Tanaka Kama Kogyo is the current head blacksmith and owner of Matsubara Hamono and he along with his wife, son, mother and two other employees work together to produce their amazing knives. Tanakak-san is a very experience bladesmith and began his journey into knife making at only 20 years on in 1982. He and his team create beautiful and high performing knives that are sought after for their amazing heat treatment and tall blades.
Matsubara Hamono is a long standing knife company that can trace it's roots back as far as 1185 when an ancestor of the shop Master Yukiyasu Namiohira joined the Taira clan as a sword maker. The Taira clan was defeated by the Minamoto clan during the battle of Dannoura but Naminohira-san was able to escape and flee to Hyuga (Modern day Miyazaki prefecture) to continue his craft. During the civil war period at the end of the 15th century to the end of the 16th century, Swords were in high demand and the descendants of Naminohiro-san were busy supplying various Daimo with these blades. It was during this time that one of these descendants moved to Matsubara from Hyuga and in addition to making swords started to make sickles for farmers.
This Knife is made from 3 layers of material; A layer of iron on each side protecting a layer of carbon steel at the core, in a process referred to as Sanmai or forge welding. Iron and carbon steel are both susceptible to rust and must be kept dry and clean at all time’s to avoid oxidation and discolouration.
Simply wipe the knife with a damp cloth immediately after use.
Wash with regular dish soap and warm water using a none abrasive sponge or cloth.
Never put your knife in the dishwasher! The extreme heat will ruin the wooden handle.
Highly acidic ingredients (Onions, Tomatoes, Citrus) Will cause rust and oxidation to happen faster, thus the user must ensure the knife is wiped clean immediately after working with such an ingredient.
Should any rust form it can be removed using a rust eraser or a mixture of Baking soda and water to simply scrub it clean.
Avoid Bones, Frozen foods, nuts and hard candies or anything other than fruits, vegetables and proteins.
