Greetings,
I came across this knife & am really curious to know who made it. Thanks!
Neil
not me...... :-\
It say's:
Use Bo-Shield light coat for storage!
lol, in all seriousness, my kanzi knowledge is very very lacking and but I did send it over to my oniisan, see if he can shed some light.
I thought it was cow kanji saying eat more chicken!
First sign looks like kiku, or chrysanthemum, says my japanese wife. Can't read the rest.
(Read from right to left in the pic, but turn it vertically first)
Sorry folks, fell asleep. Been up all night with our dog after she had major surgery. (Her appetite's returning, so that's a great sign.) I tried saving the pic in 90x rotated positions in MS Photos, but when uploaded, it stays in the original, lateral position.
Chances are, the inscriptions might just say "Made in China". All kidding aside, though, one expert says that the quality knife manufacturers in both Germany and Japan, have a serious threat in China, who supposedly have the capability both due to their massive workforce & their ability to innovate(?)
There is actually some really good steel coming out of some of some of the Chinese plants these days. You just have to know which ones and trust the manufacturer of the knofe when it comes to heat treatment.
Ron Jones
There was of course at one time many who made blades in Japan. I cant say for certain based on this pic but this blade could have some value. Most definitely hand made & appears to be of good quality. The over all design is what I call a battle blade design. The edge grind & over all shape is cut in such a manner that it resist chipping. Such as when one strikes another blade when blocked or hits bone. Not pleasant, but this blade will also penetrate easily even when not extremely sharp. I would also guess the the tip is of a Tanto style.
It is very possibly a Damascus blade. Again I cant be certain from the pic. Not all Damascus blades have the finish clearly showing the layers of steel. How long is this blade? ... Jeff
I have some guns of Chinese manufacture- reputedly of recycled railroad rails. Indestructable.
It's actually a yanagiba, or yana-giba knife (depending on the source). It's basically a kitchen/restaurant knife with a one-sided blade. According to Tosho Knife Arts up in Toronto where in one episode, Bourdain walked out of there with at least $500 worth of culinary knives. Wish I had time to stop by the last time we visited the wife's relatives. The website says that this knife is designed mainly for cutting 'boneless fish meat' for long, smooth cuts to make stuff like sushi! I'm getting hungry.
I happened on a couple of used Dalstrong knives thinking they were high quality Japanese. Unless I misunderstood, Dalstrong is one of the major Chinese manufacturers that make both German and Japanese-style knives. One of these days, I'd like to invest on a nice de-ba knife for fish filleting & bone-breaking. I've been following this Burrfection guy's videos on YT to school me on knife sharpening skills. Contrary to what I understood about folded metal, In his 'Best Japanese Knives' he stated that the folding of the metal had more to do with aesthetics than to blade-strength. His visit to some Japanese master knife-makers was amazing.
Back in my plinking days, a friend turned me onto Flying Dragon Air Rifles who resells the Chinese-made Xisico air guns. Decent stuff at a nice price, but too loud for my neighborhood! Lol.
Yup I was completely wrong. That is definitely a kitchen knife. It does look much different in the full pic. That's what I get for guessing based on the prior pic. The edge profile shows much better in your second pic. It's not as steep a grind as it looked in the first pic... Jeff
Maybe the second from the last symbol is protector ?,,,,,,,, ;D
Riverrat - no, you wern't completely wrong. Much of the kitchen knife designs were drawn from the sword masters. On one part of his visit in Japan, a knife maker had an original samurai sword, inclg chips & scrapes from prior battles(?) They may be 'kitchen knives' but the quality knives made in Japan were built with an obsession for performance cutting. I have a decent set of JA Henckel knives and a couple lower end Wustof Phantom chef knives, but like fishing reels, you can never have enough, eh? My guess is that this is a low-end yanagiba that can be had on ebay for under $30-40, but, hey, I'm no knife expert. I just noticed the flat block handle vs the traditional beveled handles. Doesn't look very comfortable. Since I spend a lot of time & energy in the kitchen - restaurants are overrated & too expensive other than for the anniversary dinners for me to afford. I needed to learn to cook things from scratch but make them tasty & hlthy for the fam. Having quality tools makes the work more enjoyable & effortless. Happy wife, happy life!
In my upcoming woodworking class, I'm looking to see if I can make a checkerboard butcher's block or at least a wood-covered magnetic knife strip like one made on YT. Anyway, thanks so much to all!
- neil
My little collection, to date (read as the x+1 rule :D)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/32/9780_28_02_20_5_36_36_32043381.jpeg)
Petty, usuba, nakiri, yanagiba, gyotu, deba etc.
Vitually all Japanese blades - some original and some re-handled (cutlered).
The central (upside down) one I haven't finished the handle yet.
The handle is a new (to me) material. An incomplete block of stabilised and dyed burr maple which has been cast in resin.
I have no idea what this will look like when it's finally shaped.
The knife rack is a homemade magnetic oak creation.
You can try this website,https://kanji.sljfaq.org/. The knife looks like a traditional sashimi knife, especially if it is single bevel. The blade shape and wooden handle are traditional.I wonder if the Kanji character "kiku"-chrysanthemum, refers to the use of chrysanthemum oil to protect the high carbon steel blade? When you sharpen it, remember the narrow blade angle of Japanese knives.
Perhaps this is a Kikuichi knife.
This what my Onii replied, I asked for the exact translation when he had a min. The kanji indicates:
"It indicates the grade and quality of the blade"
If it's a traditional single bevel yanagiba then sharpen according to this video:
https://www.knifeplanet.net/lesson-5-how-to-sharpen-single-bevel-japanese-knives/
There are a few variations to this method but the link is a good starting point ;)
Your right Neilman it's a yanagiba, or yana-giba.
I have no idea what it says though.
I had mine shipped from Japan.
Quote from: Neilman on February 28, 2020, 02:58:02 AM
Contrary to what I understood about folded metal, In his 'Best Japanese Knives' he stated that the folding of the metal had more to do with aesthetics than to blade-strength.
For what it's worth. While this is true today with new powder steel alloys. with S30 & 35 also S90V & the S110v my favorite for pocket knives & for some production or high use. S110V is not for any one who has trouble putting a sharp on other steels. There is little room for error with it. It will go from whittling a hand held single hair to work sharp fairly quick but will hold a work sharp edge beyond what most other available steel will.
None of the older blade steels no matter heat treat or alloy used will hold an edge as well as the new powderd steels. It's simply impossible. However long ago, depending on who made it the Damascus blades could be better performers than some other methods of long ago ... Jeff
Quote from: Tiddlerbasher on February 28, 2020, 04:45:26 PM
If it's a traditional single bevel yanagiba then sharpen according to this video:
https://www.knifeplanet.net/lesson-5-how-to-sharpen-single-bevel-japanese-knives/
There are a few variations to this method but the link is a good starting point ;)
Thanks for the link!
Steve
So, i asked japanese grandma about it. It is kind of tricky she said, because it is very antiquated language. Like interpreting Shakespeare in ye olde englysh, but with signs.
First sign is chrysanthemum. Second is katana. Last and second last are scrolls, like a certificate or crest, and seperated.
So all told, she gets like, "katana from the family with the chrysanthemum crest" or similar.
She also got the impression of it being a particularly fine or distinguished item.
So now you know...
.
FYI - https://kikuichi.net/pages/about-kikuichi-cutlery
We need to show all the gamers that translation so they stop calling broad swords Katanas :)
The Man