Koji Hara is our favorite custom knife maker and one of the most famous Japanese custom knife makers in Japan. This fame is unusual, as it is very rare for Japanese custom knife makers to become famous or popular throughout the entire global knife market. Koji Hara is similarly noteworthy, because his custom knives have earned him prestigious awards at several major knife shows. As a result of these successes, we consider Koji Hara to be a 'Pioneer' of the Japanese knife industry and one of the greatest custom knife makers alive.

 This year, Koji Hara became 70 years old. In Japan, a person’s 70th birthday is commemorated with a special celebration called 古希 / KŌKI / KOUKI.

 To celebrate his special anniversary year, Koji Hara just finished two 古希 Special Limited Edition Custom Kitchen Knives. Koji Hara 70th anniversary custom kitchen knife is available with a Gold Mother of Pearl Handle .

 Both have a special message, etched in Kanji - 人生七十古来稀 - which means: "Since ancient times, life is rare" or, alternatively, "70 years of life is rare".

 Koji Hara is passionate about creating innovative custom knives that showcase his artistic design skills and his expert use of knife making techniques. For many years, he attended all of the major knife shows around the world and gradually, over time, he built up a solid reputation for producing very consistent, high quality knives. Throughout these several decades, Koji Hara’s steadfast passion for knife making and his genuine desire to delight his customers have remained constant. So, you could say that these two desires are the 'secret’ behind his great reputation.

 You can see many of Koji Hara’s beautiful custom knives in the "Koji Hara Collection" at our sister site JapaneseKnifeDirect.com, which specializes in Japanese folding knives and outdoor knives.

 Recently, we asked Koji Hara to produce a very special Custom Kitchen Knife for us. The result was a spectacular kitchen knife that showcases his trade-mark 'Bamboo-Style' handle, which is created using several beautiful pieces of Gold Mother of Pearl. His detailed hand work is executed masterfully and the iridescent Gold Mother of Pearl Handle matches the perfectly mirror polished Cowry Y blade and the engraved metal bolster superbly well. 

 This very special limited edition custom kitchen knife from Koji Hara includes a hand-crafted custom black leather knife sheath and a black presentation box.

 In addition to being produced with top quality craftsmanship and materials, we believe this knife will be very pleasurable to own and add to your collection.

The Gyuto is the Japanese version of the classic Western Chef’s knife. It can be used with a variety of different cutting techniques to achieve a wide range of kitchen tasks and is suitable for cutting the vast majority of meats, fish, vegetables and fruits. The Gyuto is true multi-purpose knife.

Knife Model: Koji Hara Cowry Y Custom Gyuto 210mm

Blade Material: Cowry Y 

Rockwell Hardness (HRc): 60 to 61

Blade Grind and Edge Shape: Double Bevel Edge 50/50

Handle Material: Gold Mother of Pearl Handle With Stainless steel bolster

Saya Included: Yes. (Black Leather Sheath)

This knife comes with 50/50 double bevel edge geometry for both right and left handed use.

For your information, Japanese Kitchen knives are generally designed for right hand use with a slightly thicker and rounded grinding on the right side blade and a less rounded (almost straight flat) grinding on the left side blade. However, both right and left hander can use the knives that have double bevel edge sharpened 50/50 without problems.  

We believe the quality and cutting performance of Japanese knives are the best in the world, and hope you enjoy the fine craftsmanship and its sharp edge of your new knife. With proper cares, every Japanese knife should be your special cooking partner for a long time.

Important

This is the Powdered High Speed Tool Steel blade kitchen knife that has a rust resistance for easy maintenance. However, it may get rust, if kept in wet condition.

• Please do not put the knife in the dishwasher machine for cleaning.
• Please do not leave the knife in water or wet condition for a long time.
• After using, please hand wash the blade, bolster and handle thoroughly, and wipe it clean and dry with soft clothes, and keep it in a dry place.
• This is an extremely sharp knife. Please use special cares in using and storing it.
• Unlike German made knives, Japanese knife blades are ground to thin cutting edge for sharper cutting and easier re-sharpening. Please protect the edge from hitting hard materials to avoid chipping or cracking.
• Please do not use it to cut bone or frozen foods, any hard shell foods such as lobster and crab.
• We recommend using Japanese whetstones to re-sharpen the knife, when it gets dull.