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Cuchilleros Japoneses (página 2 de 2)Home >> Equipo e Ingredientes
Página: 1 2 Página precedente III. Los Mangos
Con las hojas ya terminadas, ahora necesitamos un buen agarre. Caminamos un poco más por Sakai y entramos al taller de TATSUMI MASARU, Maestro fabricante de mangos.
El Sr. Masaru hace mangos de cuchillo de Magnolia Hypoleuca (Magnolia de corteza blanca), una madera fina y costosa llamada honoki en japonés. Su proveedor de madera corta los troncos centenarios en pequeños tronquitos listos para formar mangos de cuchillo. Véamos como lo hace.
Entrar al taller del Sr. Masaru es como sumergirte en un grabado japonés o en una película de samurai. De no ser por la electricidad, pensarías que estás en los tiempos de Edo. Todos los artesanos están absortos en su trabajo; no se escucha una sola palabra. Se mueven con ese sentido de propósito que encuentras sólo en movimientos que se han repetido todos los días durante los últimos doscientos años.
Un hombre alimenta una máquina más vieja que su padre con las pequeñas piezas de magnolia, y la máquina esparce un geyser de aserrín en un enorme montículo, contrastando con el atemporal órden de la escena.
Los mangos, ya más o menos cilíndricos, ahora se lijan para perfeccionar la forma cilíndrica ...
... y se le pasan a un hombre que trabaja descalzo, arrodillado al estilo japonés, quien les hace un pequeño taladro.
Salimos al exterior donde el Sr. Masaru me muestra como se hace el cabezal, el anillo que va entre el mango y la hoja, utilizando un cuerno de búfalo. Sólo usamos como una pulgada del cuerno para nuestros mangos, dice Masaru, el resto se utiliza para hacer peines.
UN anillo de cuerno se cuece en agua caliente ...
... luego el cuchillo se inserta en el anillo de cuerno hasta lograr un ajuste perfecto.
Finalmente otro hombre lija el mango completo para asegurar una superficie contínua entre la madera y el cabezal. Cuando recorres con los dedos estos cuchillos, no puedes siquiera sentir la ranura entre el cabezal y el mango.
Los mangos completos esperan ...
... hasta que el Sr. Masaru calienta el tacón de la hoja al rojo vivo, y lo inserta en uno de sus mangos. Un tubo sopla aire fresco para que él pueda continuar con su trabajo sin que el humo lo saque de su propio taller. Luego golpea en el mango con un maso de madera, escuchando con cuidado el sonido para saber que tan profundo ha entrado el tacón. Si entra demasiado, el mango se abre. ¿Porque dividir la fabricación de cuchillos en cuatro talleres distintos? ¿Es la tradición lo que une a estos hombres o simple sentido común económico? Todo lo que tienes que hacer es leer las observaciones de mi buen amigo Adam sobre la fábrica inglesa de alfileres: Respuesta: al separar el trabajo de tal manera que cada artesano utilice sólo un juego de herramientas y siempre realice los mismos movimientos, hacen mucho más cuchillos.
IV. Grabado
La última parada en la fabricación de estos finos cuchillos es el taller de HARADA TAKAYUKI, el maestro grabador. Él no estaba en la ciudad, pero pudimos ver su taller, un cuarto luminoso en el centro de Sakai.
Los cuchillos se colocan, no por uno, en un pequeño soporte y el artesano les graba el logo de Haiku - un halcón - o el nombre del chef.
Pueden grabarles una buena cantidad de texto, todo a mano, como en este cuchillo con un capítulo completo de un libro de filosofía. Cuchillería Chroma No venden directamente a individuos pero puedes comprar estos cuchillos en varios portales y tiendas en línea como www.kochmesser.de en Alemania. A 400 Euros la pieza, estos no son cuchillos desechables sino herramientas profesionales serias. Chroma sólo vende unos 250 al año. Yo tengo dos de ellos y me hacen muy feliz. ¡Te mostraré como funcionan en otro artículo! 1042295 visitas Márcarlo con:¿Te gusta este artículo? Envíame un comentario o ve mis artículos más populares. Artículos Relacionados
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98 comentarios
- #1
- Comment by Hazri
Hi Francois,Thank you very much for this informative writing. Keep up the good work. :)
- #3
- Comment by Judy
A very interesting article. I am so envious as we cope with rather ordinary knives that require constant sharpening. I wondered: when the bladesmith breaks a long blade, can he not then turn it into a paring knife?- #5
- Comment by ND
Hey FX, awesome article! The following question may seem like sacrilege after an article like this, but what's your take on these Japanese ceramic Kyocera knives? Also, the way you sharpened your knife in the Fois Gras movie was a bit novel to me (I've only ever seen people running a knife slowly along a knife steel, in a single direction); would you care to elaborate please?There are two different "sharpening" for kitchen knives. One is what you saw in my foie gras video, you just bring the edge's sharpness back to life by rubbing it with the cylindrical tool you saw. The other is to regrind the cutting edge, and this is done with a stone. As far as I know, but there are people out there who live by the (kitchen) knife and who know more about it than I ever will!
- #7
- Comment by Chris
Great post Francois. Now I have another item to add to my wish list. What a great glimpse into the artisan knives of Japan. Keep up the great work.- #9
- Comment by thuan
I've seen a few different travel shows exhibit the artisan knife making there. I was waiting on you to do an article. it is most fascinating. When I visit japan im not coming back without one :)- #11
- Comment by thuan
And a P.S., it is most unfortunate that young folks do not want to pick up this craft and it may very well "die" off in the near future- #13
- Comment by Foolish Poolish
Fascinating article (with excellent photographs) as always!Last year I attended a japanese knife sharpening demonstration where I was told that Itumae-san will often buy a knife without the final edge (sharpening) put on - their responsibility is to sharpen the edge (typically on one side only) to their preferred angle/specification.
The thought of sharpening a blade such as the ones you show in this article would intimidate me. What do you do as far as honing/maintaining such fine knives?
FP
- #15
- Comment by Kai
Do these knives require resharpening? How often? And how do you go about it?- #17
- Comment by James Wang
A superb article!Please follow up with a shootout between these, other Japanese knives (Shun, Global) and the German masters!
I would love to know just how they perform, and what point do their differences become miniscule.
Great work once again.
- #19
- Comment by Donna Young
So interesting to see—such skill! Let's hope that there will be a new generation of craftsmen to take over their expertise! Thanks, FX!- #21
- Comment by Rosa
Extremely interesting! It must have been great to witness such an old tradition. Thanks for sharing these moments with us!Cheers,
Rosa
- #23
- Comment by Wandering Taoist
Awesome post, the knife lover in me always rejoices when reading and seeing such things.I have two Japanese blades at home, of cheaper type though, and they are the best kitchen knives I have ever used (and I already tried a fair amount of them). Razor-sharp, unbendable and so easy to cut anything into almost any form with.
- #25
- Comment by Maria J
François, I was glad to see that big animal horn being used later in your post-- I was afraid you were using it to persuade the craftsman to reveal his secrets! Quite interesting (and a bit nerve-wracking) to see all of that dangerous work being done with practically no protective gear-- goggles in particular. Also, the bare hands using that handle sander-- eek! All quite fascinating. And now, back to savoring our new President here in the USA...- #27
- Comment by John McCann
If you ever get to Frankfurt there is a great food market called the "Kleinmarkthalle". In this market there is a Japanese kitchen utensil purveyor who specializes in knives. He mainly specializes in one manufacturer "Aritsugu".The Aritsugu knives are the best I've ever used (the blue-steel Santoku is always in use in my kitchen ;-)) and it appears that the culture of Aritsugu is very similar to that of the gentlemen you are showcasing here.
As always, thanks for the education and keep up the good work ;-)
- #29
- Comment by Ricardo
Hello Francois.Francois, I loved he article. A few years ago, I bought a sushi knive from one such master in Tokyo. But a bit different process: once I chose the blade, he told me to come back two hours later after he had sharpened it, then he artfully signed it in front of me with his chisel, kneeling barfefoot japanese style in a hollowed rock with water at the center of his shop. Only then he chose the perfect handle for it and adjusted it. Very seriously he handed me the knife like hatori san. 600 dollars worth of knive and show, Beautiful. Ricardo
- #31
- Comment by Rudi
g'day to you from the land down under...A mate and myself have been enjoying your site for a while now, its definetly one of our top bookmarks. As a 'loyal loader' of your page, i thought i'd drop in my two bits on knives.
I've been using global knives for the last 5 years now, every day in every way, and they've never touched a grindstone. I give them a quick flick on the sharpening steel every 2-3 weeks (takes 10secs) and they're brand spanking new. I also never wash them in the dishwasher, and leave food stuck to them...especially tomatoes! My friend has a set of Shun's and he swears by their value. The knives weren't cheap, but I think this highlights a big point. Save heaps and spend lots on the perfect knife for yourself and it will last a lifetime. I also don't bother with knife sets as you end up with knives that are never used and they just take up space.
thanks for the article.
