Few regions in Japan carry a forging history as deep as Hirosaki, the Edo period castle town in Aomori Prefecture where Nigara Hamono has been working for centuries. More than a hundred forging shops once operated in this district, and Nigara is among the rare survivors - a workshop that has kept the traditional Tsugaru methods alive not as a revival but as an unbroken practice, carried forward generation after generation.
The 210mm gyuto - Japan's all-purpose chef knife - is the workhorse format of any serious kitchen, and this version is built with real intent. Silver 3 stainless forms the core, wrapped in layered Damascus cladding and acid-etched to produce a deeply textured surface with the look of a blade pulled from a charcoal forge. The grind is aggressive in the best sense: thick at the spine, tapering to a thin and capable edge with notable additional thinning toward the tip. Blade height at 49mm is practical and balanced. The ebony octagonal handle is cleanly fitted and sits well in a pinch grip.
Care Instructions: Silver 3 is a stainless steel and highly resistant to rust. Hand wash and dry after use. Avoid the dishwasher. Sharpen on quality water stones - this steel is a pleasure to work with on the stones and holds an excellent edge at 62 HRC.
The 210mm gyuto - Japan's all-purpose chef knife - is the workhorse format of any serious kitchen, and this version is built with real intent. Silver 3 stainless forms the core, wrapped in layered Damascus cladding and acid-etched to produce a deeply textured surface with the look of a blade pulled from a charcoal forge. The grind is aggressive in the best sense: thick at the spine, tapering to a thin and capable edge with notable additional thinning toward the tip. Blade height at 49mm is practical and balanced. The ebony octagonal handle is cleanly fitted and sits well in a pinch grip.
Care Instructions: Silver 3 is a stainless steel and highly resistant to rust. Hand wash and dry after use. Avoid the dishwasher. Sharpen on quality water stones - this steel is a pleasure to work with on the stones and holds an excellent edge at 62 HRC.
- Maker: Nigara Hamono
- Location: Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Cladding: Damascus (Acid-Etched)
- Edge Steel: Silver 3 (Ginsan) Stainless
- HRC: 62+
- Weight: 7.1 oz (200 g)
- Blade Length: 198mm
- Total Length: 340mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 4mm
- Blade Height: 49mm
- Handle: Ebony Octagonal
