Shigefusa hamono is the pre-eminent knife maker of Japan, and each is entirely hand made by Tokifusa Iizuka and his two sons, reportedly one at a time. I am incredibly fortunate to receive a beautiful knife from the hands of Iizuka-san.
Here are pictures of my 180 mm santoku. In keeping with the rustic character of japanese country knives such as the usuba and santoku, it bears the kurouchi black finish, traditional for such knives. Towards the lower half, the blade has been further polished to a kasumi haze. The cutting edge itself is hand polished to a mirror finish.
The ho wood handle and buffalo horn ferrule are incredibly light. The ho wood bears a slight fragrance. The weight is almost entirely in the blade. If held with a full grip on the handle, the knife will be unbalanced, tipping forward. To correctly hold a santoku, wrap around the handle with the last 3 fingers, and pincer grip the back end of the blade with your thumb and index fingers.
Shigefusa Engraving
Back surface
