Greetings from Japan !

Hello from Akiyuki Sakamoto, founder of Edit Japan, a one-man-company based in Japan. I was a blogger who specialized in bringing japanese culture and products to the world abroad.

At the request of a long time friend and traditional Japanese knife-maker, I shifted my focus to the production and sale of exceptional quality Japanese cooking knives. My work is a labor of love and my hope is to share the fruits of my labor with you.

Our Story

Traditional craftsmanship takes time to master, and time to complete. Indigo Bocho knives are all handmade, meaning that we take the time to masterfully craft each knife to ensure quality and authenticity. While it requires patience, it is truly worth the wait, as a man can do so much more than a machine.

Indigo Bocho is not driven by marketing strategy or profit calculations. My purpose is solely to create an exceptional tool that is both functional and beautiful. I have worked closely with knife craftsmen to ensure that every detail was just so, and to find room for improvement of traditional Japanese knife designs.

Through my time in the world of knife craft, I have found one important opportunity for creativity and progress: collaboration. Partnership is at the heart of innovation. Sharing ideas allows craftsmen to perfect their designs and further their craft. The result of this collaboration is the Indigo Bocho.

Social Benefits

The process of collaboration not only benefits the quality of the product, but also supports the world of Japanese handcrafting. The quality of Japanese hand-made goods is world-renowned, but the demand for such quality unfortunately drops with each year. My mission is to use collaboration of highly respected craftsmen to bring Japanese quality into the mainstream. Two craftsmen work together to improve communication, industry quality, and to preserve techniques moving into the future.

Japanese craftsmen work tirelessly to hone their skills. Indigo Bocho exists to bring the fruits of their labor to the world, and to share the joy of a truly impeccable handcrafted tool.

3 advantages of Indigo Bocho 

1. Beautiful artwork

2. Hygienic

3. Sharpness guaranteed

We all understood it's sleek and hygienic ... now what about sharpness ?
The blade is made by a long time manufacturer, Yamawaki Cutlery who is well-known as a their brand called "Yoshihiro". Yoshihiro is the one of the noble sword smiths in Japan in samurai era and their knives are originated in samurai sword. The quality of the Yoshihiro blade is unmatched, and the sharpness is guranteed.

Why does the world need Indigo Bocho?

It lightly clears the knife's primary value (the sharpness) and has a unique property of hygiene however the biggest value of this knife I think is its all-handmade beauty.

If you find something totally unique that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world, it eases your mind, stimulates your creativity and enriches the quality of your life.

Power of nature and handcrafting can create a deep feeling which mass produced product cannot.

This product is here for people who want to take a new journey to unknown side of the world, yourself and your experience.

I strongly believe that's the value of the artwork like Indigo Bocho.

Details

Handle

The shape of the Indigo Bocho handle is designed for comfort for both left and right-handed users.

Blade Cover

The wooden covers are not only authentic and stunning, they are also pragmatic. Wood is an exceptional material to prevent moisture buildup on the blade. Rooted in the tradition of the Samurai's katana, the wooden sheath is a must-have to preserve the quality of the forged blade. (the cover is made of magnolia wood).

Blade

Beautifully forged by Yamawaki Cutlery

Product overview

Santoku 三徳  6.5 inch

Double edged, SKD-11 blade, Hiba (Japanese Cypress) Octagonal Handle. 

The ultimate all purpose knife, designed with both durability and ergonomics in mind.

Created using a finer precision blade, it is considered excellent for vegetables and finer cuts of meat. The straight blade along with surgical sharpness represent the sensual food decorations one typically sees in traditional Japanese cuisine.

Gyuto 牛刀  8.25 inch

Double edged, VG-10 Damascus + hammered, Hiba (Japanese Cypress) Octagonal Handle. 

This is the closest to what we call the "Chef's Knife" in western culture. The hammered design is both beautiful and functional in allowing reduced friction against the cutting surface allowing the food to fall away from the blade after the cut.

