The Living Blade: How Knives Evolve Over Time

Since the start of the ‘Hayate’ series project in 2002, we’ve had a collection of outlet knives that didn’t quite meet our strict standards, and they’ve been sitting on the shelf.

From that shelf, I lightly honed the edge of a Hayate knife that’s been there for over five years. People say that older knives are better, and I have to agree—this one is incredibly tight. It feels so firm and resilient that I wondered if it might be even harder than MizuHonyaki! Of course, the sharpness is exceptional too, and I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to take it through a full Honbazuke process.

But, since this knife needs to be delivered to a customer, I resisted the temptation.

There’s a way to completely lock the steel in place, but if you’re aiming for something truly exceptional, it might be worth watching the knife develop over time. (Though, the slight movement can be a bit of a drawback…)

• 2011-02-23