Kujira Knife - Letter Opener Whale (OUT OF STOCK)

I am a Kujira Whale Knife. Of all the mammals in the deep blue sea, I am the sharpest there ever will be.

Curator's Notes 

This knife gains its namesake from the largest mammals of the sea - whales, or kujira in Japanese. The Kujira Knife has a wonderful origin story that begins with blacksmith, Toru Yamashita. Inspired to create a knife that is at once functional and safe for a child to use for a simple task like sharpening a pencil, Mr. Yamashita forged the tip of the knife in a rounded shape. With a large head and thinner handle, the knife resembled a Sperm whale, and thus the first knife from the Kujira Knife collection was born. The collection now comprises a whole family of whales that include six different forms of different species like the bryde’s, mink and fin whale. Although they can still be used to sharpen pencils, they can also be used as utility knives or, as we like to use them, for chopping mint during cocktail preparations.

Kujira Whale Knife was curated by Angélique Chmielewski

Designer/Maker 

Designer: Toru Yamashita

Specifications

Dimensions:  4.1" (w) x 4.5" (l) x 0.1" (h) or 105mm (w) x 115mm (l) x 3mm (h)

Weight: 2.2 oz or 62 g

Materials: Iron

Details

• Made in Tosa, Japan - a city in the Kōchi prefecture that faces the Pacific Ocean
• Hand-forged

• The word ‘Tosa’ and a 'wave' motif is embossed on the knife

• This Kujira Knife was specifically designed to function as a letter opener