Who's the loveless of Japanese custom knives

H

HondaRR

Joined
Apr 8, 2009
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27
Please help before i go mad ....

As title states who is the Bob.L of Japanese custom knife making ! I dont mean chef knives im talking Folders & Fixed , specifically Fixed

Why i asking, I found a japanese knife site last week and there was a maker who had modern knives very similar to Rockstead fixed blades but priced at $8000-$10,000, now this weekend i tried to find this website and this phantom knife maker and after 3 days of Googling im no closer and its really really starting to p1ss me off !! :grumpy:

If anyone can help please please chip in .. I really need some sleep.

Makers who its NOT :
Mamoru Shigeno
Masao Takahashi
Shigaru Tozaki
Ryuichi Kawamura .. Yes i know he only makes folders :)
Harumi Hirayama


So any idea's ?


Thanks In Advance ....
 
Yasunaga? Another of the myriad of quality Japanese makers.

Coop
 
Why silly boy, it is absolutely Yoshindo Yoshihara.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Murray White said:
STeven -- does YY make FBs? Thought he was only a sword maker.
Click to expand...

He makes fixed blades, Murry....many of them. He is arguably the most famous living blade maker in Japan. Loveless made a handful of folders....not well.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Hi!

It's probably not him, since his pricing is rather modest in comparison, but you could give Kansei Matsuno a closer look. He also makes some Loveless style knives. I own quite a few of his folders and absolutely love them! Also, a very nice person to talk to!

The Rockstead part makes me think of Kiku Matsuda btw.

Regards,
Alex
 
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Many many thanks Gentleman

Alas my search is over ,i've just found a post from the 2005 Japanese Knife Guild and Yep in one of the photos is Katsumi Kitano.

So as i made the very naive comparison to B.Loveless ,in all honesty has anyone any views on Katsumi Kitano ? My comparison was mainly due to his prices, but i did read he only makes 3 knives per year and is one of the co-designers Rockstead knives.


Thanks again ..
 
Katsumi Kitano is a different style maker even in Japan.
As far as I know, he only attend the knife show in Seki, Japan.

Especially he is eager for research or use of new blade steels.
Sometimes I can see his knives in Japanese dealer's site.
I think you already know the site...
http://knife-life.jp/shop/master/katsumi-kitano

I remember also his knives could be seen in Youtube.
 
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Truthfully, I'd like to see a few images of Yoshindo Yoshihara's work as it relates to the title of the thread: Custom Knives.

Myself, I've only seen current renditions of classic Japanese knives. I guess that is the same? Or did the OP mean in regards to Loveless STYLE knives. Real question.

Coop
 
SharpByCoop said:
Truthfully, I'd like to see a few images of Yoshindo Yoshihara's work as it relates to the title of the thread: Custom Knives.

Myself, I've only seen current renditions of classic Japanese knives. I guess that is the same? Or did the OP mean in regards to Loveless STYLE knives. Real question.

Coop
Click to expand...

Me, too! "All" I have seen are swords, and he is of course THE MAN. I have his book "The Art of the Japanese Sword" and have poured over it so many times the pages are falling out. Would love to see any fixed blade knives he made.
 
Truly, the dumbest thing I ever did was to sell a Yoshindo Yoshihara kogatana, which Bob Lum had acquired directly from the maker at the Solvang show. I acquired it from one of the Lums, with pics of Bob Lum and YY holding it, along with a letter from Jean Lum documenting it.

I seem to recall STeven being kind enough, from images of it, in attempting to obtain a translation of the script written on the kogatana's sheath. I have looked everywhere for an image and can't find one anywhere. I'll keep looking.

I'd definitely agree with STeven. Yoshindo Yoshihara, one would think, would have to be considered the Loveless of Japan.
 
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Just for the sake of it, here's a Yoshindo Yoshihara "knife". To my eyes it's perfection of this style.

YoshiharaYoshindoTanto01_zpspwvosvmo.jpeg
 
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