If you’ve ever heard me talk about Masashi-san you will know I am a huge fan of his. There are many reasons for this. He likes nihon-shu as much as I do, he likes great restaurants almost as much as I do and I love how seriously he takes his craftsmanship. He is the craftsman’s craftsman. He makes knives for chefs that are rugged, mega sharp and look great.

About Masashi Shiroshu - 

Look at this knife! It’s so pretty. I’ve always referred to blades this good-looking as functional art pieces because they’re still tools meant to be used. The simple, elegant handle perfectly contrasts the stunning blade and keeps the knife lightweight yet confident, exactly how I like my kitchen knives.

Masashi-san made this knife from a phenomenal steel called SLD, which he can push to the absolute limits of hardness due entirely to his knifemaking genius and a few top-secret techniques. He sharpens this knife with his unique trademark edge, making the back end a little tougher for chopping and the tip finer for delicate work.

First training with his brother at Yoshikane, then striking out on his own, Masashi Yamamoto relentlessly pursues the creation of a perfect knife using the traditional techniques passed down in his family and augmented by a modern understanding of metallurgy. He’s also a certified badass, forging in flip-flops and lighting cigarettes off red-hot steel like an 80’s action hero.

About the Shape -Inspired by the profile of a traditional European chef knife and badass tip of a Kiritsuke (Traditionally a single bevel knife), double bevel Kiritsukes are a multi purpose knife with a slight meat cutting bias. If you want one knife to do it all, and look cooler than your buddy, this is your knife. For the at-home or professional cook, we recommend a Kiritsuke which measures between 210mm and 240mm long.