Isamitsu Hamono is operated by Yuki Abe-san and Gaku Kanatsu-san, former apprentices of a legendary blacksmith near Sakuragawa. Abe-san, head of Isamitsu, possessed a great interest in knives since his youth and eventually knocked on the door of a certain legendary blacksmith to seek out an apprenticeship. After 15 years of apprenticeship and learning, Abe-san and his colleague Kanatsu-san started Isamitsu Hamono in 2022.

As knife makers, they constantly reflect on their past mistakes, never resting on their laurels, always striving to craft better knives and improve their methods. It’s a philosophy that chefs are familiar with, and it suits knife-making well. They hope their apprentices will one day outdo them and reach even higher heights. This attitude leads a person to create some of the best knives in the world, and it marks a promising future for Isamitsu Hamono.

About the Shape -This is also a multi-purpose knife, but with a slight vegetable bias. Santoku means 'Three Virtues' or 'To solve Three Problems'. The virtues or problems are slicing, dicing and mincing. Santoku is usually found in 160mm - 190mm lengths. These are more and more popular in Western kitchens due to their unique shape and smaller easy-to-handle size.