The Sanjo master whose River Jump damascus is the most imitated pattern of the era — and whose own blades almost never surface.
Tsukasa Hinoura leads the Hinoura family forge in Sanjo, Niigata — a smithing line now in its fourth generation with his son Mutsumi (born 1981) working alongside. His standing in the craft is unusual: he is revered not only for his own blades but as a mentor, the master who guided self-taught smiths like Kisuke Manaka into mastery.
His celebrated 'River Jump' (Kawa-Tobi) pattern — a flowing suminagashi damascus evoking water over stones — became one of the most recognisable and imitated signatures in modern Japanese knives. Original Tsukasa pieces, forged by his own hands, surface rarely and command collector pricing instantly.
The Kawa-Tobi damascus is the signature, but the foundation is classic Sanjo forge work: Aogami cores, warikomi construction, integral bolster pieces and hunting blades that show the breadth of the hands involved.
Flowing suminagashi damascus — the pattern an era tried to copy.
Classic reactive carbon, forged and hardened in the Sanjo tradition.
The broader Hinoura range, including pieces with son Mutsumi.
The smith other smiths name — Kisuke Manaka among his students.
Original Tsukasa pieces appear rarely and by allocation, often claimed within hours of listing. Work by his son Mutsumi — fourth generation of the forge — is meaningfully more obtainable and the realistic nearer-term path for most collectors. Either way these are made-to-order or single-piece finds rather than stock; we keep an interest list and share pieces as they surface.
Tsukasa-san's signature suminagashi damascus — a flowing pattern evoking water leaping over river stones, achieved in the forge rather than by etching tricks. It became the most imitated look of the era.
Tsukasa originals are the collector pinnacle; Mutsumi's work carries the family forge's DNA at obtainable lead times and prices. Many collectors hold both.
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