Scale and printable drawings of blade types.

Started to develop to scale PDF drawings to describe blade size and shape. You can download, print and have a actual size example of each blade.

Copy and paste the link below into your web browser to download the PDF.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5162646/Wa-Gyuto%20vs.%20sujbiki%20.pdf

If this is helpful I will add the entire collection of blades we have to offer. Let me know what you think.

Special blades

I would like dedicate a small section of this blog to the competition knives of Hide™ knives. Hide almost always comes in first place if not in the top three. Enjoy some samples of his work. 

White Steel vs. Blue Steel

We offer several types of steel in our web shop. A special stainless steel developed for Sakai knife making. White steel one of the purest Japanese steels on the market and Blue steel. White steel is just a bit softer than blue steel and very pure. A perfect blend of pure iron ore and carbon. You don't have to understand Japanese to see the difference. The blacksmiths of Sakai use a simple pattern on the backs of their knives. Notice the two photos below. 

White steel 

White steel you see a straight line almost parallel with the spine of the knife. 

 Blue steel

Blue steel you see a wavy line almost parallel with the spine of the knife. 

Stainless steel you will see an uniform color. 

West meets East

Allan Holmberg and Sakai Japanese Knives

Trying to work between two different cultures is not always easy. Traditional knife making has deep roots, both in the Nordic and Japanese cultures. The Nordic culture has concentrated on handles and materials accompanied with a basic blade shape. The Japanese traditional craftsman has focused on the edge. It seems only logical to try to bring them closer together in an exchange of philosophy and technique. 

This is easier said than done. First you have to find intuitively curious individuals that are for lack of a better word, courageous. Individuals with an involvement and love for their craft that has led to an insatiable curiosity.

As I find time will share my experiences with developing this project.

This is the first result of an unusual marriage between West and East traditional knife making. 

The blade is unique and there is only one in the world crafted by Japanese Masters. It is Kasumi blade, hand forged of Japanese blue steel. It is a traditional single bevel blade. The single bevel offers a superior cutting edge and diversity of sharpening. 

Our partner here in the Nordic region is proud of his status as, Hovleverantör, (purveyor to his majesty the king of Sweden). He has made thousands of Knives in his life time and his work shop is littered with bags of finished projects. He simply enjoys the discovery of form. He does little or no machine work, forming each pice by hand. The joy comes from finding pattern in each material and he works with many. The first project was a knife for himself that he intended to use and had used often. 

One of the greatest assets of a traditional Japanese knife is the "Single Bevel" design. In conjunction with it's hollowed back it offers a variety of sharpening configurations. Making it one of the most versatile outdoor/hunting knives.

Traditional Japanese Handles.

The two types of traditional Japanese Handles. 

An Octagon handle.

Looking parallel to the handle you see an Octagon shape.

Octagon handle from the side. 

A Shinogi handle is rounded with a soft edge. 

The edge is to ensure a firm grip. 

The Japanese knife Handle, a 600 year old marriage of wood and steel.

The philosophy of the Japanese Handle. 

The Japanese knife handle is one that has developed over generations and is very complicated in it's simplicity.  As in most good design, often it's a matter of removing everything unnecessary until it's intrinsic value is revealed. Because the blade will last generations the handles are designed to be comfortable and sturdy but also to be replaced when worn out after a lifetime of use. The Japanese have developed an ingenious and collective solution. 

Relationship of materials. 

Big leaf magnolia is the most common material used for handles. It is plentiful and easy to shape because of it's straight grain. A closed grain wood that resists water and accepts and holds a natural Japanese wax to make the handle water tight. It has just the right softness to lock on to the blade tang like a vice but just enough toughness to resist wear. Most chefs would agree a natural wood handle is more comfortable to hold and eventually will wear and fit your personal grip. Buffalo horn is used for the bolster to strengthen and support the handle. No glue or pins are needed because each tang is hand mated to it's wooden counterpart. This is unique with the hand made Japanese kitchen knives.  The Japanese knife makers have developed this way of securing the handle without glue or pins so the handle can be replaced after a generation of use. This design allows the handle to be removed without disturbing the balance or integrity of the blade. The wood is split and releases the blade. The the new handle is fitted perfectly for another generation of use. 

Split mongolia

Shape, form and weight of the handle. 

First the Japanese focus weight on the blade for the obvious reason, the blade will do the work and the hand is there to guide it. In fact the philosophy  behind slicing is that the blade should be a seamless extension of the hand.   Therefore it is only natural that the handles are lightweight. Comparing to a western knife where the weight is mostly in the handle to ensure a tight grip to push the knife through the food. In addition Western blades are usually wider and force needs to be applied to push it through the food. Every millimeter of the Japanese blade is designed to slice through food fibers with little resistance. Also the western chefs knife is designed to do just about every type of cutting. It's a good choice for a home kitchen when you will only have one knife but a bad choice for specific needs. In comparison the Japanese chef will have a specific designed blade for a very specific chores.  Each designed to cut effortlessly. This is one reason for the collective handle design. With so many knifes the Japanese cooks have come to an consensus for a handle that works well in all the different slicing situations. No matter which task the chef has the grip of the individual knife will feel the same. 

Buffalo horn boiled and softened. When placed on the handle it will shrink and lock it's self in place.  

Add caption Buffalo horn. Only the tips are used. 

The tang of the knife blade is burned into the handle to ensure a perfect fit. 

Waiting, a modern business philosophy,

While other companies pride themselves on fast delivery we are proud to say we take time with your orders.

We are a very small an intimate company. The knife maker we represent has built an impeccable reputation in the Osaka region of Japan. Hide knife has done so by meeting with each individual buyer over the years. Hide is always interested in how they will use the knife and what they will use it for. We do our best to continue and represent Hide in this manner  The Hide knife is made with personal adjustments and sharpening for that particular individual. We do our best to communicate with each client. Offering the only Multilingual hand made Japanese knife sites. We offer customers multi-currency with daily update on currency exchange. Because of our close relationship with the maker we also can offer a larger number of personalized choices. There is no other web shop that can offer so many choices of each type of traditional knife. This of course means the wait is a bit longer because the knife will be made specifically to your order. The approximate wait for a knife is usually about 4 weeks. This is very fast considering your knife is handmade from the forge to the handle to the grind and sharpening. This is an unique service we offer and appreciate your patience.