- #33
- Comment by macha
Amazing how they make them! I have one of these hand-made knifes(different, less expensive maker) but I find the rusting and thickness of the blade a little annoying. (Some department stores have knife-sharpener guys where you can bring your knife to when it's a little blunt.) Well, I know it's sacrilegious but I prefer a good standard cooking knife!- #35
- Comment by chef4cook
Francois, Thank you for always being informative and interesting. Good luck to you in this new year.- #37
- Comment by Feyoh
Here I was, thinking that this was just a post about supersharp knives, Francois, but you've hit the nail on the issue about young people seeking the definition of themselves in dead-end jobs.And... Thank you for showing how these knives are forged; I've always wondered what purpose the soft metal/hard metal combination in Samurai swords must serve. Now I know. Another lesson learned from FXcuisine, the "educational" food blog.
- #39
- Comment by MICHAEL
I'm not the "Handelman" you mentioned ("el & not "le"!)Do they also make knives for Rabbies? - I hope not, ouch!!!
As usual an interesting and well photographed article!
- #41
- Comment by michael
I'm reminded of the story about the Japanese Guy, the Swiss Guy, and the Jew ...They are boasting about their skills with a knife - "Watch this" says the Japanese Guy, and he slices a fly that happened to be flying around, into two pieces - right down the middle!
"That's nothing" says the Swiss Guy, and on seeing another fly buzzing around, he takes out his knife - two quick strokes, and he cuts the fly into four pieces - right there during flight!
To which the Jew takes out his knife and takes a quick swipe on another fly, which flys off on a very swervy route!
"So what's that?" asks the Japanese & Swiss Guys.
"Circumcision!" replys the Jew.
- #43
- Comment by parshu.narayanan
I always leave an fx photo-essay feeling enriched and this beautiful one on knife makers left me wistful. When I was a little boy, in the 70s (!) the mall & supermarket revolution had still to take place in india and our house had a constant stream of door-to-door tradesmen and artisans. kashmiri shawl-sellers, bengali muslin-saree sellers, a man with a lute shaped instrumment who would refluff the cotton in the house quilts before winter( which he would twang to advertise), a man who would beat out silver-warq from a small lump of family silver before festivals, a man who would de-carbonize the family kadhais(woks)and the knife sharpener - who would drive the grindstone with his bicycle. We cant go back to the artisan's age, but what we have lost to mass-production is part of our heritage.- #45
- Comment by Tim Johnson
Great article. I've been hankering after one of these knives for a while.I read an article a few years ago about Japanese National Living Treasure swordsmiths. Apparently they still make a number of swords per year (which at the time retailed for somewhere around about 50000USD) but are limited by legislation to only creating a certain limited number per year. To maintain a decent living they make chefs knives instead. That's something I want to check out when I visit Japan, and your article is the perfect intro.
- #47
- Comment by Alex
Wonderful piece, as always- #49
- Comment by Geoff Ball
Wonderful article, great subject and story. Great image of the engraved blade (the others too, but the engraved blade is my favorite).I was wondering in this production system are there one smith, one grinder, one handle maker and one assembler? (Doesn't it take longer to forge a blade then to sharpen one?)
Anyways, keep up the great work, I love your diverse articles and different subject matter and exotic locals.
- #51
- Comment by Jaden, Steamy Kitchen
Fantastic photo journal as always!- #53
- Comment by barbara
Engrossing article, the whole process very well photographed and described, it's almost as if I was there, too.I remember when I was small (in England), a knife-sharpener used to come round the streets once in a while, and all the housewives would gather up their knives and scissors to get them honed.
- #55
- Comment by barbara
oh I said knife-sharpener, I meant knife-grinder - he also did tools such as axes to give them a sharp edge.- #57
- Comment by Ben
Hi FXGreat article and interesting, although I should point out that the Japanese keep the wires above ground rather than buried because that way its easier to replace/reconnect in the aftermath of an earthquake which they are prone to!
- #59
- Comment by Rasmus
Another fine article from your hand. Always a pleasure to see what you will cover next.Thank you.
R
- #61
- Comment by Mami
This is a very interesting article for me as a Japanese. I've been a secret fan of FX cuisine for quite sometime but today's is the first time I posted some comments.I first found that Japanese knives are popular among chefs when Kitchen Confidential first came out. It was almost like a proud moment in my life :)
I love cooking and eating and I can't live without my razor sharp knives. A set of Japaness knives has become my standard wedding gift to my UK friends - and they all seem to love them :)
- #63
- Comment by Liudas
i'm one off those hoo will pick up on bladesmith masterys starting tula finishing japan adn finding my one way to make a perfect as posible knife ore sword ore axe and sites like this helps me to aunderstand hou all this worckssory for gramar english is only secoud language.
