Hatsu Tomoe-ha Cuchillo de cocina by Kairi Eguchi

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Cuchillo de cocina by Kairi Eguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award de Plata in Diseño de Menaje de Cocina Competition Category.

PlataMenaje de Cocina· 2025

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Cuchillo de cocina

by Kairi Eguchi

Client: Hatsu

A' Design Award de Plata Winner in Menaje de Cocina Category

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The Design

About Hatsu Tomoe-ha Cuchillo de cocina

Hatsu Tomoe-ha es un cuchillo de cocina que reúne en una sola hoja las funciones de un cuchillo multiusos y de un cuchillo pelador. La hoja se corta con láser a partir de acero inoxidable resistente a la oxidación y después se afila para lograr un filo duradero. La hoja mide 40 mm de ancho en la base y se estrecha hacia la punta. El mango está fabricado en madera de Hoonoki, lo que mantiene el cuchillo ligero y compacto. La forma del mango facilita la aplicación de la fuerza, de modo que quienes cocinan por primera vez pueden utilizar el cuchillo con total comodidad. Su tamaño reducido resulta ideal para cocinas pequeñas y se acomoda sobre una tabla de cortar.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Plata

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Cuchillo de cocina ha ganado el A' Design Award de Plata, un reconocimiento extraordinariamente prestigioso concedido a diseños de gama alta, magníficos e impresionantes. Los ganadores de Plata son obras tremendamente brillantes y sumamente creativas que ilustran la destacada experiencia, el talento y la agudeza de sus diseñadores. Se espera que Hatsu Tomoe-ha Cuchillo de cocina sea una obra maravillosa y emblemática, notablemente profesional y profundamente innovadora. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Plata es una invención muy notable y admirada que beneficia y hace avanzar las fronteras del arte, la ciencia, el diseño y la tecnología. Hatsu Tomoe-ha Cuchillo de cocina es una creación enormemente envidiada que evoca deseos, aporta sentimientos positivos y despierta asombro y admiración.

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.