Masakage Koishi by Kato san

Close-up view

Knifewear is pleased to offer FREE SHIPPING to anywhere in Canada or the USA on all orders over $200!

Hiroshi Kato-san

Masakage Koishi knives are handmade with Aogami carbon steel clad with stainless steel. Aogami is my kind of steel, super easy to sharpen, takes a brilliantly sharp edge, cuts like silk and is very rugged for it’s hardness.

The extremely hard blue carbon steel core is laminated between softer stainless steel. In my mind this is a great method of manufacturing kitchen knives. You get all the performance of carbon steel (a very long lived edge, ease of sharpening and a silkiness when cutting) without most of the maintenance issues (possible rusting).

These knives have been named Koishi (pebbles) as the tsuchime (hammered) finish gives the impression of river pebbles. Paired with the white (magnolia) and black (pakka wood) octagon handle the overall balance and feel is what chefs desire. Masakage Koishi knives all come in a handmade Kiri wood box.

Hiroshi Kato san is a 68 year old blacksmith from Takefu Village who has been practicing his trade for 51 years. He runs a very professional workshop with great apprentices like Yu Kurosaki san.

Masakage Knives are designed and selected by Kevin Kent of Knifewear and Shibata san, Hiroshima’s top knife sharpener. All are handmade in Japan by blacksmiths chosen for their excellence.