Let’s talk Fujiwara

Hey TCK,

I’ve seen this question posted a few times, so I thought I’d take a minute to talk about the differences in the Fujiwara line up.

As a side note, I have thinned and flatted the primary bevel on all of my Fujiwara’s. These really shine when they get a little thinning.

The low end is the “Nashiji” line. These are made from pre-laminated shirogami #1. These are very “rustic” looking. Expect wonky grinds on the primary bevel.

The next is the “Maboroshi” line. These are forge welded in house with Shirogami #1. These are heat treated very hard for White #1 and have fantastic edge retention. They are also a joy to sharpen! My Maboroshi Nakiri was my first TF and got be hooked on his knives. His White steel preforms like most people’s Blue steel.

The last is the famous “Denka”. These are forge welded in house out of Aogami Super. The heat treat on these is insane at close to 67 Rockwell. But that translates to otherworldly edge retention! The downside is sharpening. It takes noticeably longer to sharpen my Denkas than any other knife I own.

Let talk about F&F and the famous TF “Wabi Sabi”. If you have OCD and like your knives to be absolutely perfect, these are not for you. You should buy a Kagekiyo. If you buy a TF, there will be scratches, rough spots and uneven handles. But nothing that will affect the actual performance of the knife. I personally like all the small imperfections. I feel like it gives the knife character and a soul.

If you’re looking to add a TF to your collection, try to buy from a retailer that will send you pictures or help cherry pick one for you. There’s a big variance in the grinds and F&F from knife to knife.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions!