Nagao Tsubame-Sanjo Sumi-Tamari Dinner Cutlery Set (8 pieces), 18-0 Stainless Steel, Black Oxide Color, Made in Japan

The Kurotamari Cutlery Series. These knives, spoons, and forks are made by a specialist cutlery manufacturer in Tsubame-Sanjo using a technique called black oxidation coloring. The cutlery itself is made of thick, sturdy stainless steel with a matte finish, giving it a textured look. The overall silhouette is a basic design that is not easily influenced by trends. These black cutlery pieces have a black oxidation coloring treatment applied to their surface. Black oxidation coloring does not involve painting or covering the surface of a product, as is the case with painting or plating. Rather, it is a technique that uses a chemical reaction to thicken the oxide film (passive film) on the surface that gives stainless steel its name, causing it to appear black due to the refraction of light. By controlling the thickness of this oxide film to a certain level, the stainless steel can be made to appear black. By applying this black coloring treatment, the film becomes thicker than the oxide film that naturally exists on the surface of stainless steel, making the stainless steel more rust-resistant. Furthermore, because the oxide film that naturally forms on the stainless steel surface is chemically altered, the product complies with the Food Sanitation Act. Because the chemical change in the oxide film is less than 1 μm, it is possible to process it while preserving the matte texture, such as the metallic luster of stainless steel. The all-important black color is not jet black, but rather inky black. And while the thickness is controlled to a consistent level, there are very slight variations in color from product to product. A fluctuating pool of ink color. That is the Sumi-tamari cutlery series. The product lineup includes dinner knives, dinner forks, and dinner spoons for the main meal; small teaspoons, cake forks, coffee spoons, and picks; and a butter knife and soup spoon. There are also dinner cutlery sets for one and two people that are more economical than the individual items. Todai Co., Ltd., the cutlery manufacturer, was founded in Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture in 1953. Since then, the company has been manufacturing stainless steel cutlery, a major industry in the city. The cutlery, handcrafted by artisans, is often used in high-end hotels and restaurants. It is one of the few companies to carry out the majority of its cutlery manufacturing process in-house.

*Note* To reduce corporate waste, product packaging is simple, consisting of a polypropylene bag. Also, no instruction manuals or other documents are included; please refer to the product description. For the same reason, the polypropylene bags used bear the Todai logo. Size: Dinner fork 182x27mm / Dinner spoon 179x38mm / Cake fork 156x22mm / Teaspoon 138x29mm Material: 18-0 stainless steel, black oxide finish, matte finish / Set includes 2 dinner forks, 2 dinner spoons, 2 cake forks, and 2 teaspoons Country of Origin: Tsubame-Sanjo, Japan Weight: Dinner fork 40g / Dinner spoon 44g / Cake fork 24g / Teaspoon 22g Manufacturer: Todai Co., Ltd. / Distributor: Nagao Co., Ltd.