Masutani-sanworks in a small shop behind his house located in the famous Takefu Knife village. He primarily works on his own but gets help from his two grandson's on the weekends and his Son in law who he would like to take over the business when he retires. He is a master sharpener and takes great pride in making sure every knife that leaves his shop is razor sharp. He makes beautiful and affordable knives that we highly recommend to home users looking for something that performs well, won't break the bank and is easy to maintain.
Takefu Knife Village
The Takefu Knife Village is a cooperative workshop in the Echizen region of Japan. It is the home to a long list of blacksmiths that we work with and many young and upcoming apprentices learning the trade. The area has a 700 year long history of smithing with roots in agricultural tools turned cutlery powerhouse.
The Knives
This particular Gyuto is quite light and is balanced right down the middle. The thin blade gives it a really amazing cutting feel and the VG-1 Gold steel has good edge retention. The Gyuto is the Japanese equivalent to the standard western style chefs knife and is easily the most versatile knife shape available. It can be used to chop fruits and vegetables, slice meat and is even great at breaking down smaller fish.
Fantastic Nakiri for home users especially vegetarians/vegans. Nakiri are designed specifically for vegetable chopping due to their tall blades and flat edges which are ideal for up and down chopping. This knife has a very slight curve to the blade though so if you prefer to use a rocking motion when chopping you're perfectly capable of doing so. Nice and light, thin blade that has an amazing cutting feel; it's balance is slightly blade heavy. We like to call Nakiri the stir-fry knife as it can help you get one done in mere minutes once you've mastered the up and down chopping motion.
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.
