Yasuaki Taira White #1 Steel Mizu Honyaki Yanagiba 330mm 
One SIde Mirror Polished, Wide Bevel Grind,
Paulownia Box & Signed Certificate Included.
* Blade only
 

※ This item is a bare blade without a handle. If you purchase a handle together with the blade, we will mount the handle before shipping your order.
 

※ A paulownia wood box and a certificate hand-signed by Yasuaki Taira are included with the purchase.
 

[About White Steel (Shirogami)]

White steel (Shirogami) is a traditional Japanese high-carbon steel made with almost no alloying elements, focusing on very pure iron and carbon for a clean, simple composition.

This high purity gives White steel a very fine grain structure that can be sharpened to an extremely keen, precise edge with quick, satisfying feedback on the stones.

Because it contains no stainless additives, however, it is highly reactive to moisture and acids and must be wiped dry, making it a favorite of chefs and enthusiasts who value maximum sharpness and classic carbon-steel cutting feel over ease of maintenance.
 

[Blacksmith Yasuaki Taira]

Born in 1965, Yasuaki Taira first trained in Sakai after high school, learning traditional Japanese knife polishing at Ajioka Hamono before returning to Fukuoka to inherit his father Morihiro’s forging techniques.

From his workshop Morihiro Hamono in Yame, he is one of the rare craftsmen who forges, heat-treats and sharpens every blade himself, keeping production very limited.

Today Taira is especially known among enthusiasts for his mizu-honyaki work: mono-steel blades hardened in water and brought to a full mirror finish, often with striking Mt. Fuji, moon or wave hamon patterns.

He repeatedly forges, quenches and tempers until the steel behaves exactly as he intends, then spends most of his time on the final multi-step hand sharpening, believing that the last few percent of performance are completed on the stones.

The result is an almost resistance-free cutting feel that has created long waiting lists for his knives, and in 2019 his craftsmanship was formally recognised by the Japan Culinary Culture Preservation Association.


[Notes after Purchasing a Saya (Sheath)]

1. Avoid long-term storage inside the saya

Even if there is no visible moisture on the blade, keeping the knife inside a sealed saya for a long period can trap humidity and may cause rust. For long-term storage, please take the knife out of the saya and store it separately.


2. If any problem occurs after purchase
Notes When Purchasing a Saya (Wooden Sheath)Avoid long-term storage in the sayaEven if the blade is completely dry, keeping it sealed inside the saya for a long time can trap moisture and cause rust.For long-term storage, please remove the knife from the saya.Be careful not to scratch the blade when inserting itTo help minimize scratches, the opening on the inside of our saya is finished with a velvet lining.However, scratches may still occur due to careless insertion or removal, so please keep this in mind when purchasing.

As this is considered a matter of normal use and handling, we may not be able to repair or compensate for scratches that occur during use.