This breathtaking piece, "酔仙," is the one of most complex work by Shoichi Hashimoto to date.
It is made from 8 types of steel, comprising 2,070 layers, including Hitachi Aogami Super, Aogami No.1, No.2, Shirogami No.1, No.2, No.3, Takefu Shiro 2, and an undisclosed steel.
The knife features a irregular ladder-patterned Damascus, deep etched to exhibits the wavy hamon that separates the darkish yellow martensite and blackish grey pearlite areas. Meaning this damascus knife is also made with the same method that honyaki are made: “tschioki. The challenge of applying differential quenching to a Damascus steel knife is significant, as the layered structure may not hold due to uneven heat distribution and internal stress. This piece marks Hashimoto’s most satisfactory attempt at applying this technique to his Damascus work.
Originally, Hashimoto-san named it "酔歩" (drunken walk), but he later decided to rename it the more evocative "酔仙" (an immortal, drunk, warbling, wandering figure) after successfully quenching the knife, as he believes this blade will become an intriguing piece.