Kanetsune Seki Knives

KANETSUNE RYOU-TAKUMI

DAMASCUS FIELD KNIFE

Kanetsune Seki has held fast to the Japanese custom of honoring

ones’ ancestors. Named after a legendary swordsmith from Feudal

Japan, they have been hand-forging traditional swords and knives in

the blade city of Seki, Japan since their founding in 1948. Kanetsune

Seki Knives is the real deal.

You can’t make a traditional Japanese field knife without using

Japanese steel, and Kanetsune Seki Knives steel is from one of the

best in the business: Hitachi Metals Limited. From their plant located in

Shimane prefecture in Japan, they produce Yasuki Hagane steel.

Especially made for the cutlery industry, it utilizes high quality iron

sand from the surrounding area – the same sand used to make

traditional Japanese swords since ancient times.

Most of the blades in Kanetsune Seki Knives’ lineup are forged from

Yasuki Hagane Blue Steel, a refined carbon steel with chromium and

tungsten alloys added for durability. One such field knife, and the

subject of this review, is the Kage KB-215. This is a Tanto blade cutter

in the 200 series and includes a wooden sheath.

The specs for the knife are as follows. It has a total length of 10¾”; blade

length of 5½” from point to guard and handle length of 5⅛” from pommel to

guard. The cutter weighs in at 7.6 ounces. Here are the specs for the

sheath: total length of 9” including belt loop; blade section length is 6” and

width is 1½”. The sheath weighs in at 2.9 ounces.

The hand-feel of this traditional knife is comfortable and the large Oak

handle provides an ample grip. The bolster is black powder-coated steel

with a generous guard on the finger side. Personally, I would have

preferred sculpted finger grooves for better purchase on the handle. But

that’s not traditional Japanese styling.

Now for the handsome Tanto-style blade. This is an Aogami steel (Blue

Steel), 15-layer Damascus blade in a “random / bacon” pattern with black

powder-coated hammering on the upper body reaching to the spine. The

blade is convex ground with a thickness of 3.5mm at the spine and is full-

tang. IMHO, the absence of thumb jimping on the spine of the blade is an

oversight, but the powder-coating that is there improves the thumb grip

somewhat.

The included sheath is a prize in itself. Carved of Magnolia wood with

polished copper banding and leather strapping, this traditional Japanese

style scabbard adds extra style and functionality to the total package.

To sum it up, this looks to be a well-made field knife quite capable of

performing its intended purpose. I can’t find anything seriously amiss

with it. The pins securing the handle could use a little more filing to

smooth them out. The spine tapering to the point is not exactly linear.

But these are certainly not deal breakers. All in all, this is a sturdy fixed

blade knife for the collector of Damascus steel cutters or the

outdoorsman, or both.

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