The Japanese knife is typically used in front of consumers, so its beauty is a strong consideration. The super durability of the blade is remarkably demonstrated with this particular knife by showcasing the Damascus pattern revelaing the layers of steel.  

Primarily used for cutting larger, more robust cuts of meats and hearty skinned vegetables such as winter squash varieties etc.  Japanese knives should never be used for cutting frozen materials as their hardened durability is not flexible and is not designed for this abuse.

Japanese culture has always surrounded itself with the freshest ingredients and working with frozen material is not a regular part of preparation.    

Yanagiba 柳刃  9.5 inch

Single edged, white steel blade (right handed), Hiba (Japanese Cypress) Octagonal Handle.

This is the knife of the Sushi and Sashimi craftsman. The perfect cut is created using a pulling method, with the single edge leaving a perfectly straight edge on the flesh. Excellent for super delicate and exquisite cuts of beef as well.    

 The white steel is one of best steels used for knives and delivers not only a precision cut but also a beautiful finished piece at the same time.  We really recommend the white steel as it's the best balance of price and usage. When it comes to harder steel like blue steel, it becomes more difficult to sharpen it therefore this is the most suitable steel for people who always use a cooking knife and sharpen it very often.

Perks

Giftbox (exclusively free for this funding campaign)

Why I'm asking your support

I started my own business about 1 year ago as there were 2 things I really concerned. 
At first,  I could see there is some room for a local cooking knife for more value-adding even though it already has strong advantages in its uniqueness. The industry here has long time tradition and Japanese people have been aging it for decades and that's why not only the quality but the style has been the same. I really wanted to take it to next stage and make a new history of the industry.

Second, Japanese craftsmanship is slowly vanishing from the country even though it's highly evaluated. Meaning the demand is not catching up the speed of vanishing in the time era of mass production and high efficiency. Therefore I decided to make a new knife that could be a game changer for both production side and consumer side. One of the important concepts that I have is that " one product earns for 2 craftsmen" to revitalize craftsmanship in Japan.

In  order to do that, it requires capital. I’ve spent months explaining my concept and the future this would bring to us to local craftsmen. Now it is time to raise money to let everyone see the future – so here we are on Indiegogo.

The money we raise here will be used for production, improving our tooling, paying for materials and so on. With your support, you can help make this possible!

Please meet our craftsmen !

Samurai knife maker:  Yamawaki Cutlery (as known as "Yoshihiro").
The master (second from left) is training younger generation.

Out of a small town called Sakai in Osaka prefecture, the most famous production place for cooking knives in Japan. In fact, it’s said more than 80% of traditional Japanese chef is using cooking knife made in Sakai, Osaka. 

Wood craft & indigo dyeing :  Maikobo
Probably they are the only one in Japan who can indigo dye a wood and even do the beautiful gradation. They are a group that consists of artisans with different techniques. I think that fact really differentiates themselves from others.

Notice

* Please check before ordering the product to see if your country regulation doesn't prohibit importing cooking knives. We're afraid we cannot check all the countries if they can accept or not. Please be responsible when ordering.

* We're afraid that we will not pay the additional custom fee in case the product is rechecked in the custom. It will be charged to the purchaser.

* We will clearly state the price of the product on a paper that we submit to custom when shipping. We will not write a smaller number of the price for the purchaser to pay smaller custom fee.

* Japanese cooking knife is not a power tool like a western knife. It is delicate and sensual. Please do not cut hard and frozen material otherwise the blade is chipped. 

* Please do not put in a dish washer as the handle is made of wood. Not only this product, any knife with wood handle needs to be cleaned by hand and kept dry after cooking.

* Blades of Santoku and Gyuto are stain resistant but it doesn't mean it will never get rusted.   Please clean and wash it with mild soap and dry it after use. Especially the blade of Yanagiba is easy to get rusted (because it's made of one of the sharpest steels).