Knife ID request+danger of lead in brass handle?

E

Ethan.hou

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Oct 5, 2025
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> Hi everyone,

I found this old kitchen knife at home and I’m trying to identify its maker, age, and whether the brass handle might contain lead.

The knife has a brass-colored metal handle and a stainless blade. The stamp on the blade shows a crest or logo above some Asian characters (attached in the photos).

I’d appreciate any help identifying:

The brand or manufacturer (from the logo/characters)

Approximate age or era of production

Whether these types of knives usually used real brass handles (and if they contained lead)


Photos:

https://imgur.com/a/Dj4ibe2

Thanks in advance for any insights!
 
Can't help with the crest, the text (Japanese) reads antibacterial stainless steel.

If there is lead in the brass, it's not going to hurt you. Unless you sit around licking it all day? 😉
 
I'd also not be particularly concerned about some lead content in the brass handle. But you can buy lead test kits online, which use a chemical swab to wipe a surface, and which will change color in specific ways indicating the presence (or not) of lead.

Brass does often include a small percentage of lead as part of the alloy. Even then, if you're not creating metal dust by grinding or sanding the brass, anything in the alloy isn't likely a risk from the simple handling of it in solid form.

Lead is more dangerous to young children still developing & growing and may cause developmental defects. Most of the risk comes from ingestion (putting hands to mouth, like children might do, after handling lead) or inhalation of dust from old lead paint, contaminated soil, grinding of metals, etc. If hands are washed regularly, then there's not as much risk by absorption through the skin in adults. Most of us are likely exposed to small amounts of lead every day in some form or another, like handling brass-handled knives, brass doorknobs & other fixtures, and don't suffer any noticeable effects.
 
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Well, it is a kitchen knife, so if there is lead in the handle, I'm not sure using it, while handling food at the same time, is a good idea. As mentioned, home test kits for lead are available (I think at HD).

For reference, I read somewhere that about half of all of the ceramic stuff that comes from China, contains lead. That means there are a hell of a lot of contaminated coffee mugs in the world.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
I'd also not be particularly concerned about lead content in the brass handle. But you can buy lead test kits online, which use a chemical swab to wipe a surface, and which will change color in specific ways indicating the presence (or not) of lead.

Brass does often include a small percentage of lead as part of the alloy. Even then, if you're not creating metal dust by grinding or sanding the brass, anything in the alloy isn't likely a risk from the simple handling of it in solid form.

Lead is more dangerous to young children still developing & growing and may cause developmental defects. Most of the risk comes from ingestion (putting hands to mouth, like children might do, after handling lead) or inhalation of dust from old lead paint, contaminated soil, grinding of metals, etc. If hands are washed regularly, then there's not as much risk by absorption through the skin in adults. Most of us are likely exposed to small amounts lead every day in some form or another, like handling brass-handled knives, brass doorknobs & other fixtures, and don't suffer any noticeable effects.
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It's worth noting that lead swab tests are notoriously inaccurate and 3M, which first brought them to market, no longer offers them as a result (though they can be found from countless other makers.) Lumetallix makes a very reliable test with a lead-reactive solution you spray on a surface and illuminate with a blacklight to see if it fluoresces or not (a fluorescent green glow in the sprayed solution means it reacted with lead) and it's very fast to use.
 
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