main products. In this way, Echizen Uchihamono has continued to evolve into more user-friendly and beautiful products in people’s everyday lives by pursuing functionality and shape suited for usage.

A knife series that reflects the beauty and functionality of Japanese craftsmanship at the highest level.

The blade is made of a multiple-folded Super VG10 & VG2 laminate, a high-end cutting steel material that allows long-lasting sharpness. To make the most of the characteristics of this super steel that is unsurpassed in the four major properties required of the best knives – hardness, toughness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, the Master Blacksmiths of the Ryusen forge crafted the blades using the traditional Echizen Uchihamono forging technique and buffed it with the special technique to make its surface more beautiful. There are no other knives that surpass the sharpness and edge retention this our Yosegi Series.

The stunning geometric patterned handles are made using a traditional Japanese art called “Hakone Yosegi-zaiku”. This method combines a wide variety of timbers to create attractive patterns by using the natural fine grains and textures of wood.

Fully Hand Forged by Master Blacksmith Masutani san

Maker: Ryusen

Steel: Coreless VG10 & VG2 Stainless Steel

Blade: 128 Layers (Diamond Finish)

Handle: Combination of Walnut, Mizuki, Mahogany, Katsura-Jindai, Angsana, Movingui, Japanese Magnolia, Katsura

Hardness: 62±

SANTOKU (San – 3 & Toku – benefit):

This is the classic Japanese chef’s knife.  It is flat from the handle end for about ½ way to the tip and then gently curves to a point. It is ideal for straight vertical chopping, horizontal slicing and roll cutting.

Function – Multi-purpose chef knife. For Slicing, Dicing and Mincing of vegetables, meat and fish.

Normal length – 165mm to 180mm (smaller 140mm are available in a few collections)

Tip: The 170mm/180mm is the most popular multipurpose knife.