The Kasumi Cup 2026 — full rules, schedule and prizes
The blade Each of the six finalists receives an identical blade forged for the occasion by Milan Gravier — a 180mm gyuto in his signature Classic mix of clean wrought iron and 135Cr3, forged and shaped to 80 grit. Each blade comes with a matching handle, made by Milan alongside the forging, to be mounted after the final photography. The blade is deliberately left rough. The work of revealing what lies within belongs entirely to the polisher.
Registration — until 16 August To enter, send an email to
kasumicup@gmx.net with: — your name — contact details (phone, email, Instagram) — a short personal introduction and your vision of the craft — 1 to 5 images or a video of a polishing project (max 30 MB per file, via WeTransfer; phone quality is fine) — a description of the images: your goals, the effects, the process
By entering, you accept that your name and work may be published on Instagram and in the polishing communities.
Selection — until 1 September After registration closes, the field is narrowed over two weeks. Benjamin Rétif selects the best 20. Mark Gonzales narrows these to 12. Milan Gravier chooses the final 6.
Announcement of the six — 1 September The six finalists are announced publicly on Instagram.
Blade shipping — from 1 September The blades are shipped to the six finalists, with two full months to work before the deadline.
Work period — mid-September to mid-November Each polisher shapes and finishes their blade according to their own interpretation. The finished blade must respect a minimum length, thickness and width.
Deadline — 13 November (postmark counts) Finished blades are sent to Benjamin Rétif. Participants are responsible for safe packaging and return shipping.
Photography and anonymisation — December All blades are anonymised and photographed under standardised conditions with a medium format camera. Once the photography is complete, the raw images are sent to the jury, the HD photographs are published, and both the Audience Choice vote and the lottery open.
Judging — December Each blade is judged on the finish alone: geometry, cleanliness, contrast, and interpretation. Sharpness is not a criterion. The jury — Mark Gonzales and Milan Gravier — judge each blade individually, then meet online to compare results and decide first, second and third place.
Final — 20 December, live on YouTube The winners are announced live. Only then are the polishers' names revealed.
Prizes
1st place — a finished 210mm knife by Milan Gravier, and a high resolution print of the winning blade
2nd place — a curated selection of polishing tools, and a high resolution print
3rd place — a selection of polishing tools, and a high resolution print
Audience Choice Award Everyone can vote for their favourite finish once the HD photographs are published. The winner receives a special prize, offered by Mark Gonzales — to be revealed on 20 December.
The lottery All six finished blades, each mounted with its handle enter a lottery, drawn live on 20 December.
Tickets are 30 € each, maximum five per person. The lottery runs until it reaches 4000 €, covering the blacksmith's costs and part of the shipping, after which no further tickets are sold.
The draw is where the tension lives. Six tickets are pulled one after another, in a fixed order, each winning a blade — but not equally. The first three take the non-placed blades. The fourth wins the third-place blade, the fifth the second. And the very last ticket drawn — the sixth — wins the winning blade of the Kasumi Cup 2026.
Every knife finds a new home. And someone, with a single ticket, may take home a knife forged by Milan Gravier and finished by one of the finest polishers in the field — for the price of a single ticket.
A closing note
This is the first edition. It exists because a small idea — two figures, a blade, a finish — turned out to mean something.
The Kasumi Cup 2026 — Milan Gravier. Registration until 16 August. Join us.
