Nigara "Anmon" Aogami #2 Kurosome Damascus Kiritsuke Yanagiba

The extraordinary quality of the artisan hand-forged Damascus finish on this "Anmon" Kiritsuke Yanagiba is simply the best we have ever seen, period. The 7th generation owner of Nigara Hamono, an art-enthusiast himself, designed this unique pattern in 2008 after being inspired by Andy Warhol's artwork as well as the Anmon Waterfalls adjacent to the city of Hirosaki, where Nigara was founded 350 years ago. The fit and finish of this knife are simply second to none - from fluidly polished choil to the amazingly unique Damascus steel that wraps around the spine and even extends to the backside of the knife (reaching the hazakai), not to mention beautiful grind and smooth tapering. The cladding has an almost pearl-mosaic like appearance which is extremely unique. Paired with a premium Hachikaku (octagonal) handle made of ebony wood and buffalo horn, this “Anmon” Kiritsuke Yanagiba is truly an amazing knife.

Spec:

• Origin (Made in): Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
• Brand: Nigara Hamono
• Craftsman: Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa (吉澤 剛)
• Knife Type: Kiritsuke Yanagiba
• Blade
• Construction: Awase (Kasumi)
• Grind: Single Bevel (Right-handed)
• Hagane (Core Steel): Aogami #2 (Blue #2)
• Jigane (Cladding): Carbon Steel
• Hardness: 62-63 HRC
• Hand-forged, hand-grinded, hand-sharpened
• Blade Finishes:
• Damascus ("Anmon" Pattern)
• Kurosome (Black Etched)
• Blade Length: 240mm (9.4") / 270mm (10.6") / 300mm (11.8") / 330mm (13.0")
• Blade Height (at heel): 35mm / 41mm / 39mm / 47mm
• Spine Thickness
• Above heel: 3.5mm / 3.5mm / 3.5mm / 4mm
• Middle: 3.1mm / 3.3mm / 3.3mm / 3.5mm
• Handle
• Premium Custom Handle
• Shape: Hachikaku (Octagonal)
• Material: Ebony
• Kuchiwa: Buffalo Horn
• Ginmaki: Nickel Silver (x1) / Nickel Copper (x3)
• Length: 145mm / 146mm / 146mm / 153mm
• Overall Length: 399mm / 428mm / 449mm / 490mm
• Weight: 221g (7.80oz) / 271g  (9.56oz) / 289g  (10.19oz) / 293g (10.34oz)
• Engraved Mark: In Japanese Kanji "Nigara Made" (二唐作)

About Nigara Hamono 二唐刃物

With 350 years of history, starting from making swords for Tsugaru clan in the early Edo period, Nigara Hamono has passed down knowhow and skills for eight generations. Its 5th generation blacksmith Kunitoshi Nigara was a legendary sword maker, earning a long list of accolades, honorary titles and knighthood. The current (8th) generation blacksmith — Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa is supported by his father Toshiju Yoshizawa who has keen interests in art and music. Nigara’s famous Anmon design is the result of Toshiju’s love for Andy Warhol’s artworks. The family business’ expansion into construction steelworks has given Nigara unmatched access to in-house knowhow when it comes to advanced finishing. All these set Nigara apart as one of the most special knife makers in Japan.

Care:

Aogami #2 (Blue #2) steel is a premium Japanese high carbon steel for knife making. Despite some corrosion resistant quality (for a carbon steel), it is not stainless, therefore you should wipe your knife dry after each use. Patina will develop over time. Rust may develop if left in prolonged contact with water or acidic food. Use a rust eraser to clean if rusts develop. Avoid cutting into bones, frozen foods, hard fruit pits.

Cutting Surface:

Recommended cutting surface: wood, rubberized boards and high-end composites, and quality plastics such as polyethene make acceptable cutting surfaces, and will help protect and prolong knife’s edge. AVOID glass, metal, countertops, and other rigid, non-forgiving surfaces.

Sharpening:

We recommend sharpening all quality Japanese knives on whetstones, as we believe they yield the best results for your knives.