The forge that takes super steels further than anyone — and one of the few in Japan still capable of true water-quenched honyaki.
Sukenari was established in 1933 in Toyama Prefecture by Fujikichi Hanaki, carrying forward a line of smithing that traces to master blacksmith Toukichi Hanaki, who trained under Tokyo's famed Masamoto Hamono. Today the forge is led by the third generation, Nobuo Hanaki, and remains what it has always been: a small family workshop whose output is measured in blades per week, not per hour.
That scale is why Sukenari is sold out almost everywhere, almost always. It is not scarcity theatre — it is simply a forge with more demand than hands, and that scarcity is the first thing to understand about the maker.
Most forges build their name on one steel. Sukenari built theirs on mastering the difficult ones — powder metallurgy "super steels" that are notoriously hard to forge, grind and heat-treat, worked into blades with thin, evenly convexed grinds that cut far above their weight. Their second signature is mizu-honyaki: single-piece, clay-coated, water-quenched blades made the way swords are, with a visible hamon — a technique only a handful of forges in Japan still attempt.
The hardest production knife steel in common use. Extreme edge retention; Sukenari is one of very few forges that can work it at all.
High-speed tool steel — the connoisseur's pick for retention with usable toughness. A Sukenari speciality.
The practical super steel: long edge life, genuinely stainless, fine grain. The right first Sukenari for most cooks.
Carbon-steel feel on the stones without the rust. Favoured by sushi chefs moving from White steel.
Classic reactive carbon at its most refined — patinas, demands care, rewards it.
Single-steel, clay-coated, water-quenched. The forge's highest expression, made in tiny numbers and confirmed piece by piece.
Sukenari's catalogue spans the super steels and the traditional ones, in both hairline and damascus finishes. Below is the shape of the range and roughly what each tends to cost landed in Australia — the powder-steel pieces sit at the top, and mizu-honyaki is a world of its own.
| Series | Profiles | Sizes | Typical price | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SG2 / R2Hairline or Damascus | Gyuto · Santoku · Petty · Sujihiki · Kiritsuke | 150–270mm | $520–$880 | 6–10 wks |
| ZDP-189Hairline or Damascus | Gyuto · Sujihiki · Kiritsuke (K-tip) | 210–270mm | $750–$1,250 | 8–14 wks |
| HAP40Hairline | Gyuto · Sujihiki · Petty | 150–270mm | $680–$1,100 | 8–14 wks |
| GinsanKasumi | Gyuto · Sujihiki · single-bevel on request | 180–300mm | $480–$950 | 6–10 wks |
| Aogami SuperClad | Gyuto · Santoku · Petty | 150–240mm | $450–$780 | 6–10 wks |
| Mizu-honyakiWhite or Blue steel · hamon | Yanagiba · Gyuto — confirmed per piece | 240–300mm | Market varies | Confirmed per piece |
Rarely from stock — most Australian listings are sold out, because the forge's output is tiny and global demand outstrips it. Sukenari is made to order against the workshop's queue, so even where it is available it carries a genuine, stated wait rather than sitting on a shelf.
Typically 6–14 weeks depending on steel and profile — ZDP-189 and HAP40 sit at the longer end because so few smiths can work them. The timeframe is set by the forge's own queue, not by retail stock.
SG2/R2 if you want low-maintenance excellence; ZDP-189 for maximum hardness and retention; HAP40 for the best retention-toughness balance; Ginsan for a traditional edge feel in stainless; Aogami Super for classic reactive carbon. Our steel guide walks through the trade-offs in depth.
Yes — genuine mizu-honyaki, water-quenched single steel with a visible hamon, closely related to sword making. It is one of the hardest disciplines in the craft, which is why these are made in tiny numbers and confirmed piece by piece. Our honyaki guide explains what sets it apart.
Sukenari has no distributor in Australia, so there is no local warranty network the way a mass brand has. Genuine faults are rare on work of this calibre, but it is worth buying from someone who can confirm provenance and stand behind the piece here — and being wary of anything priced or described in a way that seems too good to be true.