Nigara Hamono has been appointed by the region of Tsugaru to make Japanese swords over 350 years ago. As one of the few noble swordsmiths in Japan, they have continued to preserve this art. During the Showa period, the 5th generation Kunitoshi Nigara, the master swordsmith, was a legendary swordsmith praised for his work and considered a national treasure.

Today, the 8th generation young blacksmith Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa, (son of the company’s president Toshiju Yoshizawa), is evolving the family traditions creating unique knives.

The VG-10 Tsuchime / Damascus series is trully amazing – not that we expected anything less from Nigara.. Features a beautiful special texture Tsuchime in the top part of the blade that improves food release and a wavy Damascus pattern on the lower part of the blade. The combination is really unique, producing a special series. Fully stainless VG-10 steel, add to the practicality of the knife as it needs minimum care. A beautiful Ebony handle without ferule, completes the art work.

The Bunka is a multi-purpose knife, similar to Nakiri, with usually a higher profile and a slightly different nose shape. Recommended mainly for push cut, slice and chopping cutting techniques.