- #65
- Comment by joel
Wonderful sequence of pictures. One comment. You are calling the horn ring a "Bolster" In the west we would call it a Ferrule. The Bolster in Western tool terminology is a flange that is part of the tool itself which is seated against the handle. A ferrule is a ring on the handle that keeps the handle from splitting. I am wondering if there terms are different in Japanese or in Knifemaking.- #66
- Comment by Constance Condit
Great article! So I was interested in pricing the knives. But, your article in English on Japanese knives referred me to a German company. Their website is only in German, no English section. Any way to purchase knives when you can't read German?- #67
- Comment by gourmet
Dude, i love your Articles. Very nice. I was also in Japan for some month, how can you met so many nice people, very nice indeed!Greets from Cologne
- #68
- Comment by chris
Lovely pictures -- you got a wonderful opportunity to really see what's going on in Sakai.A few small corrections to some things, mostly from the comments section:
1. A knife certainly can be made from entirely hard steel, but it is difficult, expensive, and liable to breakage in the forging. Such knives are called "honyaki" knives, as opposed to the "kasumi" knife you saw made. They cost a fortune: you think that kasumi knife is expensive, you have no idea!
2. The knife you purchased, pictured in the other article, is a vegetable knife, an usuba made in the Tokyo style. It is not well designed to cut flesh, nor intended for that purpose.
3. Some of these knives are designed to cut bone, especially fish bones. The most common, the deba, shears through fish bones and heads like nobody's business. But the knife you have purchased -- the usuba in the picture at least -- will chip badly if you try it: it's not designed that way at all.
4. Oil is not necessary unless you are storing your knife for some weeks. Lay it flat and scour the face with a very mildly abrasive nylon pad, such as a ScotchBrite pad, with a little plain dish soap. Turn the knife over and tilt it so the bevel of the blade is flat, then scour the other side. Scour the handle if it seems like it might need it. Rinse very well in hot water. Dry (carefully!) with a clean, dry terrycloth towel. Now place the knife in a clean, dry place, out of the way of people, for about half an hour -- perhaps longer in a very humid climate. This allows the blade to dry completely. At this point you can store your knife -- edge upwards if at all possible -- in a block or other safe storage device. Rust should not happen if you treat your knives this way.
5. Last, a perhaps minor point. The back of the knife is not flat: it is ground slightly concave on that giant wheel. If you look at the back of your knife, you will see a shiny outline all the way around, and the main middle of the blade will reflect light differently. This is the concave section. When you sharpen the knife, after grinding the main bevel to bring the edge up, you turn the knife and place it flat on its back and grind very briefly to remove the used metal. If the back were truly flat, it would scratch the whole thing every time. Beyond this, the slight concavity acts like the dimples or grantons on some slicing knives in the West: things don't stick because the knife is concave.
Thanks again for a lovely article and fine pictures!
- #70
- Comment by pixen
I'm sending this link to my friend who's loves quality knives...and samurai sword too! Thank you for sharing such interesting adventures of Japan. I wished I was there :-D I'm looking forward to travel to Japan soon.- #71
- Comment by Patrick Pappano
Gangbusters. The article on Japanese knife making is ineffable.- #72
- Comment by Pam
GREAT article. Thank you very much.- #73
- Comment by wdf
I lived in tokyo and osaka for 5 yrs. The reason i got for all the wires not being buried, is because of all the earthquakes...- #75
- Comment by About the metallurgy of steel...
This is a very interesting article. I enjoyed it a lot.I think that there is a small imprecision regarding the amount of carbon of the steel used to conform the edge and the core of the blade.
The ferrite in the center of the knife should probably contain LESS carbon than the edge. In a quenched steel you get martensite, and the amount of carbon is directly related to the obtained hardness. If the steel is not quenched but cooled slowly, you will get ferrite (which is softer). Basically there are two ways of obtaining different hardness levels:
-modifying the composition of the steel (i.e. the amount of carbon or chromium, in a stainless steel, which is not the case here)
-modifying the velocity of cooling.
In a blade, the edge should be hard. Unfortunately, if a piece of steel is very hard, it will probably be brittle, hence the necessity of a tenacious and relatively soft core.
So, having less carbon in the core makes more sense, considering the metallurgy of steel, than the other way around. Having less carbon will make for a softer (but more tenacious) core given the same cooling rate.
