can you help me identify this knife please??

[bounoax]

Hello!
I'm a french chef, and recently received this sashimi knife as a gift ,from a friend that's just been to Japan.
The only thing that he knew about it is that it supposed to come from Osaka, I don't know anything of the knife maker and don't read Japanese unfortunately...
If anyone could give me some info about this wonderful knife it would be great.
It is, by far the best blade I've ever seen or used, and I'd like to know a bit more about it.
Many thanks!
Benoit

[Seb]

I believe the kanji characters in the third pic read 'Gin San' ('Silver Three'), also known as Ginsanko, Gingami No.3, silver number three or just G-3 for short. In other words, a premium high carbon stainless steel (http://www.foodieforums.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=55032&postcount=2) with good hardness and high edge-taking properties.

I assume the type of blade is a yanagiba - 'willow leaf blade'. Specifically used for carving very thin slices of fish or flesh. The handles are traditionally made from hou or ho wood, a species of Japanese magnolia and the ferrule or collar is often made from water buffalo horn.

By the way, congratulations on receiving such a wonderful gift. The gift-giver must think very highly of you indeed!

[DrNaka]

The name of this knife is 如銀鳳 Gin Hounogotoshi.
The translation would be "Like a Silver Phoenix".
Because it is made of Gin3 or silver3.

I can tell you the internet site which it sells but...

You can see the price there and if you got it as present I hesitate to do it.

It is a very very good knife for home kitchen. Maybe over speck. It can be a knife for professional use too..

It is a honkasumi knife with octogonal ho handle hand made in Sakai by craftsmen.
.

[bounoax]

Thank you so much both of you for your answers and those details!
DrNaka, I'd be happy to see this internet site, even if it was a present I know more or less how much it costed as I told my friend that I'd like to buy another of those knives. I find this one really good but it's very specific to sushi and sashimi, and though I cook fish mainly, I'd like a knife that I can use more often. Like a deba knife maybe (no idea if I spell that right)
I've heard from a colleague about aritsugu knifes which are supposed to be amazing, are they hard to find or expensive?
What would you recommend to buy?
It took me a little while to get used to this type of blade and my fingers have been scared a few times ;) but now I really find it fantastic. The feel, the weight and the quality of the cut of a traditional knife is really impressive I think, plus it really fells like working with a piece of art and craftsmenship... I'm sorry I haven't discovered that earlier... the rest of my knives feel like toys now!

Now, just to add a detail, in France the tradition is that you have to buy a knife from a friend and not receive it as a gift, you usually give a coin for it, so it wouldn't "cut" the friendship... :)

[Peter]

Bonjour Benoit,

Mme Kawano owns http://www.korin-france.fr/ east of Toulouse. Among others she sells Masamoto and Suisin, both high end knive makers.

Peter

p.s., here in Germany we also don't use to give knives as a gift, it "cuts friendship"

[parmenides]

Good practice to give a coin, even here in Austria.

[Keith]

We have that also give back a dollar for a gift knife,used or new.Cutting fish with a blade like yours is a joy

[Seb]

Benoit, Aritsugus (http://aframestokyo.com/) can ordered from here. And these are two (http://japan-blades.com/) other sites (http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/products.html) that are popular here.

And you are welcome. :)


Thank you so much both of you for your answers and those details!
DrNaka, I'd be happy to see this internet site, even if it was a present I know more or less how much it costed as I told my friend that I'd like to buy another of those knives. I find this one really good but it's very specific to sushi and sashimi, and though I cook fish mainly, I'd like a knife that I can use more often. Like a deba knife maybe (no idea if I spell that right)
I've heard from a colleague about aritsugu knifes which are supposed to be amazing, are they hard to find or expensive?
What would you recommend to buy?
It took me a little while to get used to this type of blade and my fingers have been scared a few times ;) but now I really find it fantastic. The feel, the weight and the quality of the cut of a traditional knife is really impressive I think, plus it really fells like working with a piece of art and craftsmenship... I'm sorry I haven't discovered that earlier... the rest of my knives feel like toys now!

Now, just to add a detail, in France the tradition is that you have to buy a knife from a friend and not receive it as a gift, you usually give a coin for it, so it wouldn't "cut" the friendship... :)

[DrNaka]

Thank you so much both of you for your answers and those details!
DrNaka, I'd be happy to see this internet site, even if it was a present I know more or less how much it costed as I told my friend that I'd like to buy another of those knives. I find this one really good but it's very specific to sushi and sashimi, and though I cook fish mainly, I'd like a knife that I can use more often. Like a deba knife maybe (no idea if I spell that right)


This brand is sold at 3 Jaapnese internet sites all from the same shop.

Here are the deba you want:

http://www.houcho.com/shop/default.php?cPath=22_37_47

Rakuten shop:
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/houcho/h6de0165/

Yahoo shop:
http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/houcho/h6de0165.html

These shops do not ship to EU.

You must use a agent.

Recently a member of this forum used this agent:

http://www.fromjapan.co.jp/index_top.php?lang=en

[bounoax]

Thank you so much to all of you! you were great help! I'll have a look and probably will bother you again, asking your opinion soon! ;)