Masakage Comparison Guide

Knife Line

Blacksmith

Steel

Handle

Maintenance Rating

What we like about it

Whats in a name?

/en demasakage shimo
$$$$

Blacksmith/en deyu kurosaki

SteelCarbon Steel
/en deshirogami #2 white carbon steel
Rockwell Hardness: 61:63

HandleWa (Japanese) handleOctagon, magnolia wood handle with pakka wood collar

Maintenance RatingPain in the ass.

What we like about itSharp as hell, will rust as you look at it, and thin as a razor. You will love it, but it won't love you back.

Whats in a name?Shimo translates to Frost!

/en demasakage kumo
$$$$

Blacksmith/en dekatsushige anryu

SteelStainless Steel
/en deVG10 stainless steel
Rockwell Hardness: 60:62

HandleWa (Japanese) handle
Octagon, American cherry with pakka wood collar

Maintenance RatingEasy, it's stainless steel.

What we like about itElegant and sexy AF.

Whats in a name?Kumo translates to Cloud!

/en demasakage koishi
$$$$

Blacksmith/en deyoshimi kato

SteelStainless clad with Carbon Steel Core
/en deaogami super blue carbon steel
Rockwell Hardness: 63:64

HandleWa (Japanese) handle
Octagon, cherry wood handle with pakka wood collar

Maintenance RatingDoable, but some care needed.

What we like about itCrazy bang for your buck, more Knifewear staff have Koishi's than any other knife line.

Whats in a name?Koishi translates to Pebble!

/en demasakage mizu
$$$$

Blacksmith/en dekatsushige anryu

SteelCarbon Steel
/en de#2 aogami blue carbon
Rockwell Hardness: 61:63

HandleWa (Japanese) handle
Oval, cherry wood handle with plastic collar

Maintenance RatingPain in the ass.

What we like about itPerformance with a cheap handle.

Whats in a name?Mizu translates to Water!

/en demasakage kiri
$$$$

Blacksmith/en deyoshimi kato

SteelStainless Steel
/en deVG10 stainless steel
Rockwell Hardness: 60:62

HandleWa (Japanese) Handle
Oval, Magnolia wood handle with pakka wood collar

Maintenance RatingEasy, it's stainless steel.

What we like about itThe perfect gift knife, stainless, beautiful and well priced .

Whats in a name?Kiri translates to Mist!

/en demasakage yuki
$$$$

Blacksmith/en deyoshimi kato

SteelStainless clad with Carbon Steel Core
/en deshirogami #2 white carbon steel
Rockwell Hardness: 61:63

HandleWa (Japanese) handle
Oval, magnolia wood handle with pakka wood collar

Maintenance RatingDoable, but some care needed.

What we like about itAlmost as great as it's big brother, the Koishi, a great choice for someone getting into Japanese knives.

Whats in a name?Yuki translates to Snow!

/en demasakage zero
$$$$

Blacksmith/en detakeshi saji

SteelStainless clad with Carbon Steel Core
/en deaogami super blue carbon steel
Rockwell Hardness: 63:64

HandleWestern style handle
Desert ironwood with welded bolster

Maintenance RatingDoable, but some care needed.

What we like about itThe premo Masakage, Super Blue, Ironwood, and designed by Shibata-san to be pure luxury in a knife

Whats in a name?Named after this WW2 fighter Jet.

Kevin Kent

Knifewear owner and president Kevin Kent’s fascination with handcrafted Japanese knives began while he was working as sous-chef for the legendary chef Fergus Henderson at St. John restaurant in London, England. Back in Canada in 2007 he began selling them out of a backpack from the back of his bicycle, while working as a chef in Calgary. He considers his chef years as the best education for being an entrepreneur. Being a chef takes long hours, involves hard work, both mentally and physically, and chefs must be able to put out fires, both literal and figurative, with extreme competence. Today, Kent is still just as obsessed with Japanese knives as the day he first held one. A couple times a year, he travels to Japan to meet with his blacksmith friends and drinks far too much sake. Each visit he learns more about the ancient art of knife-making. Through this obsession Knifewear has expanded to include five Knifewear stores in Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Edmonton. Plans are also underway to open a store in Kyoto, Japan. He refuses to confess how many Japanese knives he owns … but he admits the number is rather high. Follow Kevin on Twitter at @knifenerd and find out more about the stores at knifewear.com, and if you meet him in person, ask him to tell you his Lou Reed story.