My series of classic Japanese style hunters have a rustic charm about them that cry out "Use Me" in every sense of the word. I use traditional methods with a modern approach to produce what I consider the best Hunting knife style ever produced. Japanese hunters were, and still are, produced in many shapes and sizes, from the large and heavy 'Natas' ( Hatchet), to smaller more delicate styles used for food prep and general duties. I use a mix of different steels form the Hitachi supersteels to our own cs range of alloy steels, mostly cs 75, and the tried and trusted 01 tools steels. The Japanese steels that I mostly use are the 3 layer with white paper centre and the suminigashi multi layer steels with blue or white paper centre, in Japan this steel is commonly called damascus white or blue steel. I mainly produce the smaller to medium sized knives up to the more common bushraft sized knives, though i still make one or two true Natas.
My present knives I have called "Kageboushi" which simply means "Silhouette" or Koi-kageboushi, carp or carp skin silhouette, as most of my handles are carp skin wrapped and then lacquered with urushi. Other fish skins that I use is ray skin, salmon skin and catfish. The handle has also been bound in black cord and both the cord and fish skin is firmly held with the Urushi lacquer and is very hardwearing, this also brings out the skin pattern to a translucent texture, ( apart from green as this aways seems to stay quite dark).
Kagebouchi with sheath
Kagebouchi open
Kagebouchi. Suminagashi multi folded steel. Gold snakeskin handle
