Mutsumi Hinoura White Steel No.1 Kurouchi Series MW1-1 Wa Paring 85mm (3.3 Inch)

Mutsumi Hinoura is a forge-smith from Sanjo, Niigata, one of Japan's historic centers of traditional forged knives. Rooted in the techniques and spirit of Echigo blacksmithing, Mutsumi Hinoura has developed his own personal approach to the art of Japanese traditional forged knives — knives that are superbly sharp, highly practical, and aesthetically attractive.

The concept behind the collaborative knives that we have produced with Mutsumi Hinoura is simple: We both wanted to to produce superbly sharp, highly practical and aesthetically attractive high-carbon steel knives that would satisfy the needs and desires of knife enthusiasts who love high-carbon steel knives.

We requested Mutsumi Hinoura uses White Steel No.1 for the core blade steel. It is sandwiched with outer layers of soft stainless steel. The laminated construction means that only the high-carbon steel blade core is likely to discolor or rust, since the outer layers of soft stainless steel are corrosion-resistant and easy to maintain. The layers of soft stainless steel also improve the blade’s resistance to impact and bending forces. White Steel No.1 is made by refining White Steel No.2 and adding more Carbon. The extra Carbon allows it to achieve a slightly higher HRc. than White Steel No.2. It can be sharpened to an exceedingly fine edge, has very good edge retention and is easy to re-sharpen.

The Mutsumi Hinoura White Steel No.1 Wa Paring Knife comes with Handcrafted Octagonal Ebony Wood Handle with Fresh White/Marble Color Water Buffalo Horn Ferrule. The deep black of the Ebony wood and the Fresh White/Marble of the Water Buffalo Horn Ferrule are selected carefully to complement the beautiful Kurouchi finish of the blade.

The Paring knife is useful for a variety of commonplace kitchen tasks, but it is primarily used for peeling and accurately shaping fruits and vegetables. Paring knives are particularly useful when cutting small items held in the hand, which makes them indispensable in the kitchen and an ideal companion for Gyuto knives.

More Information: Unlike many traditionally forged knives, Mutsumi Hinoura's knives have a relatively thick spine at the point where the tang enters the handle (The ‘neck'). In part, this because he forges these laminated knives using a piece of high carbon steel that is much thicker than that commonly used by other forge-smiths. The thick spine and neck makes the knife very strong, very comfortable to hold in a ‘pinch-grip’ and also results in excellent blade balance.

Although some people consider Mutsumi Honoura’s knives to be thick and heavy, their geometry is the result of carefully considering every aspect of their function. Contrary to what you might expect, the process of forging a thick blade 'to shape’ actually requires a lot of time and skill. Mutsumi Honoura’s knives are nicely tapered from their heel to the tip and from their spine down to the cutting edge, which is ground very thin behind the edge. We are confident that these knives will provide the high cutting performance that is demanded by Carbon steel lovers.

Specification

Knife Model:  Mutsumi Hinoura Kurouchi White Steel No.1 Series MW1-1  Wa Paring 85mm

Blade Material: White Steel No.1 with Stainless Steel Cladding

Rockwell Hardness (HRc): 62 to 63

Blade Grind and Edge Shape: Double Bevel Edge 50/50

Handle Material: Octagonal Ebony Wood Handle with Fresh White/Marble Color Water Buffalo Horn Ferrule

Saya Included: No.