Log Knife

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 Outdoor series is a result of our relationship with an extremely talented blacksmith who is focused entirely on his craft of making outdoor knives and nata (Japanese style hatchets). After meeting him some years ago, Sara and I were immediately impressed with the quality of his work. However, it was his attitude that really won us over. He's the kind of guy who smiles all day because he loves what he does so much. We initially tried to get him to make kitchen knives, but he politely refused. We decided that we loved his work so much that we would expand our collection to include the kinds of things he does best. He works primarily with blue #2 steel.

Our Gesshin Outdoor series is a result of our relationship with an extremely talented blacksmith who is focused entirely on his craft of making outdoor knives and nata (Japanese style hatchets). After meeting him some years ago, Sara and I were immediately impressed with the quality of his work. However, it was his attitude that really won us over. He's the kind of guy who smiles all day because he loves what he does so much. We initially tried to get him to make kitchen knives, but he politely refused. We decided that we loved his work so much that we would expand our collection to include the kinds of things he does best. He works primarily with blue #2 steel.

Our Gesshin Outdoor series is a result of our relationship with an extremely talented blacksmith who is focused entirely on his craft of making outdoor knives and nata (Japanese style hatchets). After meeting him some years ago, Sara and I were immediately impressed with the quality of his work. However, it was his attitude that really won us over. He's the kind of guy who smiles all day because he loves what he does so much. We initially tried to get him to make kitchen knives, but he politely refused. We decided that we loved his work so much that we would expand our collection to include the kinds of things he does best. He works primarily with blue #2 steel.

This outdoor knife features engraving from another craftsman in the Kochi region that does a prolific amount of work in his region. The work is entirely done by hand, and we are proud to offer work by this talented craftsman.