Koji Hara Take Flipper, a Custom Bamboo Folder in SG2 San Mai Damascus
Take, written 竹, is Japanese for bamboo, and this Koji Hara Take Flipper carries that theme from end to end. It is a custom from Koji Hara’s own hands. He hand forged the SG2 San Mai Damascus blade and hand carved the Black Lip Mother of Pearl scales to resemble bundled bamboo shoots.
This new model brings a modern flipper into Koji’s unmistakable art style. It comes from the personal collection of Ray, who runs We Buy Knife Collections, and it is in excellent condition. Collectors who follow Koji’s flippers may also know the Koji Hara Cowry X, another piece in Black Lip Mother of Pearl.
Koji Hara, a Legend of Japanese Custom Knifemaking
Koji Hara’s inimitable style has won him admiration from collectors and fellow makers alike. His knives are renowned for their precision, craftsmanship and performance, and his Air Step designs made his name. His son, Dew Hara, grew up in Seki City in his father’s workshop and studied there for more than 20 years.
Koji’s designs also reach collectors through production partners. The Rockstead NEHAN is a Koji Hara design built in ZDP-189. Meanwhile, his son’s own custom work fills our Dew Hara Custom Knives page.
Carved Bamboo and Black Lip Mother of Pearl on the Koji Hara Take Flipper
Koji hand carved each Black Lip Mother of Pearl scale to resemble a bundle of bamboo shoots, with the nodes standing out along every stalk. Two cross bands bind the bundle like ties around cut cane. As the knife turns, the shell shifts with the light across each stalk.
Front and rear tsuchime textured bolsters frame the scales. Tsuchime is a hammered texture, and here the bolsters also help protect the handle if the knife is dropped. Inside, textured Stainless Steel liners are jewel polished and surround a backbar carved to resemble bamboo.
Mother of Pearl takes a very different form on the Curt Zimmermann Ranch Hand, where it meets Mosaic Damascus. Set side by side, the two show how far a maker can take the same shell.
The SG2 San Mai Damascus Blade
Koji hand forged the blade of this Koji Hara Take Flipper as SG2 San Mai Damascus. A swirling raindrop Damascus pattern surrounds an ultra-hard SG2 core, and the high contrast is immediately captivating. The core provides exceptional edge holding and chip resistance, and it shows as a bright line along the edge.
SG2 is Takefu Special Steel’s own powder metallurgy steel, and Takefu gives its hardness as HRC 62 or more. The drop point blade measures 3 inches, with 2.8 inches of cutting edge. Koji’s maker’s mark is hand etched on the show side of the blade.
A standard flipper tab opens the blade with the index finger, and a liner lock holds it open. The blade sits centered and runs with a silky-smooth action. For another take on the steel, the Andre Thorburn L28 carries SG2 Damascus San Mai on a front flipper.
Condition and What Is Included With This Koji Hara Take Flipper
This Koji Hara Take Flipper is in excellent condition, with no signs of wear or blemishes. It comes from Ray’s personal collection, so it joins our preowned knives. See how we grade every knife before listing it.
Koji Hara does not issue Certificates of Authenticity, so none ships with this knife. His hand etched maker’s mark on the blade identifies it instead.
- Koji Hara Take 竹 (Bamboo) Flipper
- Koji Hara Japanese style pocket pouch in antique kimono fabric
Koji Hara Take Flipper Specifications
- Maker: Koji Hara
- Model: Take 竹 (Bamboo) Flipper
- Date made: November 2024
- Country of origin: Japan
- Overall length: 6.8 in
- Blade length: 3 in
- Cutting edge: 2.8 in
- Closed length: 3.8 in
- Blade thickness: 0.11 in
- Weight: 4.8 oz
- Blade steel: SG2 San Mai Damascus, hand forged by Koji Hara
- Blade pattern: Raindrop Damascus around an SG2 core
- Blade profile: Drop point
- Edge: Plain
- Lock: Liner lock
- Deployment: Flipper tab
- Handle: Hand carved Black Lip Mother of Pearl scales shaped as bamboo shoots
- Bolsters: Front and rear, tsuchime textured Stainless Steel
- Liners: Textured Stainless Steel, jewel polished inside
- Backbar: Carved to resemble bamboo
- Pocket clip and lanyard hole: None
- Markings: Koji Hara’s maker’s mark, hand etched on the blade
- Authorship: Full custom by Koji Hara
- Condition: Excellent, no signs of wear or blemishes
- SKU: 00231-KOJI-TAKE-SG2SANMAI-BLMOP-20241101
- Included: Antique kimono fabric pocket pouch; no Certificate of Authenticity (Koji Hara does not issue them)
Compare it with our other custom folding knives.
Video Description: Bamboo in Black Lip Mother of Pearl
This is the Koji Hara Take 竹 (Bamboo) Flipper, a custom made in November 2024 and in excellent condition. The 3 inch drop point blade is SG2 San Mai Damascus, hand forged by Koji Hara, with a swirling raindrop pattern around the SG2 core. Hand carved Black Lip Mother of Pearl scales resemble bundled bamboo shoots.
Front and rear tsuchime textured bolsters frame the handle, and textured Stainless Steel liners surround a backbar carved like bamboo. A flipper tab opens the blade, and a liner lock holds it open. It has no clip or lanyard hole. Overall length is 6.8 inches, closed length is 3.8 inches, and it weighs 4.8 ounces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Take mean on the Koji Hara Take Flipper?
Take, written 竹, is the Japanese word for bamboo. Koji carried that theme through the whole knife. The Black Lip Mother of Pearl scales are carved as bundled bamboo shoots, and the backbar is carved to resemble bamboo as well.
What is SG2 steel?
SG2 is Takefu Special Steel’s own blade steel, made by powder metallurgy in Japan. The name stands for Super Gold 2, which Takefu writes as SPG2, and Takefu gives its hardness as HRC 62 or more. Here it forms the core of a San Mai Damascus blade.
What is San Mai Damascus?
San Mai means three layers. A hard core steel runs through the center, and outer layers clad it on both sides. On this knife, Koji hand forged a raindrop Damascus cladding around an SG2 core, so the core shows as a bright line along the edge.
Is the Koji Hara Take Flipper a custom?
Yes. A custom comes from one maker’s own hands rather than a factory line. Koji Hara hand forged this blade and hand carved its scales himself. His maker’s mark is hand etched on the blade, so the knife identifies its maker on its own.
Does this knife come with a Certificate of Authenticity?
No. Koji Hara does not issue Certificates of Authenticity, so none ships with this knife. Instead, it carries his hand etched maker’s mark on the blade. It ships in Koji’s Japanese style pocket pouch made from antique kimono fabric.
How does the Take Flipper open and lock?
A standard flipper tab opens the blade with a press of the index finger, and a liner lock holds it open. The knife has no pocket clip and no lanyard hole, so it carries well in its kimono fabric pouch.
Does We Buy Knife Collections actively support the broader knife enthusiast community?
Yes. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, We Buy Knife Collections is a curator and purveyor of fine custom made folding and fixed-blade knives. We are dedicated to the high-end custom knife community and we support knife rights advocacy.
Following our commitment upgrade in April 2026, we are proud to hold an AKTI Premier Membership, supporting the American Knife & Tool Institute’s vital advocacy and lobbying for knife owners, makers, and the future of the industry.
Buy This Koji Hara Take Flipper
We inspected this Koji Hara Take Flipper and described it as it is: excellent, with its antique kimono fabric pouch. See more of Koji’s work on our Koji Hara Custom Knives page. If you are refining a collection of your own, we also buy knife collections.
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