Manaka Hamono Tanrenjo (間中刃物鍛錬所) was founded in 1872 in the town of Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture. Kisuke Manaka (Shunsuke Manaka's real name), represents the 5th generation of Manaka blacksmiths even though he is not a direct descendant of the Manaka lineage since it was by uniting with the Manaka family through marriage that he began to be interested in blacksmithing. His father-in-law (4th generation) did not master the art of forging and was a knife dealer relying 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 by using the tools and blacksmithing books that his grandfather in laws (3rd generation) left behind. He learned to master all aspects of forging and is known for his mastery of the Warikomi method, which he even extended to stainless steels like rts-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. Of course, like Aogami No. 2, tungsten is also added, so "stickiness" and "wear resistance" are still alive.’’
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