{"product_id":"hackberry-watarase-yanagiba-300mm","title":"Hackberry Watarase Yanagiba 300mm","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA single-bevel creation by Shoichi Hashimoto would stand at the apex of any connoisseur's collection of world-class chef's knives, and this one-of-a-kind 300mm yanagiba — completed with a custom handle of spalted hackberry and nickel silver by Isaiah Schroeder — is as rare and extraordinary as they come. Each object crafted by Shoichi in his Hiroshima studio is a study in refined form and unyielding function. Meticulously devised from the ground up, his damascus steel formulations serve as both starting point and canvas for every finished, working tool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis particular Watarase (渡瀬) damascus blade — named for the term meaning a shallow river that can be crossed on foot — is especially rare due to the complexity and number of individual damascus patterns combined to form its structure. Multiple patterns, created across different periods, come together to define the blade's back, cutting edge, and upper section of softer steel. At the edge are 555 layers composed of Hitachi Shirogami No.1 and No.2, Aogami No.1 and No.2, and two additional Hitachi alloys — a finished material originally developed for a personal project before being refined here into a hardened, meticulously honed cutting edge of exceptional sharpness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe softer cladding material was initially assembled for a series of art knives and later repurposed for this Watarase yanagiba. While complete specifications for every element are not fully documented, existing records indicate that at least ten individual damascus billets — assembled over several years in the early 2010s — were combined. These include billets with recorded inputs of 301, 303, and 887 layers, as well as others labeled 76x and 168y, denoting the number of folds performed. Assembly of the final billet began on June 6th, 2017, and likely resulted in a total layer count reaching into the tens of thousands, at which point certain areas of the side-by-side alloys become nearly indistinguishable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the materials complete, Shoichi forged and shaped the right-handed, single-bevel blade seen here — a tool traditionally designed for a singular purpose: sashimi preparation. A concave ura on the blade's left face is paired with a crisp shinogi and primary bevel, or kireha, on the right, which tapers with slight convexity toward a fine hasaki, finished with a nearly imperceptible secondary bevel. Final edge polishing and sharpening are entrusted to Shoichi's trusted colleague, specialist Mr. Takahaashi. Isaiah Schroeder's spalted hackberry and nickel silver handle completes the build — a singular work of culinary art by two artists, separated by an ocean, united in the same standard of craft.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shoichi Hashimoto - Japan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54183326777619,"sku":"SHM-HCK16-H","price":12500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0735\/1749\/8643\/files\/slicer-sujihiki-shoichi-hashimoto-japan-hashimoto-watarase-yanagiba-300mm-1239292915.jpg?v=1779577597","url":"https:\/\/eatingtools.com\/products\/hackberry-watarase-yanagiba-300mm","provider":"Eatingtools","version":"1.0","type":"link"}