- Understated pocket knife in neo-Japanese style- Designed by Guy Poggetti- Micarta handle- Tanto blade in 14C28N steel with stonewash finish- Supplied in a high-quality nylon pouch Neo-Japan The Mini Sanjo is the more compact version of the Böker Plus Sanjo. It was designed by French knife designer Guy Poggetti, who brings Japanese design language together with modern folder technology. The style is called neo-Japan: clean, almost graphic lines without any frills. The name refers to the city of Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture, known for its long tradition of craftsmanship. From there to the Elbe it’s almost nine thousand kilometres, but the Mini Sanjo works just as well here as it does there. The blade is made from 14C28N, a stainless steel that holds its edge well and is easy to resharpen. Its shape borrows a fair bit from the tanto, and the stonewash finish gives it a deliberately worn look. A handy side effect: everyday scratches barely show. At 7.8 cm long and 3.2 mm thick, the blade has plenty of substance for a compact knife. It opens via a front flipper on the back of the handle, the ball bearings make sure the blade snaps open briskly, and a liner lock holds everything in place. The handle scales are Micarta, which stays grippy even when your fingers get a bit damp and develops a patina over time. With an overall length of 17.5 cm and a weight of 96 g, the Mini Sanjo sits comfortably light in your pocket, and the tip-up clip is mounted on the right. French designer, Japanese name: quite a world tour for just under eight centimetres of blade. Works brilliantly all the same.