Carved Boxwood Snail Folder (Katasumuri)

Product Description for Carved Boxwood Snail Folder (Katasumuri)

Maker: Hidetoshi Nakayama (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 84883
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 2.20 in.
Total length: 5.34 in.
Blade height (at heel): 0.45 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.11 in.
Item weight: 1.60 oz.
Blade: D2 carbon steel with a hand rubbed satin finish
Handle: Sculpted boxwood
Style: Folding slip joint
Description: Knifemaker Hidetoshi Nakayama has been making knives since 1990. I was tremendously impressed when I first saw his work in 2004 and have been very pleased to bring a selection of the best of his knives to the United States each year since. He has been a netsuke artist for over 10 years. Netsuke is a unique form of small sculpture which developed as an art form in Japan over a period of more than three hundred years, serving both functional and aesthetic purposes. Over time netsuke, which started as a toggle used to stop the kimono cord from slipping, began to feature elaborate carving, lacquer work, and inlays of rare and exotic materials including ivory, wood, precious metals, shell, coral, and semiprecious stones. Clearly the attention necessary for carving fine figures in netsuke has transferred to his knife making.
The blade of this small folder is D2 carbon steel. This carbon steel has exceptional edge retention and takes on a keen edge, while having a relatively high chromium content. This chromium content makes the blade fairly resistant to rusting and oxidation (though not to the point of true stainless steel). The blade has a unique shape that is very true to Japanese style and effect. Hand satin finished blade. The handle has been sculpted from boxwood and forms a section of bamboo with a lifelike snail slowly crawling along. Amazingly, each of the scales (including the snail) is carved from a single piece of boxwood! The texture of the snail's shell, the faux bamboo, and the snail's body are exceptional. On the reverse, Nakayama-san has even created faux stress lines in the faux bamboo where he has set the pins. These faux cracks are created on the surface and create an amazing realism to the sculpted boxwood. Exquisite work from a maker rarely seen in the United States custom knife community!


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