Hatsu Tomoe-ha Coitelo de cociña by Kairi Eguchi

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Coitelo de cociña by Kairi Eguchi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award de Prata in Deseño de Utensilios para Forno, Vaixela, Cristalería e Utensilios de Cociña Competition Category.

PrataUtensilios de Cociña· 2025

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Coitelo de cociña

by Kairi Eguchi

Client: Hatsu

A' Design Award de Prata Winner in Utensilios de Cociña Category

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The Design

About Hatsu Tomoe-ha Coitelo de cociña

Hatsu Tomoe-ha é un coitelo de cociña que combina as funcións dun coitelo multiusos e dun coitelo de pelar nunha soa folla. A folla córtase con láser a partir de aceiro inoxidable resistente á ferruxe e despois afíase para conseguir un fío duradeiro. A folla mide 40 mm de ancho na base e estréitase cara á punta. O mango está feito de madeira de Hoonoki, o que mantén o coitelo lixeiro e compacto. A forma do mango facilita a aplicación da forza, polo que os cociñeiros principiantes poden usar o coitelo con facilidade. O seu pequeno tamaño adáptase ás cociñas compactas e cabe nunha táboa de cortar.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Prata

Hatsu Tomoe-ha Coitelo de cociña gañou o A' Design Award de Prata, un recoñecemento enormemente prestixioso outorgado a deseños de gama alta, fermosos e impresionantes. Os gañadores Prata son obras tremendamente brillantes e sumamente creativas que ilustran a pericia, o talento e a agudeza sobresaíntes dos seus deseñadores. Espérase que Hatsu Tomoe-ha Coitelo de cociña sexa unha obra marabillosa, escaparate de oficio, notablemente profesional e profundamente innovadora. Este deseño gañador do A' Design Award de Prata é unha invención moi notable e admirada que beneficia e fai avanzar os límites da arte, a ciencia, o deseño e a tecnoloxía. Hatsu Tomoe-ha Coitelo de cociña é unha creación moi envexada que esperta desexos, achega sentimentos positivos e prende asombro e marabilla.

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.