Yoshikazu Tanaka works in Sakai City, forging knives for some of the top brands and resellers. He is particularly well known for his heat treatment and his forging skills. His use of pine charcoal when quenching knives allows for a more gentle and slow heat treatment. He also works at a more leisurely pace regarding daily output.
Tanaka-san has employed White #1 carbon steel in the making of this blade, and his screaming edges, fine grinds, and precise balance are a testament to this great steel and his masterful skills. He has hardened the steel to between 61 and 62 Rockwell. The knife is topped off with a lovely wenge octagonal handle with a buffalo horn ferrule.Blacksmith: Yoshikazu Tanaka
Location: Sakai, Japan
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Edge Steel: White #1
Cladding: Damascus
Hardness: 61-62 HRC
Handle: Octagonal Wenge
Weight: 7.1 oz (204 g)
Edge Length: 207 mm
Total Length: 350 mm
Spine Thickness at Heel: 3 mm
Blade Height: 52 mm
Tanaka-san has employed White #1 carbon steel in the making of this blade, and his screaming edges, fine grinds, and precise balance are a testament to this great steel and his masterful skills. He has hardened the steel to between 61 and 62 Rockwell. The knife is topped off with a lovely wenge octagonal handle with a buffalo horn ferrule.
Reviews
1 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Beautiful, functional and screaming sharpPosted By: KnightKnightForever
13 people found this review helpful
I mean... wow. This knife is bad-a**. I have an Anryu blue super bunka, which was previously my favorite knife. The Yoshikazu Tanaka outperforms it in just about every area. it slices through paper, tomatoes, and onions like they were butter. The weight of the knife makes short work of sturdier veg as well. The fit and finish of the knife is excellent. I love the rounded profile of the choil, and the spine of the knife is eased just enough to be superbly comfortable. The black finish of the steel is incredible and gives the knife instant street cred. The knife is considerably heavier than the bunka, and in a good way. It's not too heavy by any means, but feels much more substantial. The handle is slightly longer as well, which - by the way - the handle is second to none. The 4,000 year old bog oak sourced from Ukraine has so much character I can barely make direct eye contact with it. The contrast of the African Blackwood and light Maple spacer adds even more character to the knife, which is, in a word, perfect. As usual, hats off to a flawless purchase and extremely fast shipping from CKTG. Will buy more soon.
13 people found this review helpful
I mean... wow. This knife is bad-a**. I have an Anryu blue super bunka, which was previously my favorite knife. The Yoshikazu Tanaka outperforms it in just about every area. it slices through paper, tomatoes, and onions like they were butter. The weight of the knife makes short work of sturdier veg as well. The fit and finish of the knife is excellent. I love the rounded profile of the choil, and the spine of the knife is eased just enough to be superbly comfortable. The black finish of the steel is incredible and gives the knife instant street cred. The knife is considerably heavier than the bunka, and in a good way. It's not too heavy by any means, but feels much more substantial. The handle is slightly longer as well, which - by the way - the handle is second to none. The 4,000 year old bog oak sourced from Ukraine has so much character I can barely make direct eye contact with it. The contrast of the African Blackwood and light Maple spacer adds even more character to the knife, which is, in a word, perfect. As usual, hats off to a flawless purchase and extremely fast shipping from CKTG. Will buy more soon.
