Japanese Tradition + American Craftsmanship

Sculpting a knife in the Japanese tradition requires a precise yet nuanced approach to each piece of steel. A low-temperature forge ensures hardness, sharpness, and strength. Proper annealing and heat treating produce knives that take and and retain a sharper edge than mass-produced consumer knives.

We begin each knife with a piece of high-carbon Hitatchi white steel. The steel is heated uniformly to roughly 1500°F, a temperature that affords malleability without comprising sharpness. A practiced and observant bladesmith like Max can accurately gauge the temperature of the steel by color alone. At this early stage, great care is taken not to overheat the steel, as high temperatures will burn away carbon and produce a softer, duller knife.

Avoiding high temperatures is a rigorous endeavor; the steel must be constantly reheated to keep it workable. Through a painstaking repetition of heating and hammering, the blade’s rudimentary shape and balance are established. With each heating, the temperature is gradually reduced, refining the molecular structure and grain pattern of the steel. Next, the blade is heated to a dull cherry-red and allowed to cool slowly in straw or wood ash. This step, called annealing, guarantees that the final knife will be just pliable enough to prevent breakage and chipping.

After the blade is ground into its final shape, it receives its forge stamp and undergoes heat treatment. During heat treatment, the blade is coated in wet clay and heated in total darkness to afford a clearer estimate of the temperature. Once the knife is properly tempered, it’s quenched in lukewarm water, thereby preserving the carefully-forged molecular structure. The blade’s final hardness rating (64-66 HRC) indicates both durability and sharpness.

The blade is sharpened by hand on a series of whetstones to produce a razor-sharp primary edge and a thin secondary edge. Finally, it receives a thorough polish to achieve a mirror-shine without compromising balance and performance. Breathtaking handles made from artisan Micarta, wood, or bone are set with resin and pins. The final product is an uncommonly sharp, heirloom-quality knife.