SH2000 Shadow Cutlery Daburu Japanese Folder Pocket Knife Bamboo

These traditional low-cost Japanese Damascus-blade folders are unique, and well worth owning if only because they probably won't be on the market indefinitely. I bought both the bone scale knife (SH2001) and this bamboo handle version (SH2000). Both were of similar quality, though the bone version feels slightly more substantial to grasp. While the sharp-angle blades on both knifes were plenty sharp, the tanto blades weren't. They sharpened up easily on my stones. Blade travel on both knives, surprisingly, felt quite granular. I figured the joint surfaces were rough and would smooth out over time with use, but I nonetheless cleaned them out with solvent and compressed air. Glad I did. Out came some gritty particulates that should not have been there. Once sharpened, cleaned and oiled, both knives are fine specimens, though I did knock off a star for the extra prep labor.