A trio of world-class Japanese Damascus steel knives
Japanese VG-10 stainless steel paired with camphor wood handles

Niwaki Hamon Damascus Knife Set
Gyuto, Nakiri & Petty

More Information

Perhaps the last three knives you will ever buy. These incredible knives, forged in Sanjo, up in Niigata in the North of Japan (famous, amongst other things, for heavy winter snow and fantastically fresh fish) incorporate hand forged VG-10 stainless steel hagane blades, laminated to a beautiful damascus jigane, creating a highly practical and deeply alluring finish.

The damascus blade is balanced by the grain of the octagonal camphor wood handles (from the enormous Cinnamomum camphora trees that are native to Japan and one often sees growing outside Shinto shrines) and the whole set of three knives sits in a Paulownia kiribako box, wrapped within a white cotton raw-edge tenugui (suggesting, perhaps, the purity and widsom of the Shinto gods).

This range of exquisite knives has been crafted by third generation bladesmiths in Sanjo, the home of blacksmithing in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture. Since the establishment of the forge in 1927, knowledge and technical know-how have been passed down through successive generations, with tradition and innovation working hand in hand. The patent for three-layer stainless steel knives in the late 1950s was starting point for this range, which showcases the best characteristics of stainless steel.

Tips

Use the short Petty for peeling and paring, the square ended Nakiri for vegetables, and the mighty Gyuto for pretty much everything.

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Hamon Damascus Knife Set	$789.00
	exVAT

Delivering to US (Paying in USD) Edit

Please note: By law, we are not permitted to sell a knife or blade to any person under the age of 18. By placing an order for one of these items you are declaring that you are 18 years of age or over. These items must be used responsibly and appropriately.

Niwaki Hamon Damascus Knife Set

1lb 15.7oz
VG-10 Stainless Steel
60 HRC
Camphor handles
Made in Japan
Petty 150mm
Nakiri 165mm
Gyuto 210mm
In Stock - Available to dispatch worldwide, contact us for showroom stock availability

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Knife Care

For better or worse, Western knives are often seen as general purpose kitchen tools, used for cutting, prising, levering and all sorts of other jobs around the kitchen (and sometimes beyond).

Japanese knives should not be viewed this way and it may require a change of mindset to get the best out of your knife and ensure it delivers many years of service.

Cared for correctly, this ought to be the case: the quality of the craftsmanship and the ease with which they can be kept incredibly sharp are two of the main reasons to make the switch to Japanese steel, but that comes at a price: the steel –especially steel with high carbon content - may be more brittle than you are used to and they are not for the heavy-handed or the careless. They are unforgiving tools and you may not get an opportunity to make the same mistake twice.

A good rule of thumb is to show them the same respect you show your poshest wine glasses, but here are some other pointers.

Commons mistakes to avoid:

Leaving wooden handled knives to soak in water.
Washing knives in the dishwasher.
Not storing them carefully: store them individually, not jumbled up with other cutlery.
Cutting into bone. If you’re not sure whether there’s bone, or you know there to be bone present, go very slowly and carefully, or consider using a different knife.
Trying to cut frozen foods.
Cutting down too hard on to the wrong sort of surface, for example kitchen worktops.