The forging of knives has always had a strongly mystical cultural history. This is the only explanation why the products are often enhanced way beyond their actual utility. The passionate search for perfection, characterised by the Samurai sword blacksmiths, can still be found in certain blacksmiths today. One of them is Yoshikazu Tanaka, where these perfectly formed Hocho are created. He joins multiply folded, high-purity carbon steel with a cutting edge of Blue Paper Steel to make exceptional blades with a hardness of 61 HRC. The result persuades with a classical wave pattern on the wide side of the blade and a breathtaking sharp cutting edge. The octagonal shaped handle made of Macassar ebony, a very dense, non-fading and ageing-resistant precious wood, is completed with a buffalo horn ferrule. The blade comprises 15 layers in total with a right-hand bevel, not rustproof.