Hado Sumi 135mm Ko-Bunka Shirogami 2 Kurouchi Finish Burnt Oak Handle

The Hado Sumi line is a  hand forged shirogami 2 blade with a rustic style kurouchi finished soft iron cladding. Handle is octagonal burnt oak sealed with a thin clear urushi lacquer coating.

Shirogami, or white steel, which is a very fine grained carbon steel made from low-contaminate iron. It’s loved for its ease of sharpening and ability to take a very fine, razor sharp edge. It should be mentioned that extra care is required, as the knife is not stainless and should be dried immediately after use. It will develop a dark patina with use, but any orange rust should be removed with a light abrasive.

HADO is based in Sakai, Japan, launched in 2019 by Fukui & Co. Ltd. The brand was influenced by Tadataka Maruyama, a former sales and warehouse manager at Fukui & Co., whose passion for craftsmanship led him to train for three years with master sharpeners in Sakai. With the support of company president Motonari Fukui, HADO was created to foster Maruyama’s journey and uphold Sakai’s sharpening traditions. Though Maruyama has since pursued his own independent work, his influence remains central to HADO’s approach.

HADO works with some of Sakai’s most respected blacksmiths—including Yoshikazu Tanaka and Satoshi Nakagawa—who forge blades from a number of premium steels as well as high-grade pre-laminated stock. These are then sharpened and finished by HADO’s in-house team, ensuring exceptional craftsmanship in consistent geometry and refined edges.