SHOW013 · DOCUMENTED
宏元作
Santoku 160 mm · Japan
Compact Japanese santoku with a 160 mm laminated blade marked 登録 宏元作 はがね本割込. Comparable knives bearing the same inscription support the reading Hiromoto saku. Bright blade faces, scratches and dark wooden scales with a metal bolster document the character of this used kitchen tool.
Photographs ↓NEW
01 / MARKINGS / MEI
ATTRIBUTION
The inscription 宏元作 is read Hiromoto saku. Comparable knives sold as Hiromoto carry the same combination of markings. Attribution to the brand is probable; the workshop, individual smith and production year of SHOW013 are unverified. 作 means “made by” but does not alone identify an individual craftsperson.
02 / Condition & care
03 / SHOW013
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04 / Research & provenance
登録 (Tōroku) means “registered”. The name mark is 宏元; 作 (saku) means “made by”.
はがね本割込 describes a steel core inserted into outer material. A carbon-steel core is probable; the exact grade, hardness and outer-layer material are undocumented.
JCK associates the Hiromoto brand with Futoshi Nagao and Seki (Gifu). This piece’s connection to a specific workshop remains unverified.
Measurements of comparison knives are not transferred to SHOW013. This blade’s height and thickness have not been measured; its bevel-angle ratio and production year are undocumented.
The record is based on eight supplied photographs. The owner supplied the 280 mm overall length, 160 mm blade length, 122 g weight and laminated construction. Earlier ownership, handle originality and restoration history are undocumented.
CURRENT STATUS
