Bread • 210 mm • black micarta • VG-10 tsuchime mirror polish • Japanese O-handle • for both right and left handed use

Features of the Tanganryu series

The mirror finish combined with the hammered ( tsuchime ) finish, gives the knife its own identity. The suminagashi gives a beautiful contrast on the lower part of the blade close to the cutting edge. This thin blade is sharpened to perfection and will do any cutting job as smooth as cutting through butter. The bolster and choil are nicely rounded and will bring much comfort while using this excellent knife.

The classic handle is shaped in an "O" and becomes a little thicker towards the bolster. Ryusen adjusted it to our Western hands. Micarta is constructed out of layers of cotton and epoxy, hardened under high pressure. It is easy to maintain, as it will become a little rougher in a longer period of use. The logo on the handle can show some usage after a long period.

The VG10 steel from Ryusen performs as we can expect from this knifemaker: it's thin, sharpened to perfection and has a great edge retention. Ryusen's secret ingredient of hardening the blade in a salt bath in the hardening process, gives this knife an outstanding performance.

Elwin de Veld about Ryusen knives

When I started sharpening knives, I sometimes got hold of a very special model, probably imported by a customer themselves. A Ryusen knife was one of them. To precisely measure the quality of steel, there is no better measure than the actual manual sharpening of a knife: Ryusen belongs to the absolute top in the world of handmade Japanese kitchen knives.

Until some time ago, Ryusen made various models on OEM base in Echizen, but recently they focus entirely on their own company. Ryusen has spent a lot of time researching in the field of manufacturing (forging, hardening, grinding and finishing), as well as receiving feedback from the professional end user. Their dedication, perseverance and only settling for the very best ensure that every knife is perfectly finished and meets the highest requirements of a completely handmade chef's knife. The complete process from forging to the design of the box is carried out by Ryusen in-house. I am very proud to be an importer and a reliable distributor for Ryusen.