Shizu Hamono is a relatively new knife maker, established in 1960 in Seki by the Shizu family. Producing a stable kurouchi finish on stainless steel was challenging, so they tackled it head-on with the goal of producing a true kurouchi finish with no coats or dyes to achieve high performance with classic beauty and ease of care. After over two years of research and development, they finally found the technique to create a real kurouchi finish on stainless steel.

Shizu Gen (玄) means both "black" and "expert" in Japanese. With their distinctive iron black and Damascus pattern, this series features a 33-layered Damascus steel blade with a VG10 stainless steel core. These knives are super sharp, reliable, and easy to care for, while the wooden handles are both elegant and rugged. The Japanese traditional "chestnut" shape naturally grips the hand, and the hammer pattern on the blade prevents food from sticking during cutting.