What I thought last night

Late at night, while writing an article about hardening, I had an intriguing thought. Is it possible to create a thin knife with substantial weight? Something like a 300mm Fugu-nuki knife that carries the heft of a 300mm Yanagiba. It occurred to me that for precision slicing, we need knives that are thin and agile, allowing ingredients to glide effortlessly. It’s not about wanting a lighter knife for cutting; a bit of weight in a knife can make it easier to work with and reduce hand fatigue.

While achieving an astonishing level of heft might be challenging, I believe that if we diligently follow the wisdom of seasoned craftsmen, we could make it a reality. They might initially say, ‘No way!’ but it’s worth a conversation, asking, ‘Is something like this possible?’ If it can be done, we might see the birth of something entirely new!

hibishugyo

2007-02-22