JAPANESE "KURI" SCULPTING KNIFE - 12 CM BLADE - SHIROGAMI STEEL - IKEUCHI - OUTINOMI X MAGASIN VIVANT!
Manufactured by the Ikeuchi workshop in Miki, the historic cradle of Japanese forging, this Kogatana is a carving knife of formidable efficiency.
Hand-forged from laminated Shirogami steel, its 12 cm blade with a single (asymmetric) bevel provides excellent penetration into wood; its "Kuri" profile—a long, ultra-pointed triangular shape—is designed for precision carving in places where no other knife can reach.
Its traditional mounting with a "Saya" (sheath) made of natural wood protects the blade and allows for safe transport.
- Blade profile: Kuri (triangular, tapered, and ultra-pointed).
- Steel: Laminated Shirogami (White Paper Steel) carbon steel.
- Hardness: 64 HRC (allows for an exceptional "razor" edge).
- Protection: Saya (sheath) made of Ho wood (Japanese Magnolia).
- Blade length: 120 mm.
- Handcrafted in Japan
About the Ikeuchi Workshop
Located in Miki, the Ikeuchi workshop is a global benchmark for small cutting tools. Their expertise lies in the heat treatment of carbon steel, providing blades of extreme hardness without brittleness thanks to the lamination technique (steel sandwiching). Each Saya is individually adjusted by hand to ensure a perfect fit.
Exclusive OUTINOMI x MAGASIN VIVANT! collaboration:
Together with Outinomi, we select the best of Japanese craftsmanship and utilitarian design, tools that are as simple as they are intuitive to use for all basic tasks, while guaranteeing strictly professional quality.
This young company was founded in 2024 by Lucas Hoffalt, a "designer-artisan" and graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. Outinomi acts as a bridge between the last great Japanese blacksmiths and Western craftspeople.
Lucas offers tools with soul, often sourced from small, traditional forges. His approach is distinguished by an extremely discerning selection, ranging from new tools to rare "vintage" pieces (Showa era) that he refurbishes himself, sourced for their exceptional forging quality. He champions Japanese carbon steel, which he considers vastly superior to modern mass production.
For Lucas, the tool is not just perceived as a utilitarian object, but as a piece of functional design endowed with its own aesthetics, texture, and poetry. It is this quest for beauty and excellence that naturally led him to Japanese craftsmanship, one of the most demanding in the world.