Nigara Tsuchime Damascus VG10 kiritsuke 240mm EN

There is something that sets Nigara Hamono apart from other knife-making families in Japan. We could first point out that it is 350 years of history, starting with the making of swords for the Tsugaru clan at the beginning of the Edo period. The passing down of know-how and skills over eight generations has undoubtedly given Nigara knives their cultural DNA, but the long history is not unique to Nigara.

It could be said that having a legendary fifth-generation blacksmith – Japan’s national treasure Mr. Kunitoshi Nigara (二唐國俊) – gives the family brand an elevated status.The best way to understand why Nigara stands out in the eyes of the current (8th) generation blacksmith – Mr. Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa (吉澤剛). As he stands in the family business workshop, with his younger brother and two young artisans, feeling inspired to create the most remarkable knives in the world.

The Nigara family has expanded since the days of swordsmithing – into construction steelworks, steel beam technologies, as well as restorations of historic metal structures. In a word, Nigara is the steel guru.

Brand: Nigara Hamono
Blacksmith: Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa
Series: Tsuchime Damascus
Steel: VG10
Hardness: 61-62 HRC
Type: kiritsuke
Blade length: 23.5 cm
Heel height: 5.40 cm
Heel thickness: 2 mm
Thickness at the tip: 0.4 mm
Weight: 188g

Designed entirely by hand, the handle is made of dyed and stabilized boxelder burl, resin and faux ivory spacers.

Nigara Hamono has many ranges of very identifiable knives. From the swirling pattern of the Anmon Kurozome to the sought-after Troll Killers, to the flagship SG2 kurouchi tsuchime line. This new Tsuchime damascus series in vG10 steel promises just as much.