These beautiful kogatana (literally, small sword) are hand forged by Umeda san, 7th generation blacksmith of Baishinshi, in Sanjo city up in the north of Japan in Niigata prefecture. Similar in use to kiridashi, this is a general purpose knife with a hand-laminated white paper steel blade, suitable for just about everything around the home.
The more we hear about Umeda san, the more we like him - and the more prepared we are to forgive his lengthy lead times. He's in his 60's and his dad still helps out around the place, fitting and finishing. But the old boy is losing his eyesight and Umeda san has to check his work - but he checks in the evenings, after dad's gone home, to preserve his dignity.
Clean and dry thoroughly and wipe with Camellia oil to prevent rust. Sharpen on a waterstone.
- Shirogami White Paper steel higane
- soft steel jigane cladding
- 5" (13cm) blade
- Magnolia handle
Niwaki Tip: Makes a great letter opener, but does far more than that - and can be used in the home, garden, workshop or kitchen.
