A fully handmade knife with a rugged, authentic appearance. Tanaka-san makes the blade slightly taller than we are accustomed to with our other knives. This gives the knife a little more weight, providing a distinct feel and extra stability while cutting. The taller blade also creates a generous contact surface with the food, giving you greater control with every cut.

The blade is sharpened by hand, resulting in an exceptionally thin profile behind the edge and very little resistance while cutting. Combined with the razor-sharp edge, this creates that typical wow effect: the knife glides almost effortlessly through the food.

Matsubara knives are available in two different types of steel: Ginsan and Blue #2. Both steels are known for their excellent cutting performance, but each has its own character and properties. Ginsan is a semi-stainless steel that is relatively easy to maintain, while Blue #2 is a carbon steel known for its excellent sharpness and hardness.

The finish also differs between the two series. The Ginsan series features a traditional nashiji finish. The Blue #2 series has a characteristic tsuchime finish, where the hammer marks give the blade a more rugged character.