霞

霞仕上げ是一種傳統的日本刀身表面處理工藝，特別常見於以軟鐵與較硬鋼材結合鍛造的刀具。日語中的「霞」意為「霧氣」，生動地描繪出在兩種金屬接合處的刃面上，所呈現出的朦朧霧面質感。這種效果不僅具備美學價值，更展現了將異種材質完美融合的精湛工藝，突顯出製刀職人打造兼具美感與實用性刀具的高超技藝。 A full process description and historical context appear in the detailed section on this page.

A kasumi finish is the traditional finish on Japanese single-bevel and clad knives. After grinding the blade, the smith uses progressively finer natural or synthetic stones to polish the hard core steel (hagane) bright while leaving the softer cladding (jigane) hazy — the contrast between the two is what defines the kasumi look.

Kasumi is the traditional finish on single-bevel knives — yanagiba, usuba, deba — and on premium clad double-bevel blades. It is most commonly seen on knives with carbon-steel cores and softer-iron cladding where the steel contrast can be visually emphasized.

Kasumi finishes are part of the steel itself and require no special care beyond standard Japanese knife maintenance. Hand wash, dry immediately, use proper cutting boards. Over many years and many sharpenings, the kasumi line will shift as the bevel is reground — this is normal and can be restored by a professional polisher.