Japanese Aogami Blue Steel Double beveled Deba Knife 105mm by Tomita

This Double beveled Deba knife was made by Osamu Tomita, who was a famous craftsman in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. He used blue steel (Aogami) for this knife.

The knife was forged and tempered by hand.

Blade length: 105mm

Finish: Kuro Shiage

Magnolia wood handle

Osamu Tomita, an old school craftsman, created his products by hand from start to finish using age-old techniques. The craftsman considered the processes of selecting, preparing, heat welding and forging the blade materials to be the most important. He used Aogami Super carbon steel in his products, as well as Aogami and Shirogami steels. Even on the covers you will see wrought iron called wattetu, which is at least 100 years old.

The initial shaping and forging processes of the blanks are carried out in his workshop on the outskirts of Miki. Before heating the blades to harden, the surface is covered with a thin paste consisting of clay and charcoal powder, which creates a barrier for surface decarburization of the steel. After heating, the blanks are forged and oil-hardened, after which they are heated again and the hot blades are left in the rice for slow cooling and stress relief and obtaining the final desired hardness. The final procedure is sharpening and assembly of the finished products. Tomita products prove how complex and creative the work of a blacksmith can be. Unfortunately, the master passed away in 2021, these are his last products...