I have always been drawn to the visual artistry and powerful lines of Kiku Matsuda’s knives.  Blade Show could have been my financial stateroom on the Andrea Doria, but by not bringing cash and stoically ignoring my credit card, I averted a trip to the bottom.  Shame, because I loved Mr. Matsuda’s table of treasures.

Mr. Matsuda uses a variety of Japanese steels which are ground on the flat of a large power disc. His grinding style is a convex form traditionally called Hamaguri-Ba.  The blades wear his signature acid etched finish.  Canvas Micarta scales are the usual handle material.  

In holding some of his creations, I could only imagine how they compared to the work of his ancestors, as he is a fifth generation knife maker and descended from Samurai.  I confess that I was gently amused by Mr. Matsuda’s coarse brown Gi and his staid mannerisms.

When viewing Kiku Matsuda’s knives, I considered them a blending of art knife and tactical knife that shines in both arenas.

by Wilson