Kenshiro Hatono is a young and very talented smith who has been working as an apprentice under Katsuyasu Kamo in the Takefu knife village for about 5 years. He is preparing to open his own business and will begin producing knives under his own name in larger quantities next spring (2024) if all goes to plan. We are very excited to have his knives in our shop and look forward to seeing him grow as a smith over the coming years. He is able to work with a variety of steels, can produce many different finishes and along with his excellent edge geometry we are expecting big things from him!
The Knife
This gyuto has a beautiful layered Damascus blade -- truly a showstopper! 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. This knife has nice blade geometry, thin at the spine and behind the edge but not so much so that we would describe this knife as delicate and would highly recommend it for anyone just starting their Japanese knife journey.
This petty has a beautiful layered Damascus blade -- truly a showstopper! Petty knives are great for all the little things: Chopping shallots and garlic, mincing herbs and butchering small proteins. They function perfectly as a line knife as well as they're nimble, don't take up much space but can still accomplish a wide variety of tasks. This also makes them a great option for home cooks looking for something capable they can leave out on the counter all day.
