Kiku Matsuda is a master blade smith with an extraordinary list of fabulous creations. All of his knives are deeply rooted in the Japanese tradition but each possess its own unique character. For example, the SHU-FU which is a formidable knife and a work of art combined. Kiku Knives are simply extraordinary custom knives. SOG Knives and Tool has recently announced the first production run of a Kiku design.
The Kiku Fixed Series, shown in my picture above, is a rugged and elegant fixed blade, available in either a 4.9-inch or 5.6-inch straight edged clip point. The knife is made from AUS-8 stainless steel blade in satin polished or black TiNi finish. The handle is linen micarta with full tang construction and includes a Kydex sheath with a removable belt clip. The overall lengths are 9.76-inches with a weight of 8.5-ounces (for the Small Fixed Kiku) or 11.2-inches and weighs 11.2-ounces (for the Large Fixed Kiku).
The Kiku Folder Series is offered in a 3.5-inch or 4.6-inch straight edged clip point AUS-8 stainless steel blade in a variety of finishes. The handle is a linen micarta with a liner lock construction and a low-carry pocket clip for easy concealment. The small folder is 7.9-inches in overall length with a weight of 4.2 ounces, and the large folder is 9.4 inches and a weight of 7 ounces. Up to this point, Matsuda San has focused his considerable talents on fixed blade knives solely, so this is a special offering indeed.
Kiku knives are known as some of the sharpest in the world. The blade durability, edge sharpness and longer edge retention is attributable and his special Hamaguri-Ba (Japanese Convex edge famous for Katana) grinding. He uses a special art etching process on each blade for a non-glare finish, corrosion resistance and blade surface protection.
FOG HORN 