- #76
- Comment by Steel metallurgy
Things are even more complex, because by means of differential heat treatment techniques artisans can obtain different degrees of hardness, in the same piece of steel, without modifying the amount of carbon.- #78
- Comment by Malissa
Hi FX, Is this called a Haiku Damascus, the damascus Japanese knife series from Chroma? I found a site that caries chroma haiku knife but wasn't sure if it is "Haiku Damascus"? Would you know?Thanks so much,
Malissa
- #80
- Comment by Liberto
Ayer conocí casualmente esta página. Como cocinillas que soy, estoy absolutamente encantado. Un saludo desde Berna.- #81
- Comment by Richard Furrer
Hi FX,I just saw the article and like it very much.
I would like to get some handles from TATSUMI MASARU.
How can I contact him?
Richard
can you provide me the address of Master Kouhei in Sakai?
- #85
- Comment by jack malin
is it correct that when you buy an aritsugu wrought iron knife as a gift you must know if your friend is left handed or right handed,,is this correct??? i enjoyed your article and the photos are great... thank you jack malin- #87
- Comment by Joel
your article was fascinating and educational indeed..i'm an avid traveler, hardly a cook, but having visited Japan a few times in my life for vacation, i wished to have observed these master artisans at work.. thanks for enlightening us all... J- #89
- Comment by Chris
Dear FX,as a new fan of your blog, who also travels a lot and brings
home new cooking ideas then and again, I have to applaud
the way you manage to transcribe your experiences into this
projetc with it's stunning pictorials and videos. Well done!
To add something to this particular article, I would like to recommend www.japanesechefsknife.com and www.mehr-als-werkzeug.de. The first is a mail order in Seki, Japan, with a tremendous choice of knives from amateur level to $3000.00 blades. They are specialized in foreign customers. The value for money is very good, including a shipping flatrate of $ 7.00. The latter is a German mail-order for fine tools and knives, who also carry a lot of materials, in case you want to make your own knife. Blades, antlers etc. (click on the little union jack, if your German is a little rusty...)
I'm not employed or related to those firms, in case you wonder... I deal with a lot of artisans professionally, but more in the shoe and clothing world, than in the kitchen.
Goodbye, I have to sample my 300 min eggs now…
Chris
- #90
- Comment by Paul Tweeddale
great article mate,Am heading over to Osaka in a week or so and wondered if there were any places in Sakai where one can pick up a knife that's been made on-site or if all knives are reserved for large shipments?
Also have been reading about Japanese knifes and others claim that Seki is the knife-making capital of Japan. If I'm looking for a truly authentic Japanese which city should I opt for?
cheers
- #92
- Comment by Amelia Gordon Byers
I was in Sakai City, at the Edged Tool Museum - Homono, on 7 Jan 2011. They sell knives there. Sakai is an easy journey from central Osaka. BUT - for the last 12 years while I've been lucky enough to travel to Japan for work on a regular basis, I've been haunting the flea markets for used knives. Have made some great purchases of knives that "already know how to slice." I love the sense of history that comes from things passed down by others - especially skilled grandmothers. Although I have rarely met the previous owners of my "new" knives, I know that they have had their day in the kitchen. Under the careful ministrations of my husband who sharpens and tends them, they have brought me to a new level of joy in chopping (yes, I already liked to cook.) And they make spectacular gifts for friends who have spent time in our kitchen. And perfect souvenirs. Something I use everyday that reminds me of my travels and the good fortune I have enjoyed. And I love knowing that my knives may have been rescued from the landfill. What a travesty for a Sakai knife to end up unused in the bottom of a drawer, or in a box of discarded stuff on the way to the dump. Well cared for, a good Japanese knife will last for many generations. Thanks for a great article!!- #93
- Comment by Sebastian Egger
Wonderful Article, thanks a lot!Heading to Japan in June and looking forward to stroll around in Sakai :)
One question: Is there a reason why you do not write anymore articles? It's really a pity as they are super informative and also the pictures are wonderful to watch :)
- #94
- Comment by ken youngmann
A weel written and fascinating article. As a woodworking hobbbiest, most articles about making knives and chisels fascinates me. Thanks for publishing it.- #95
- Comment by Mike @ Best Knife Set
I've often wondered why the high-end Japanese knives cost so much. Now I know...It's a long, arduous process making such a fine blade. Seeing how they're crafted has given me the desire to purchase another one. Thanks for the great article.- #97
- Comment by Daniel Rico
Alucinante mismo mi estimado Francois. En otro e-mail me presentaré y te contaré mi gusto y pasión gourmand. En este e-mail simplemente decirte que soy pasional de la cuchillería pero me sentí maravillado mismo de tu artículo, lo cuidado del relato, todo en si.Muchas gracias por compartir esto con nosotros.
Soy de Montevideo Uruguay, ya te contaré como te dije antes de mi gusto y pasión por la cocina.
Gracias
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