Takahashi Kajiya Petty Knife with 'mingei' hand-carved handle 125mm

Takahashi Kajiya is located in Izumo, an area in modern-day Shimane Prefecture long associated with steel production in Japan. Behind the Takahashi family home are the remnants of a forge that dates back to the Muromachi period, somewhere around the fifteenth century.

Mr Takahashi values the old ways and he crafts his knives accordingly, hammering them out entirely by hand on his anvil. He has explained to us that his blades are sharp but not delicate, making his petty a hardy, worry-free knife. The convex grind contributes to the durability of the edge. To our eyes the finish on the blade looks a little rustic but that's Mr Takahashi's chosen style, his blades are true and sharp and more elegant in hand than our product images might suggest. Note that the carbon steel is not rust resistant so normal wiping and drying rules for Japanese knives apply here also.

Blade construction is traditional warikomi. Sharpening is straightforward, lie it flat on the whetstone and go. The 'mingei' folk handle is supremely comfortable!

This is a hand-worked knife so individual examples will vary in finish and length, blade profile even. Yours will be a unique piece by a unique knife maker.