Kuwahara Kaji Kobo・Ippon Bannou-bocho 135mm

Kuwahara san's kurouchi bannou-bocho is forged, shaped and sharpened in meditative fashion by the man himself, quenched in the natural well water of Kayaki-cho.

The hagane core extends some 70% of the blade width. Plenty of room to whittle it back over the next couple of decades and maintain a keen edge. The beautifully rendered kurouchi finish is complemented by the rosewood handle - one of the most comfortable you'll find.

It's important to note that it's not just about the materials - it's about an attention to detail, method and tradition that delivers a kitchen knife of uncommon sharpness, user-focused form and forget-about-it edge retention; one that's comfortable in hand and a joy to use. 

One more point of historical interest - the ㊉ mark on Kuwahara san's blades is the crest of the powerful Shimazu clan, feudal lords of the lands of Satsuma. Satsuma officials granted Kuwahara san's grandfather use of the crest on his blades, allowing it to be used in perpetuity as a mark of trust and excellence. 

A note on branding. Ippon is used in martial arts to indicate the successful execution of a technique and an effective result with the win. It carries the sense of a single stroke - one-pass cutting is something we like - think of your next bout with chicken skins. Ippon ('一本') is also how you can count knives in the Japanese language: ippon, one knife. The One.