Kishubusshin, mirror-polished on the front side

Today, I performed Honbazuke sharpening on a custom-ordered knife:
180mm Deba, Kishubusshin, mirror-polished on the front side, with a Ho octagonal handle, no sheath, and hand-sharpened Honbazuke finish.

For this Honbazuke, I focused on achieving a balance of sharpness and durability by incorporating an Itohiki edge into the naturally formed Hamaguri blade profile.

In the photo, the edge may appear thin, but rest assured, it has a solid core and a well-structured finish.

The back side of the knife’s tip is nicely in contact with the stone. The spine side, however, has a slight gap—but that’s actually the correct structure! Be careful not to over-sharpen just to eliminate this small gap.

As for the blade’s bite, it’s exactly what you’d expect from White #2 steel—gripping firmly and slicing cleanly through.

Durability might be a concern, but I believe Togashi’s craftsmanship has that well covered.

• 2017-10-27