Hatsu Tomoe-ha Küchenmesser by Kairi Eguchi

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Küchenmesser by Kairi Eguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award in Silber in Küchengeschirrdesign Competition Category.

SilberKüchengeschirr· 2025

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Küchenmesser

by Kairi Eguchi

Client: Hatsu

A' Design Award in Silber Winner in Küchengeschirr Category

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Verified Award Winner
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The Design

About Hatsu Tomoe-ha Küchenmesser

Hatsu Tomoe-ha ist ein Küchenmesser, das die Funktionen eines Allzweckmessers und eines Schälmessers in einer einzigen Klinge vereint. Die Klinge wird aus rostbeständigem Edelstahl lasergeschnitten und anschließend geschliffen, um eine langanhaltende Schärfe zu gewährleisten. Am Klingenansatz misst sie 40 mm in der Breite und verjüngt sich zur Spitze hin. Der Griff besteht aus Hoonoki-Holz, wodurch das Messer leicht und kompakt bleibt. Die Griffform erleichtert die Kraftübertragung, sodass auch Kochanfänger das Messer mühelos verwenden können. Die geringe Größe eignet sich für kompakte Küchen und passt auf ein Schneidebrett.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Silber

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Küchenmesser ist Gewinner des A' Design Award in Silber, einer enorm prestigeträchtigen Anerkennung für erstklassige, großartige und beeindruckende Spitzendesigns. Silber-Gewinner sind ungemein brillante und äußerst kreative Werke, die die herausragende Expertise, das Talent und den Scharfsinn ihrer Designer veranschaulichen. Von Hatsu Tomoe-ha Küchenmesser wird erwartet, dass es ein wunderbares Vorzeigewerk ist, das bemerkenswert professionell und zutiefst innovativ ist. Dieses mit dem A' Design Award in Silber prämierte Design ist eine höchst bemerkenswerte, bewunderte Erfindung, die den Grenzen von Kunst, Wissenschaft, Design und Technologie zugutekommt und sie voranbringt. Hatsu Tomoe-ha Küchenmesser ist eine vielbeneidete Schöpfung, die Wünsche weckt, positive Gefühle vermittelt und Staunen und Verwunderung entfacht.

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.