Sakai Hinokuni Chucka Bocho Shirogami 1

Sakai Hinokuni - Yukihiro Sakai apprenticed under Daisuke Nishida, of Nishida Knives, where he learnt to forge weld his steel in-house and carries on this tradition his new workshop, Sakai Hinokuni, Kumamoto City, Kyushu Prefecture. His knives are a little heavier, workhorse style knives but extremely sharp.

Shirogami or White Paper steel, is a very pure steel with a high carbon content that was designed to be like traditional Tamahagane, used in sword making. Very popular with Japanese blacksmiths, it takes a fine edge and is very easy to sharpen. Shirogami comes in 3 grades with various levels of carbon, Shirogami #1, #2 & #3.