Tetsujin Ginsan Kasumi K tip Petty 165mm Ebony Handle

Ginsan, also known as Silver 3, is a stainless steel from Proterial, the Yasugi Specialty Steel division. Proterial describes it as a stainless steel which has hardness and sharpness comparable to carbon steel, and lists its uses as kitchen knives and scissors.

Knife makers use it when they want the corrosion resistance of a stainless together with the hardness and sharpness that Proterial compares to carbon steel. The steel maker lists 59 HRC or over after hardening, but that is a heat treatment figure, not a finished knife figure.

Dry it after use, like any stainless knife. Its performance depends on the heat treatment and construction of the specific knife, not the steel name alone.

Yes. Proterial lists the steel as GIN 3 with 13.00 to 14.50% chromium, above the Japan Stainless Steel Association's 10.5% minimum for stainless steel.

Proterial describes it as a stainless steel with hardness and sharpness comparable to carbon steel, used in various kitchen knives and scissors, and the association notes that stainless, strictly, means it rusts less. Wash the knife and dry it after use.

The Tetsujin Ginsan Kasumi is a budget-friendly knife line forged by blacksmith Toru Tamura and sharpened by Naohito Myojin, designed for professional chefs, students, and first-time buyers who need thin geometry for effortless slicing without the cost of premium steel.

This line prioritizes a sturdy feel and a thin edge that glides through ingredients, making it a practical daily driver for those who cut frequently but want to avoid the high price tag of top-tier Japanese steels. While the steel itself is not classified as premium, the construction delivers reliable performance for the price point, fitting the needs of anyone from a culinary student to a working chef looking for a durable, no-nonsense tool.

A hamaguri-ba edge, written 蛤刃, is a convex edge shape, and it is the shape the workshop 明神利器製作所 sharpens its knives to. Kochi City's craft page records that the workshop's second generation, whose name the page gives as 直人, learned it over several years of training in Fukui.

The same page says the workshop also takes sharpening-only orders from outside Kochi.

Yes. Kochi City's craft page for his workshop 明神利器製作所 says the work runs from forging through finishing in one continuous process, 鍛造から仕上げまで一貫して行う.

That page lists the workshop in Susaki, Kochi.