Shiro Kamo

Shiro Kamo — Echizen's Forging Purist

Shiro Kamo, the second generation blade smith of the Kamotou Hamono, is an expert of forging. He only keep feel designs but they are tuned to near perfect. Kamo san's knife is known for the broad profile and extreme thin bevel, paired with high hardness SG2 and Blue Super steel, his blades are some of the best cutters especially for hard and dense vegetables.

It is worth mentioning Kamo san do forge stainless and carbon steel alike, while the SG2 is much hard to deform under forging temperature, he seems to be able to command steel into his desired shape with little effort. His understanding and experience in forging and sharpening lead to incredibly well polished designs, which excels in handling, lightness and cutting smoothness.

Shiro Kamo, the second generation blade smith of the Kamotou Hamono, is an expert of forging extremely high performance blades. Being a member of the TAKEFU Knife Village, his skill level is top notch in the entire Fukui prefecture.

The most know work done by master Shiro Kamo would be his SG2 Suminagashi series. As one of the few blacksmith in this industry that does hand forging of powder stainless steel, his knife is the thinnest I've ever seen. As stainless steel tend to be much harder to shape at forging temperature, it just says how impressive of a skill that Kamo san possess being about to keep his knife so thin but straight at the same time.

The matching sharpening is also very aggressive, his SG2 has a small convexity but due to the low overall thickness and broad knife profile,the edges are still very thin. The Kurouchi Blue super has a concave grind which goes through tough food with little effort with its extreme thinness. However, these thin blade are still pretty rigid, thanks to the forged taper that thickens the tang. The combination of these features just shows how much understanding that Kamo san has to blade, and he do have the skill to achieve these details with his hammer like it takes no effort.

We found that Shiro Kamo has only few designs that he forge, and that is somewhat remarkable to me. When we are constantly seeking the shiny new things that just come out, we can always count on Kamo san when we need a knife with solid performance. His dedication and focus have lead to a near perfection of what he do, and anyone who picked up his knife and tried will feel the result of years of tuning over one design. If you want a authentically forged knife from Japan, I will definitely check out master Kamo's knives.

“Former chairman of Takefu Knife Village — an Echizen forging master who keeps only a few perfect designs.”

Est. 1955 | 昭和30年

Known for Expert forging, broad profile geometry, few but perfected designs

People

Current Head: Shiro Kamo 加茂詞朗

Craft

Known For: Expert forging, broad profile geometry, few but perfected designs
Steel: Aogami Super, R2/SG2

Location

Address: 22-91 Yokawacho, Echizen, Fukui 915-0031, Japan
Region: Echizen, Japan
Coordinates: 35.887937, 136.2365708

Brand

Logo

Native Name

加茂藤刃物

Why Shiro Kamo Matters

Shiro Kamo is the second-generation blacksmith of Kamotou Hamono (加茂藤刃物), certified as a traditional craftsman (伝統工芸士), and former chairman of the Takefu Knife Village. He still serves as Chairman of the Echizen Blacksmith Foundation. Now in his 60s, he's focused on passing his techniques to disciples while maintaining a deliberately small lineup of perfected designs.

Does Shiro Kamo Allow Unsolicited Visits?

Kamo's workshop is inside Takefu Knife Village, which is open to the public.

Knives by Shiro Kamo

Shiro Kamo Kurokumo SG2 Damascus

Shiro Kamo's SG2 Kurokumo Black Damascus line of kitchen knives is a fusion of outstanding performance and striking design. Made from SG2 powdered steel ... Read more

Shiro Kamo's SG2 Kurokumo Black Damascus line of kitchen knives is a fusion of outstanding performance and striking design. Made from SG2 powdered steel by Takefu Special Steel, these knives are known for their exceptional hardness and long-lasting edge retention, providing a razor-sharp blade that excels in precision cutting. Whether you’re slicing vegetables or proteins, the superior cutting performance ensures effortless and clean cuts.The blade features a breathtaking black damascus pattern, giving it a unique, bold appearance that reflects the meticulous craftsmanship. Complementing the blade is an elegant octagonal ebony handle, providing a comfortable grip and perfect balance. This handle adds sophistication and durability, making the knives not only functional but a pleasure to hold and use. Read less

Pros

Excellent performance
Great artistic

Cons

Relatively hard to sharpen

Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad Etched

Shiro Kamo Blue Super Kurouchi (Seilan)

The Shiro Kamo Blue Super(Aogami Super) might be a familiar item for our long term supporters. Back in 2018, we worked with Kamo-san to have a series of blad... Read more

The Shiro Kamo Blue Super(Aogami Super) might be a familiar item for our long term supporters. Back in 2018, we worked with Kamo-san to have a series of blade with the line name Seilan(青嵐, blue storm)and our own brand name Shinko stamped on them. As these being sold out, we haven't acquired more of it, but I think everyone who purchased one of these blade would be fairly impressed by its extreme thinness and outstanding cutting feel.What we called Seilan is now stamped with Kamo-san's own brand name "Kamotou", but the great performance is something that hasn't changed by a single bit. The majority of the blade are still very thin from the edge to the spine, yet thanks to the forging process, the thickened neck near the handle has kept this blade rigid. When cutting with this knife it is very responsive, it will follow the exact trajectory that you want it to create as most food cannot stop or flex its thin edge, including dense ones like sweet potato.I would say the price is fairly good for a knife that is masterfully crafted, but one downside that we cannot ignore is the cladding on these knives. This blue super line features a iron cladding, and from the experience we had with Seilan, this is a particular reactive cladding(more reactive than the Blue Super core). It would need a good care and maintenance to stay beautiful, but having this soft iron jacket means it will be quite easy when comes to sharpening, polishing and thinning. Read less

Pros

Thin behind the edge
Excellent performance
Great OOTB

Cons

Prone to rust
A little bit brittle

Sanmai - Soft Iron Clad Kurouchi

Frequently Asked Questions about Shiro Kamo

Who is Shiro Kamo?

Shiro Kamo is a Japanese knife maker based in Echizen, Japan , established in 1955. They are known for Expert forging, broad profile geometry, few but perfected designs. Their signature steels include Aogami Super, R2/SG2. Available at Knives and Stones Australia.

What knives does Shiro Kamo make?

Shiro Kamo produces the following knife lines: Shiro Kamo Kurokumo SG2 Damascus, Shiro Kamo Blue Super Kurouchi (Seilan). We currently carry 11 products from Shiro Kamo at Knives and Stones. They specialise in Expert forging, broad profile geometry, few but perfected designs.

Where is Shiro Kamo located?

Shiro Kamo is located in Echizen, Japan. Japanese knife-making regions each have distinct traditions. Echizen and Takefu in Fukui Prefecture are celebrated for high-quality double bevel forging.

Where can I buy Shiro Kamo knives in Australia?

Knives and Stones is an authorised Australian stockist of Shiro Kamo. You can shop online at knivesandstones.com.au with free shipping on orders over $99, or visit our stores in St Peters (Sydney), Crows Nest (Sydney) and Braddon (Canberra) to handle the knives before buying.

Shiro Kamo

People

Craft

Location

Brand

Why Shiro Kamo Matters

Does Shiro Kamo Allow Unsolicited Visits?

Knives by Shiro Kamo

Shiro Kamo Kurokumo SG2 Damascus

Shiro Kamo Blue Super Kurouchi (Seilan)

Shop Shiro Kamo Knives

Visit Us In Person

St Peters

Crows Nest

Canberra

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