Masamoto Sohonten White #2 Kasumi Takobiki

The Masamoto Shiro-ko Kasumi grade knives are handcrafted in Japan using a combination of white carbon steel #2 and soft iron. White steel is a form of pure carbon steel that provides the user with the sharpest cutting edge. Kasumi knives are more affordable than hongasumi, making them ideal for traditional knife beginners.

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 Takobiki
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.