Kunihira

Kunihira, also known as Masutani Hamono, is a small knife house in the city of Echizen in Fukui Prefecture. It is run by blacksmith Kunio Masutani, who aims to provide high quality stainless steel knives at an affordable price. A good knife does not need to be complex or expensive in order to be a viable long-term tool, and Kunihira has driven home that tenet by consistently providing excellent knives at a fair price point accessible to many.

Masutani works mainly with VG10 and VG1 steels, which are metallurgically similar materials that blend ease of use, low maintenance, and an excellent cutting edge into one product. Kunio Masutani is also the relative of Koji Masutani, the president of the neighboring knife forge, Ryusen Hamono.