Misuzu Hamono Camping Knife

Production: Japan, Miki
Brand: Misuzu Hamono
Model: Petty (compact camping knife)
Total Length: 210 mm
Blade Length: 105 mm
Blade Finish: Migaki (polished)
Blade Type: double-edged
Weight: 55 g
Hardness: 59-60 HRC

The Misuzu Hamono forge, located in the Japanese city of Miki, is known as the first workshop that in 1946 created a blade of carbon steel with exterior layers of stainless steel (San Mai technique). Its founder was Mr. Shinji Suzuki. This special construction achieves extreme sharpness, while the outer stainless layers effectively protect the blade core from corrosion and damage. The current head knifemaker, Mr. Miyawaki, represents the third generation of the family. He gained his experience in the renowned knifemaking city of Sakai and took over the leadership of Misuzu Hamono in 2006.

JP Sanjuzu Cutlery Manufacturing Co., Ltd., 2-9-36 Honmachi, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture 673-0431, Japan, tel. 0794-82-0442, mailto@3suzu.com CZ Tokyo Tools s.r.o., Slovinska 652/19, Prague 10, 10100, CZ, 773707811, info@tokyotools.cz

The blade is made of VG10 stainless steel with high carbon content. VG10 is a Japanese stainless steel considered to be one of the best stainless steels for knife manufacturing. Thanks to its chemical composition, VG-10 combines the advantages of carbon and stainless steel, as it can be very sharp, has great edge retention, is relatively easy to sharpen, and has excellent corrosion resistance. Magnolia wood is used for the handle, which is lacquered with Japanese urushi.

Note: Supplied in original packaging. Includes a wooden sheath with a leather strap.

If you want to keep your Japanese knives in perfect condition, here are a few must-haves:
Wash the knives by hand. Wipe with a dry cloth. Avoid the dishwasher, which can damage the edge and wooden handle. The blade of this knife is made of stainless steel, so it does not require as much care. Nevertheless, it is important to keep the blade clean and dry after use. To restore the appearance, you can oil the blade and handle - preferably with linseed or camellia oil.
Do not use the knife for prying, slicing, or chopping frozen goods or hard materials such as bones, squash, and the like. The blade may chip or break.
Use a quality wooden cutting board for slicing. Store knives in a dry place to prevent oxidation of the steel.
Sharpen the knife regularly on a whetstone, but remember, Japanese knives have a different edge angle, requiring special and gentler whetstones. You can use, for instance, a Japanese whetstone KING or Suehiro.

For more information, see the section knife care.