The Blacksmith

Nigara Hamono is located in Hirosaki city, Aomori Prefecture, on the west coast of the very northern tip of the main island of Honshu, Japan. Their family has a 350 year old history of making knives and swords and more recently has expanded into structural steel beams for use in construction. Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa stands as the 8th generation smith in the lineage of blacksmiths at Nigara Hamono and creates knives with his younger brother and two other craftsmen.

Nigara Hamono knives are characterized by their signature tsuchime pattern, as well as play with stainless damascus. The Anmon line is inspired by the Anmon waterfalls, also located in Aomori prefecture, on the western most part, in Shirakami-Sanchi, designated as a natural World Heritage site. These knives stand out for their aesthetic appeal, thinness behind the edge, and functionality, given they make their steel in house, and work primarily with high powdered stainless steels. They produce uniquely versatile profiles, ranging from very flat “kiritsuke nakiris” to aggressively curved “kiritsuke gyutos”.

The Knife

The Gyuto is the Japanese equivalent to a standard western style Chef's knife and is THE most versatile shape available. It can be used to break down fish and other animals, chop vegetables with both an up and down and rocking motion, slice cooked and raw proteins and anything else you can think of. We highly recommend this shape to anyone looking for that one go to knife they can grab with confidence for any task. 

Knife Care (Stainless Steel)

• Although this knife is made from stainless steel we do still encourage our customers to keep their knives as dry and clean as possible.
• NO DISHWASHER - the high heat will ruin the wooden handle.
• Wash and dry by hand using regular dish soap and warm water using a none abrasive sponge or cloth.
• Ensure the knife is dry before being put away for storage and ensure the edge of the knife is protected to avoid any unnecessary dulling.
• Avoid Bones, Frozen foods, nuts and hard candies or anything other than fruits, vegetables and proteins.