The story behind Kei Kobayashi is one of those that makes carrying a new line genuinely exciting. Before picking up a hammer, Kobayashi-san spent years as a sharpener and finisher working for some of the top blacksmiths in Japan. He knew steel from the edge outward - how it behaved under a stone, how grind geometry affected cutting feel, what separated a knife that performed from one that merely looked good. When he finally turned to forging his own blades in Seki City, that depth of experience showed up immediately in the work. We were introduced to him through a friend in the industry and were struck by what he had produced on his first attempts.
The petty is where that precision is most visible. At 153mm with a 30mm blade height, this is a classically proportioned knife for in-hand work on fruit, herbs, aromatics, and detail cuts at the board. The SG2 powdered stainless core is hardened to 63 HRC and clad in softer stainless steel that is finished with a fine hairline texture - a surface treatment that contrasts beautifully with the polished SG2 edge running below it. The choil and spine are carefully rounded for a comfortable pinch grip, and hand-chiseled kanji elements on the blade face add a level of hand-finishing detail that you rarely see at this stage of a blacksmithing career. The seven-sided pakka wood handle with its lacquer-treated surface is an unusual format that fits the hand well and sets this knife apart visually from anything else in its category.
What Customers Are Saying: Owners describe the feel as exceptional - lightweight and well-balanced with a handle shape that fits naturally in the hand. Edge performance is described as outstanding out of the box, and the knife draws consistent praise for how cleanly it handles fine work including small fruit, vegetables, and precision detail cuts. The design quality and attention to finish details are noted as the kind of thing you notice more the longer you use the knife.
Care Instructions: SG2 is stainless and highly resistant to rust, but it is hard and somewhat chip-prone at this hardness level. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Hand wash and dry after use - no dishwasher. Strop regularly between sharpenings and use quality water stones when a full sharpening is needed.
The petty is where that precision is most visible. At 153mm with a 30mm blade height, this is a classically proportioned knife for in-hand work on fruit, herbs, aromatics, and detail cuts at the board. The SG2 powdered stainless core is hardened to 63 HRC and clad in softer stainless steel that is finished with a fine hairline texture - a surface treatment that contrasts beautifully with the polished SG2 edge running below it. The choil and spine are carefully rounded for a comfortable pinch grip, and hand-chiseled kanji elements on the blade face add a level of hand-finishing detail that you rarely see at this stage of a blacksmithing career. The seven-sided pakka wood handle with its lacquer-treated surface is an unusual format that fits the hand well and sets this knife apart visually from anything else in its category.
What Customers Are Saying: Owners describe the feel as exceptional - lightweight and well-balanced with a handle shape that fits naturally in the hand. Edge performance is described as outstanding out of the box, and the knife draws consistent praise for how cleanly it handles fine work including small fruit, vegetables, and precision detail cuts. The design quality and attention to finish details are noted as the kind of thing you notice more the longer you use the knife.
Care Instructions: SG2 is stainless and highly resistant to rust, but it is hard and somewhat chip-prone at this hardness level. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Hand wash and dry after use - no dishwasher. Strop regularly between sharpenings and use quality water stones when a full sharpening is needed.
- Blacksmith: Kei Kobayashi
- Location: Seki City, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Edge Steel: SG2 Stainless (R2)
- Cladding: Stainless, Hairline Finish
- HRC: 63
- Engraving: Hand-Chiseled Kanji
- Handle: Seven-Sided Pakka Wood, Lacquer Treated
- Weight: 3.1 oz (90g)
- Blade Length: 153mm
- Total Length: 280mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 2mm
- Blade Height: 30mm
2 review(s) 
