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12 KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW • MARCH 2020 • www.kitchenwarenews.com BY LORRIE BAUMANN Kikuichi is the oldest knife company in the world, tracing its histor y to 1267, when the company made samurai swords for Japan's warrior class. The modern iteration of the company happened in the 1860s when the emperor of Japan outlawed the samurai, thus eliminating the market for those swords, and the company turned its expertise instead to crafting knives. Today Kikuichi operates under the leadership of its fifth generation family owner, President and Chief Executive Officer Ikuyo Yanagisawa, and continues to maintain its historic legacy of craftsmanship and quality. " We make everything f rom traditional hand-forged knives in the samurai tradition to the modern knives in western shapes," said Harry Rosenblum, General Manager for Kikuichi New York, Inc. This year at The Inspired Home Show, Kikuichi is debuting its new GW Ginsan Sanmai series. These are thin three-layer stainless blades with a core of Ginsan Silver 3 steel sandwiched between two layers of 440 stainless steel. This construction adds strength to the blade and allows for a thin, strong and precise blade. They come to the retailer hand finished and sharpened by Kikuichi's master sharpeners. Handles are hand- made f rom walnut and water buffalo horn. The knives are available in a full range of sizes f rom a 3-inch Paring Knife to a 10.5-inch Slicer. Retail prices range f rom Kikuichi Debuts Ginsan Sanmai Series $200 to $460 each. Kikuichi is also launching its Nano Hone Sharpening System at this year's show. The system comprises sharpening stones and abrasives made in Japan and a stage, pond and stone holders that are made in the U.S. The system offers a professional-grade sharpening system for the dedicated bladesmith. Kikuichi will also have in its booth at the show a complete display of all of its lines, "which are vast," Rosenblum said, along with some of its high-end custom hand-forged Damascus steel blades, for which the retail prices run into the thousands of dollars. The display of the highest-end knives isn't just to give attendees the chance to drool over the cases; it's also a way to educate attendees about the difference between truly high- quality cutlery and knives that just look beautiful, Rosenblum said. "The industry itself has gone in a ver y interesting direction. Consumers are looking for Japanese-made, and they're looking for high-quality," he said. "People are well informed, and consumers appreciate the history of Kikuichi, and they appreciate the quality." KN The international Housewares Association is saddened to announce that legendary gia Expert Juror Martin M. Pegler passed away on January 17, 2020, peacefully at his home in New York surrounded by his family. A professor for 30 years in the Display & Exhibit Design Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, Pegler was instrumental in helping IHA create the IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia), growing the program into a globally successful event known industry- wide as "the Oscars of housewares." Since the beginning of the gia program in 2000, Pegler served as an Expert Juror, and upon retirement in 2016 was named an honorary member of the gia Expert Jury. Recognizing his leadership role in gia, the Top Window Award was renamed the "Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising" in 2008. Also that year, Pegler was presented with an honorary gia Award for Lifetime Achievement. "Martin was instrumental in the success of the Global Innovation Awards serving as a member of the gia Expert Jury for close to 20 years. Throughout the years, he became a true f riend and mentor to so many in the industr y. Martin was passionate, kind and sweet – always willing to offer advice and lend his expertise," said Derek Miller, IHA President. "Although he will be greatly missed by everyone at IHA and the gia family, his legacy will live on through his namesake award – The Martin M. Pegler Award for Visual Merchandising will remain a lasting tribute to his many contributions to our industry." A leading expert in the displays and visual merchandising field for more than 60 years, Pegler hosted seminars in the United States as well as in Latin America, Europe and the Pacific Rim. He authored Industry Champion Passes Peacefully more than 80 books, and his textbook, " Visual Merchandising and Display," is used in universities around the world. Pegler was presented with lifetime achievement award by PAVE, the Planning & Visual Education Partnership that supports retail design education for students and educators. He was also inducted into the Visual Merchandising and Display Industries' Hall of Fame. Pegler's legacy will be honored at the 2020 gia gala during The Inspired Home Show in Chicago on March 14. Following Pegler's wishes, in addition to continuing with his namesake award, IHA will continue re-publishing his articles in the INSPIRED. magazine, sharing his visual merchandising expertise and ideas with the home and housewares industry in the future. KN The beauty and performance of Shun Classic now comes to the kitchen with a lighter, brighter look. Classic Blonde marries the 69-layer Damascus-clad blades of Shun's most popular series with PakkaWood® handles in a light and beautiful natural wood tone. It's available in some of the most-wanted styles as well as a 5-Piece Starter Set. Behind these handcrafted knives' stunning beauty is function: razor-sharp blades offering top performance. Shun's proprietary high-performance VG-MAX steel, which provides incredible edge retention, is clad with Damascus stainless steel, then ground and bead- blasted, revealing the flowing pattern of the layered steel. The result is a line of knives that are sharp, durable, and corrosion resistant, as well as beautiful to behold. The initial Blond series includes and 8-inch Chef 's Knife, Paring Knife, 6-inch Utility Knife, a bread knife, a Santoku, a Combination Honing Steel and a 5-Piece Block Set. Like all Shun Cutler y, Classic Blond is f rom Japan's Kai Corporation. For more than 111 years, this family company has been making fine blades in the tradition of the legendar y samurai swordsmiths of ancient Japan. Each Shun takes 100 or more handcrafted steps to complete. Yet even Shun Debuts Classic Blonde Series with the weight of ancient tradition behind them, Shun's kitchen knives are also thoroughly modern. This fine kitchen cutlery is crafted using state-of-the-art technology, the most advanced premium- quality steels, and handle materials that are both beautiful and durable. Brands established and managed by Kai USA Ltd. include Shun Cutlery, fine kitchen knives and housewares; Kershaw Knives, sporting and everyday carrying knives; and Zero Tolerance Knives, premium and professional knives. The company website is: www.kaiusaltd.com. KN

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