Gesshin Magomitsu 165mm Kurouchi Damascus Funayuki

Our Gesshin Magomitsu workshop is dedicated to the production of historical styles of knives and the preservation of history and traditions of the people of the Noto Peninsula. Their strong ties to the sea and the cuisine they developed from it prove the need for dependable tools that can withstand the rigors of the ocean.

Makiri knives have a strong maritime history, particularly with the Ainu fishermen of the Noto Peninsula, Northern Ishikawa Prefecture. The seafaring men counted on this austere-looking knife for a number of tasks while on boat: rope cutting, cutting nets to proper sizes, and, of course, butchering fish. However, it played a more central role in day-to-day life. It was, in essence, their EDC. Whatever needed cutting was dealt with using a makiri.

This knife can be used for a wide variety of tasks in an outdoor and camping context. Its robust geometry permits so. It is capable of preparing fruits and vegetables and is particularly well-suited to fish and game. This is technically a single bevel knife with an ura (hollow ground backside) so deba butchery techniques transfer over quite well. Removing sinew on game and livestock meats is an easy task akin to using a hankotsu. The bevel is aggressively convexed and therefore has a toughness not common to single bevel knives. You can count on this knife for light woodwork and bushcraft tasks like whittling and feathersticking as well.

Our Gesshin Magomitsu makiri come with robust and very well made vegetable-tanned leather sheaths. Double-stitched, riveted, and thick, it can withstand the rigors of an outdoor lifestyle. No doubt, it will patina and look better over time. It also has an interesting design for the belt loop; it doubles as the locking mechanism for the knife. The belt loop swivels over the top of the handle to lock it in place while the knife is worn on-belt. To access the knife, rotate the sheath and pull the knife out.

Our Gesshin Magomitsu workshop is dedicated to the production of historical styles of knives and the preservation of history and traditions of the people of the Noto Peninsula. Their strong ties to the sea and the cuisine they developed from it prove the need for dependable tools that can withstand the rigors of the ocean.

The ikasaki is a squid butchery knife. Small, but quite robust with an "s" wide bevel grind, it is a decently tough little knife. In the case of the Ainu people in the Peninsula, these ikasaki were used in home kitchens and not strictly limited to processing squid. They would be used for general food prep; squid, fish, and vegetables were cut equally.