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Jiro Tsuchime Yo Gyuto 255mm Tagayasan Handle (#297)

$1,298.00

Jiro Nakagawa-san (@jiro2310 on Instagram) is a true one-man shokunin that lives alone in the countryside. He sought out skilled craftsmen around Japan including a master sword polisher to learn the techniques of manipulating traditional materials, and have practiced the art of calligraphy for over 20 years to enhance his hand chiseling/engraving. His unique skill sets, humility, and willingness to improve all of his domains as a craftsman make all Jiro forged items worth treasuring for years to come. We are honoured to carry his masterpieces, and cannot wait to see what amazing work he will be putting out in the future.

Jiro’s blades have several unique qualities about them. Start by looking at the blade, each completed with a rustic kurouchi and kasumi finish. Each knife is imbued with a finely finished edge, the result of hand sharpening on Japanese natural stones. All of his White #1 carbon steel knives are water quenched to bolster the hardness in the blade. 

Note that the Yo handles are designed and made by Jiro himself, furnished with generous grooves to accommodate fingers comfortably and counterbalance the weight of the blade (Jiro’s blades have extra heel height and as a result, are heavier for their size). The handle shape will help prevent your hand from slipping, a great attribute when working in humid kitchens or with liquid ingredients.

Finally, the thick tang and neck are a trademark of Jiro-forged blades, done to provide even weight distribution when in use. The thick tang and neck also serve as proof of Jiro’s hand lamination, rather than the pre-laminated blanks that most smiths use for convenience. 

Note: It is important to be careful when working with the tip of the knife, as Jiro prefers to taper his blades very thinly.

As a one-man operation, the number of knives he can produce at a time is very limited and thus, each individual blade we receive from him is revered. One will not easily forget a Jiro blade after seeing one and feeling its presence. Each knife encapsulates Jiro’s craftsman soul and it is impossible not to be moved by one of these. Knife purists looking for  a wholly unique blade with ultimate sharpness and fantastic performance, look no further than Jiro-san’s work.

A chef's knife ('Gyuto' in Japanese) is the most versatile blade that can handle almost anything in the kitchen. Their shape and often generous edge length mean that whether it's cutting small tomatoes or portioning a large roast, you can do it with one blade. Most cooks have multiple chef's knives and it is not hard to justify getting one more when it has so much utility.

 

"All things you can see that have different colours on hard steel are called Aike or Goma Hada (Sesame skin)  which shows up because some dust gets in during forging, or because of the inconsistency of carbon contents.

Modern knife making often uses higher temperatures to avoid this happening, but it is ideal to use lower temperatures because it keeps more carbon contents inside the steel, rather than burning it away.

If you have ever seen any old knives that were forge-welded/laminated by the blacksmiths themselves instead of using a pre-cladded stock/blade blanks, you can see a lot of Aike. When you weld Jigane and Hagane at the best temperature, there is always some leftover agent for hand-laminating/welding, which shows up as Aike or Goma Hada later.

Please understand that he is not only trying to make a clean surface. Because edge quality is most important for us, his forging/quenching process is made to bring out the best condition of his White #1." - Hokuto Aizawa, President of Hitohira.

 

Brand: Jiro 次郎
Blacksmith: Jiro Nakagawa 中川 次郎
Producing Area: Nagano/ Japan
Profile: Gyuto
Size: 255mm
Steel: Yasuki White (Shirogami) #1, Soft Iron Clad
Handle: Tagayasan Western
Total Length: 393mm
Edge Length: 256mm
Handle to Tip Length: 253mm
Blade Height: 55mm
Thickness: 4mm
Handle Length: 244mm
Weight: 315g
Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
Date of manufacture: October 2021

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