Need help with Japanese - Varikomi?

nozh2002

nozh2002

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I just recently have returned from trip to Japan. Bought some local knives there in Kikuhide Yokohama ( www.kikuhide.co.jp - I am strongly suggest everybody visit this shop if you'll be in Yokohama). I found Japanese engineer in our office but one term he do not know - he is not knife person.

What is Varikomi?

I have Higonokami knives. Blade of one has mark "Aogami Varikomi" which as I understand is Hitach Blue Label steel - Aogami. Another one has "Hon Varikomi" and I was told in the shop that it is Shirogami - Hitachi Wight Label steel, so I am wondering what is "Hon" is it type of Shirogami?

What is Hon Varikomi?

And on other knofe (not Higonokami) no any labels but only Varikomi on the blade, which was refered to me as Shirogamy also in the shop.

Also I have Sekikoku by I.C.cut from Seki - it is SekiWhittler (if our translation is right). I found strange line about few mm from the edge - I suspect 3 layer blade as I have on my SekiCut Hiro Little Blue, but I do not see 3 layers on the back instead it looks like 2 layers! What it is? Is it 3 layers but core is very thin or what?

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Can you provide any kanji? Or this might be a foriegn word. In hirogana (Japanese phonetic alphabet) there is not letter for the "V" sound.
I'm just guessing, but Hon Varikomi is likely "Original Varikomi."
-KC
 
Yahoo Japan turns up three hits on Varikomi.

Two are sites that end in .de and one is in cyrillic (so I guess it is Russian). All three sites are dedicated to the game of Go.

I got the same three pages on Yahoo U.S. My guess is that it is some sort of brand name. Is there a symbol anywhere that looks like a Go board, or little black and white circles?

Interesting puzzle.
 
Try Yarikomi. I got a lot of hits on that, but I can't see what the connection to knives might be yet.
 
What Knifeclerk said. I only have one year in Japanese, but in Hirogana and Katakana there is no V. I did not want to post it until someone else pointed it out in fear that at like Japanese 4th year they changed the rules and added a V or something crazy. As far as I know, there is no V. I am also doubting that there is a Kanji for this word because I doubt it is an ancient word, it is probably a newer or foreign word so it would have to be in Katakana.

Please correct me if I am wrong, I am definitely no expert in Japanese.
 
There is a Va syllable in Katakana:

Kat.gif


Varikomi is probably a foreign word of some sort, although the actual Japanese would be helpful.

As for Hon, as Knifeclerk stated, could mean original or maybe it's the counter word for long, cylindrical objects. Just a guess on my end as well.
 
My friend - japanese engineer sad that he think this is some kind of knife term. He also sad taht "Varikomi" means interruption also in computer bussines. I can build this word path:

Interruption -> Exception -> Exceptional or Exclusive

but this is just my speculatioin. I think in Japan it mean somethig in knife bussines, may be like Yosoto Spetial Steel or something (shirogami, aogami...).

I have it on different knives from diferent manufacturers on the ricasso - it should be related to steel or HT. I was appointed to it in Kikuhide shop in Yokohama as to Shirogami steel - I asked specifically for Shirogami.

I'll make pictures today and will post it tommorow on my website.

Actually - this is my knives (higonokami):

http://www.ohyasuya.co.jp/aigo/higonokami/list.htm

yellow one - aogamy varikomi and one with black handle - hon varikomi. It is hard to see stamp on the blade, but may be you may read what is around.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Hey, those things are pretty cheap! I should snag a few.

About the 'va' sound:
In the katakana JacDan showed, that is an "u" with accents followed by an "a". This was created for foreign words. Such a combonation will not be found in the traditional phonetic alphabet.
 
The word is Warikomi; a term used in Go, also makes for a good description of clad or laminated steel.
Regards,
Greg
 
Yes with this price it is also hi-carbon top steel with zone tempering or laminated (this warikomi really puzzle me). In my trip I try to buy in Japan real traditional knives used by local and this one seems like direct hit! It is cheap and cool with this blade and aogami has hi tungsten content... And there is no chisel grind in Japan only for spetial or cooking knives!

Hovewer I try to understand - is it laminated or zone tempered Shirogami (Aogami)?

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Correct. Warikomi is a sandwich of steels, normally with a hard steel in the core surrounded by softer steel on the exterior. Lots of advantages. Since the hard steel is thin, it is also easy to sharpen. Since it is thin, it is economical. Since it is mated with softer steel, the net is an steel with both high edge retention and toughness.

Cold Steel has a proprietary name for it that they call San Mai. It is their word, not the Japanese. The Japanese call the process warikomi. Hon Warikomi would simply be a higher grade as Hon Kasumi would be a higher grade of the kasumi construction which is forge welded hagane carbon steel with iron.

The latest buzz in the Japanese kitchen cutlery world is the use of the new very hard powder steels (RC 66 or so) in warikomi construction with soft stainless (typically VG2 or an equivalent.) Tojiro has a gyuto made of this type of powder steel in the core that is absolutely incredible. I have a 300mm version of it in my kitchen. It is truly amazing.
 
I think Fallknivens U2 (Little zytel folder) is of this construction, IIRC its 64 Rc
 
Is it correct that by default they made Shirogamy as core for Higonokami - like it states here - http://www.ohyasuya.co.jp/aigo/higonokami/list.htm ?
So if it is Warikomi on the blade - it means Shirogami in core?
I have other knife with Warikomi only stamped on the bolster, and I was told that it is Shirogami.

Initially I thougt it is not layered but zone tempered - on my Helle laminated knives it is visible line which separate layers and here it more like Hamon which is sign of zone tempering (using clay to absorb heat on the edge etc...).

Thanks, Vassili.
 
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