Masakage Hikari by Kato san

Close-up view

We love the clean simple looks of this line. The shiny polish of the blade coupled with the oval rosewood and pakka handle make for a cool looking little blade.

These knives are hand forged from VG-10 high carbon stainless steel and laminated with softer stainless steel. VG10 was created for knife making. What a clever idea. This steel has the highest recommendations in the production of knives by authorities such as the British Steel Confederation, C.A.T.R.A and the Solingen Institute of Steel in Germany. VG-10 takes a wicked edge, holds that edge for a nice long time, and is easier to re-sharpen – unlike some of the other hard stainless steels.

This line is hand forged by Hiroshi Kato san who 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 and Toru Tamura san.

All Masakage Knives are handmade in Japan by blacksmiths chosen for their excellence. Shibata san,Hiroshima’s top knife sharpener, selects and design these knives. All Masakage knives are hand sharpened by Shibata san with his unique technique of using a different grit on each side of the blade. This gives a smooth, sharp edge that stays sharp longer than standard sharpening.