Go Yoshizawa is a creative craftsman who is making the family business shine. He is the head-chef of the Nigara's forge, one of the most renowned forges in Japan and worldwide, and famous for damascus work. Yoshizawa-san builds on the solid foundation of steelworking that he has developed over the years to discover and explore new processes. Nigara's forge and its craftsmen continue to amaze us with knives that are as beautiful as they are performing.
The iconic Anmon Damascus pattern from the Nigara Forge found on their high end knives is inspired by the beautiful Anmon Falls in Shirakami-Sanchi Natural Park located near the city of Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture.
Shirakami-Sanchi has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993 and is home to Japan's last virgin beech forest. It is on this site that we find the Anmon-no-Taki (Anmon Falls) trail which allows us to admire the three falls Ichi-no-Taki, Ni-no-Taki and San-no-Taki. The names of the falls translate respectively into first fall, second fall and third fall. Ichi-no-Taki is at the top.
Nigara Hamono's Aogami #2 Damascus series, like the Anmon Damascus series, is inspired by the three falls and the stream that connects them. The Damascus billets are folded to reveal patterns that represent waterfalls and streams in different states when the knives are finished.