Nigara "Anmon" R2/SG2 49 Layers Kurosome Damascus Kiritsuke Petty

The extraordinary quality of the artisan hand-forged Damascus finish on this "Anmon" Kiritsuke Petty 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 at the World Heritage Shirakami Mountains adjacent to the city of Hirosaki, where Nigara was founded 350 years ago. The fit and finish of this knife are amazing - from the choil to spine, not to mention beautiful grind and smooth tapering. The level of polishing has gone up even further in the last few years, and these "Anmon" knives have to be seen to be truly appreciated. You'll be mesmerized.

Spec:

• Origin (Made in): Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
• Brand: Nigara Hamono
• Craftsman: Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa (吉澤 剛)
• Knife Type: Kiritsuke Petty
• Blade
• Construction: San Mai
• Grind: Double-edged Blade (50/50 Grind)
• Hagane (Core Steel): R2/SG2
• Jigane (Cladding): Stainless Steel
• Hardness: 62-63 HRC
• Hand-forged, hand-ground, hand-sharpened
• Blade Finishes: 
  • Damascus
    
  • Kurosome (Black Etched)
• Blade Length: 105mm (4.1") / 135mm (5.3")
• Blade Height (at heel): 30mm / 31mm
• Spine Thickness
• Above heel: 1.7mm / 1.8mm
• Middle: 1.6mm / 1.6mm
• Handle
• Shape: Hachikaku (Octagonal)
• Material: Wenge / Ebony
• Kuchiwa: Buffalo Horn
• Ginmaki: Nickel Copper (x2)
• Length: 120mm / 120mm
• Overall Length: 242mm / 271mm
• Weight:
• Wenge: 57g (2.01oz) / 60g (2.12oz)
• Ebony: 83g  (2.93oz) / 87g (3.07oz)
• 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 know-how 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 a keen interest 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 know-how when it comes to advanced finishing. All these set Nigara apart as one of the most special knife makers in Japan.

Care:

Wash and dry with a soft sponge, and safely store after use. 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 polyethylene 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.