Hand made in Sakai, mizu honyaki (water quenched) shirogami #1 forged by dentoukougeishi master smith Kenji Togashi and expertly ground by his son Kenya.

 Togashi's shirogami 1 forging is very well regarded and to find it in the very difficult to master water quenched honyaki is a find. Shirogami 1 is naturally more brittle than it's cousin-- slightly lower carbon content, shirogami 2. However, it rewards the user with longer edge life and the ability to work at even finer finishes.

Taihei is a third-generation handle maker, continuing a family tradition he chose to carry forward in 1992 after watching his grandfather work wood and buffalo horn by hand as a child.

Not for the first time user of a yanagi.  This knife will demand greater skill in sharpening and use to preserve the proper geometry and to avoid damage.