Kuwahara Kaji Kobo・Ippon Bannou-bocho 155mm

Some of us collect shoes. Some like green glass. Or knives. It's the same in Japan of course, and there are plenty of Japanese knife-gatherers here who come back to Kuwahara san to bolster their horde with their third, fourth and fifth purchase from him. 

They appreciate the attention to detail, method and tradition and we think you will too. These are kitchen knives of uncommon sharpness and edge retention that Japanese reviewers say are relaxing in hand and a joy to use. Kuwahara san's black-forged 'Gunkanjima' bannou is forged, shaped and sharpened in meditative fashion by the man himself, quenched in mineral-laden artesian well water flavored with the local volcanic earth of Kayaki-cho.

The hagane core extends some 70% of the blade width. Plenty of room to whittle it back over a couple of decades of sharpening. The kurouchi finish is beautifully rendered; the length a good choice for those preparing meals in a modest space. 

One 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 excellence and trust. 

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.