Kiwami 210mm Gyoto

Background: Every so often you pick up a knife and know you have something special. This is how I felt when my Toyama brought these knives into my shop. In fact, I ended up buying the display sample because there was no way he was leaving without at least one on the wall. Finding information about the knife itself proved harder than resisting the attraction that pulled me to it. This knife may be light, but this knife has gravity. You have to feel it in your hand to understand.

This knife is a house brand for a knife shop called Kiwami on Kappabashi Street in Japan. Kappabashi is the 5th avenue of cutlery, and Kiwami is Saks. These guys know their knives. Kiwami means “top” in reference to the spine of the knife, a nod of aspiration to being one of the top sellers on Kappabashi. And that they have become; they do so much business in person that this is the first time these knives have been brought to an American market. The maker itself is a closely guarded secret, which is a common practice among house brands to obfuscate against the competition, we do know the blacksmith behind the knife has been making for over 400 years, since the Edo period. 

Construction: This knife starts as an annealed billet of AUS-8 steel, a high-carbon stainless with higher molybdenum, and the addition of vanadium for corrosion resistance and durability.  The billet is folded over itself 10 times before being pounded into the desired shape and then ground to exact dimensions. After heat treatment, the blade is dipped in muriatic acid which pops the Damascus pattern and leaves that signature matte finish. It's then fitted with a Pakkawood handle, which lends the resin to polish to a beautiful waterproof finish. The result is a screaming sharp knife rated to 59 HRC with the added balance of durability and edge retention signature of AUS-8. The corrosion resistance of the steel and the sealed handle make it a great daily driver that you will constantly be reaching for for a variety of tasks.

Why We Like This Knife: Kiwami is a knife shop, first and foremost. They do meticulous onsite sharpening and would never put their name on a knife that wasn't an absolute laser. Despite the matte finish on the blade, when i catch the light on this knife I see a reflection of our shop, a reflection of our principles. This shop wasn't built on name recognition, it was built on proof, and that is a horse I will always bet on.