霞

霞仕上げとは、軟鉄と硬鋼を組み合わせた包丁に施される伝統的な日本の刃物仕上げ技法です。「霞」とは日本語で「mist（霧）」を意味し、二つの金属が接する刃先の斜面に現れる曇りがかかったマットな質感を見事に表現しています。この効果は美的な魅力だけでなく、異素材を融合させる職人の技術を示すものであり、美しさと機能性を兼ね備えた包丁づくりの技を際立たせています。 A full process description and historical context appear in the detailed section on this page.

A kasumi finish is the traditional finish on Japanese single-bevel and clad knives. After grinding the blade, the smith uses progressively finer natural or synthetic stones to polish the hard core steel (hagane) bright while leaving the softer cladding (jigane) hazy — the contrast between the two is what defines the kasumi look.

Kasumi is the traditional finish on single-bevel knives — yanagiba, usuba, deba — and on premium clad double-bevel blades. It is most commonly seen on knives with carbon-steel cores and softer-iron cladding where the steel contrast can be visually emphasized.

Kasumi finishes are part of the steel itself and require no special care beyond standard Japanese knife maintenance. Hand wash, dry immediately, use proper cutting boards. Over many years and many sharpenings, the kasumi line will shift as the bevel is reground — this is normal and can be restored by a professional polisher.