Manaka Hamono Tanrenjo (間中刃物鍛錬所) was founded in 1872 in Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture. Kisuke Manaka (real name Shunsuke Manaka) represents the 5th generation of Manaka blacksmiths even though he is not a direct descendant of the lineage.
He became interested in blacksmithing through marriage to the Manaka family. His father-in-law (4th generation) did not master the art of forging: he was a knife dealer and relied on the reputation of the Manaka forge to sell blades that were not completely hand-forged. Since his father-in-law could not teach him the art of blacksmithing, Kisuke Manaka taught himself using the tools and blacksmithing books that his grandfather-in-law (3rd generation) had left behind. He learned to master all aspects of blacksmithing. Today, he is best known for his mastery of the Warikomi method, which he has even extended to stainless steels like ATS-34 and ZDP-189. His "Enn Damascus" series of knives, with a core of Aogami #1 covered with a mixture of Aogami #2 and soft iron, is his most prestigious and reflects the full extent of his talent.
“ Kisuke's Aogami No. 1 has a better bite than Aogami No. 2. The carbon content is about 1.35%, which is 0.2% higher than Aogami No. 2, which makes it possible to produce a biting sharpness that was not possible with Aogami No. 2. “ - manaka-hamono.com
www.manaka-hamono.com
Kiritsuke Gyuto is a cross between traditional kiritsuke and gyuto. The profile of the cutting edge is generally straighter and the tip is cut, similar to the kiritsuke, while the double bevel is characteristic of the gyuto. Kiritsuke Gyuto acts as a chef's knife in your kitchen and can do most of the tasks. It is usually found between 210 and 270 mm.
