Wabocho, traditional Japanese kitchen knives

Wabocho knives

Additional information:
Manufacturing

Tradition and art need special attention and appropriate care.
This is also true of Japanese cooking knives.
Please take a few minutes to read this as it will enhance your pleasurefrom your 'Wabocho'.
Each Wabocho has a carbon steel blade which will become slightly darker when used.
This discoloration is absolutely safe, it is called the 'working colour'.
Nevertheless, please take care to clean and dry the blade immediately after use.
Never leave the knife in washing water.
No mechanical parts like rivets are used in assembling the 'Wabocho' blade and handle.
They are joined together by a special firing process.
You should avoid any powerful rotating or shaking movements.
The blade is not processed on principle at the lower end towards the handle.
This is for rust protection.
Any dark discoloration where the handle joins the blade is not rust but a feature of the firing process described above.
Marble, glass and hard plastic boards are not suitable as cutting surfaces.
This can cause irreparable damage to the blade of the 'Wabocho' as it is extremely hard (62-63 HRC) and very finely ground.
For this reason, we only recommend soft wooden boards.
Chopping, levering and turning movements damage the blade.
The 'Wabocho' is not designed for such movements and they must be avoided.
Only sharpen the knife on a waterstone or on a high-quality alumina ceramic such as Spyderco's benchstones.
Sharpening steels, mechanical sharpeners and dry running grindstones are absolutely unsuitable.
Oil the blade lightly after use to protect it from rust.
We assume no guarantee for damage incurred by incorrect use reserve the right not to recognise such claims.