Masamoto Sohonten White #2 Hongasumi Takobiki

About Masamoto Shiro-Ko Hongasumi 正本 本霞玉白鋼

The Masamoto Shiro-ko Hongasumi knives are forged in Japan from a combination of white carbon steel #2 and soft iron steel, and handled with magnolia wood and a water buffalo bolster. White steel’s pure carbon content allows for the sharpest cutting edge. The main difference between the kasumi and hongasumi line is found in the crafting process. More steps, higher level craftsman, and greater attention to detail are involved when crafting hongasumi knives, and they therefore are more refined than kasumi knives.

About Masamoto
Minosuke Matsuzawa, the founder of the Masamoto Sohonten Company started making knives in 1866. It was his dream that his family would come to be remembered as knife craftsmen throughout the generations. Now, five generations later, Matsuzawa’s vision has been realized and professionally crafted Masamoto knives have become widely regarded as the finest knives made for professional use.

Purpose of Osaka-saki
The takobiki was originally designed and crafted by the founder of Masamoto Sohonten, Minosuke Matsuzawa. It serves as the Kanto region (Tokyo) variation of the yanagi knife, and is used to slice boneless fish fillets into sashimi. There are rumors that centuries ago when chefs prepared sashimi in front of their guests, it was considered disrespectful to point the sword-like yanagi at their customers, especially nobility. For this reason older restaurants in Tokyo continue to use the takobiki instead of yanagi knives to this day. Its thin body makes cutting thin slices of fish easier than the yanagi. Takobiki means `octopus cutter,’ which refers to how the blunt tip and balanced weight works well on difficult ingredients such as octopus. Originated in Kanto (Tokyo) region.

General knife care tips and warnings

• Never wash knives in the dishwasher
  
• This is not stain resistant. It will rust and discolor after cutting acidic ingredients or if one leaves it wet.
  
• Improper care will result in chipping.
  
• Please wipe knives dry after use to prevent rusting. Korin recommends wiping carbon knives with tsubaki oil to keep moisture off the knife.
  
• Western style knives sold at KORIN have significantly thinner blades than typical Western knives. Use of honing steels or sharpening machines may result in chipping.
  
• We advice all customers to always use sharpening stones to sharpen or hone knives.

  
  

Caution

Please be cautious when inspecting carbon knives with wet hands after purchase. We ask customers to inspect all knives prior to using, and will not accept returns on damaged goods. In the event you receive a rusted knife, please call customer service within 48 hours, and we will be happy to assist you.

For more information, please check our pages on sharpening tips.