Nigara Kurouchi SG2 kiritsuke 240mm EN

There is something that sets Nigara Hamono apart from other knife-making families in Japan. Firstly, there is their 350-year history, beginning with the crafting of swords for the Tsugaru clan in the early Edo period. The transmission of knowledge and skills through eight generations has undoubtedly given Nigara knives their cultural DNA, but this long history is not unique to Nigara.

One could argue that having a legendary fifth-generation swordsmith—a National Treasure of Japan, Mr. Kunitoshi Nigara—bestows upon the family brand a high status. The best way to understand why Nigara stands out in the eyes of the current (eighth)-generation swordsmith—Mr. Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa—is through this tradition. As he stands in the family business workshop with his younger brother and two young craftsmen, he feels inspired to create some of the world’s most remarkable knives.

The Nigara family has expanded since the days of sword forging—into construction steelworks, steel beam technologies, and the restoration of historic metal structures. In short, Nigara is the guru of steel.

Brand: Nigara Hamono
Swordsmith: Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa
Series: Tsuchime Kurouchi
Steel: SG2
Hardness: 63-64 HRC
Type: Kirituske 240mm
Blade Length: 23.2 cm
Height at the heel: 4.98 cm
Thickness at the heel: 2.1 mm
Thickness at the tip: 0.5 mm
Weight: 164 g

Handmade, the handle is made of a dyed and stabilized black ash burl, hybrid with resin and aluminum honeycomb inclusions.

Nigara Hamono has many highly identifiable knife lines. From the swirling pattern of the Anmon Kurozome to the highly sought-after Troll Killers, this SG2 kurouchi tsuchime line is no different. What makes this line so recognizable, in our opinion, is the distinct abstraction of the lower half of a hexagonal hammer (tsuchime) pattern in the kurouchi (forged finish). But what truly makes this a solid knife purchase is the powder steel known as SG2. Unrivaled sharpness in a stainless steel.