Hatsu Tomoe-ha Køkkenkniv by Kairi Eguchi

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Køkkenkniv by Kairi Eguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award i Sølv in Bageudstyr, Bordservice, Drikkevarer og Køkkenudstyr Design Competition Category.

SølvKøkkenudstyr· 2025

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Køkkenkniv

by Kairi Eguchi

Client: Hatsu

A' Design Award i Sølv Winner in Køkkenudstyr Category

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The Design

About Hatsu Tomoe-ha Køkkenkniv

Hatsu Tomoe-ha er en køkkenkniv, der kombinerer funktionerne fra en universalkniv og en urtekniv i ét blad. Bladet er laserskåret af rustbestandigt rustfrit stål og derefter slebet for langvarig skarphed. Bladet måler 40 mm i bredden ved basen og smalner ind mod spidsen. Skæftet er fremstillet af Hoonoki-træ, hvilket holder kniven let og kompakt. Skæftets form gør det nemt at lægge kræfter i, så førstegangskokke kan bruge kniven med lethed. Den lille størrelse passer til kompakte køkkener og kan være på et skærebræt.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Sølv

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Køkkenkniv er vinder af A' Design Award i Sølv, en usædvanligt prestigefyldt anerkendelse, der tildeles designs i topklasse, som er pragtfulde og imponerende. Sølvvinderne er enormt geniale og overordentlig kreative værker, der illustrerer deres designeres fremragende ekspertise, talent og skarpsindighed. Hatsu Tomoe-ha Køkkenkniv forventes at være et vidunderligt udstillingsværk, der er bemærkelsesværdigt professionelt og dybt innovativt. Dette design, der har vundet A' Design Award i Sølv, er en højst bemærkelsesværdig, beundret opfindelse, som gavner og flytter grænserne for kunst, videnskab, design og teknologi. Hatsu Tomoe-ha Køkkenkniv er en skabelse, som mange misunder, og som vækker begær, bringer positive følelser og antænder forundring og undren.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Tomoe-ha is a kitchen knife that incorporates the dual usage of an all-purpose knife and a paring knife into one single utensil. It is made for people who are starting to live alone or for those who want to enjoy cooking with their children. Especially in countries with small living quarters like Japan,
having a simple yet highly functional mini kitchen knife makes cooking in a limited kitchen space more enjoyable. Tomoe-ha enables the user for an easier daily cooking routine and sustains that lifestyle for a longer period of time.
Dimensions & Packaging: W225×D18×H40mm. Blade length: 130mm
Tags: Japanese, sharperner, knife, handcrafted, blade
Production Technology: Steel is laser-cut to take its unique shape and then sharpened to turn into a working blade. The blade is made of rust-resistant stainless steel (locally termed as
"VG7") for long-lasting sharpness. The handle is manufactured by a woodworks company specializing in making knife handles for Echizen blades. Made from Hoonoki wood, it makes the handle light and compact. The overall shape of the handle makes it easy to apply force, so that even first-time cooks can use this
knife with ease.
Design Challenge: Finding the right balance between an all-purpose knife and a paring knife. In the end, we end up with a blade with a new kind of shape that has not existed before in any kitchen knives.
Research: The shape of the hybrid blade is the result of comparing the shapes and sizes of various small Santoku knives and a petty knives. In order to be used for both functions, we came up with a blade width of 40 mm at the base and a narrower blade towards the tip.
Inspiration: The Tomoe-ha mini kitchen knife combines the best features of the small Santoku knives (all-purpose knives) and petty knives (paring knives). The Japanese characters used for the name "Tomoe-ha” means ‘having two characteristics in equal measure,’. The characteristics of the small Santoku knife (used for cutting big things) and the petty knife (used for cutting vegetables) represents the idea of Tomoe-ha by incorporating both functionality into a knife that bears a single blade.
Project Duration: Manufacturing was done in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture. Design was done in Osaka, with frequent visits to Fukui Prefecture for quality control.
Operation Flow: Tomoe-ha fits the right size to use for cutting fruits and sliced cabbages for quick and easy cooking. It is also small enough to fit on a cutting board, making it easy to use in a compact kitchen, thus making the daily routine of cooking easier for the user.
Team Members: Designer: Kairi Eguchi
Image Credits: #1 Kairi Eguchi (Product Designer) Yuma Ono (Assistant Designer), Main Image, 2024. #2 Kairi Eguchi (Product Designer) Yuma Ono (Assistant Designer), Zoom-in, 2024. #3 Tsutomu Ogino (Photographer), Kiwi, 2024. #4 Tsutomu Ogino (Photographer), Carrot, 2024.