2026 — Milan Gravier
the Kasumi Cup
rules, schedule and prizes
The blade
Each of the six finalists receives an identical blade forged for the occasion by Milan Gravier — a 180mm gyuto in his signature Classic Mix of clean wrought iron and 135Cr3, forged and shaped to 80 grit. Each blade comes with a matching handle, made by Milan alongside the forging, to be mounted after the final photography. The blade is deliberately left rough. The work of revealing what lies within belongs entirely to the polisher.
Selection
From all entries, twenty polishers are selected, then narrowed to twelve, and finally to the six finalists. Benjamin “Nutmeg” Rétif makes the first selection, Mark Gonzales narrows it further, and Milan Gravier chooses the final six.
The final six are announced on 1 September on Instagram.
Registration
(until 16 August)
To enter, send an email to kasumicup@gmx.net with:
— your name
— contact details (phone, email, Instagram)
— a short personal introduction and your vision of the craft
— 1 to 5 images or a video of a polishing project (max 30 MB per file, via WeTransfer; phone quality is fine)
— a description of the images: your goals, the effects, the process
By entering, you accept that your name and work may be published on Instagram and in the polishing communities.
The blades are shipped
The six identical blades are shipped from 1 September, giving each finalist two months to work.
The work
Each finalist shapes and finishes their blade according to their own interpretation, from mid-September to mid-November.
The deadline for return is 13 November. The postmark counts.
Photography and judging
In December, the finished blades are anonymised and photographed under standardised conditions on a medium-format camera.
The jury — Milan Gravier and Mark Gonzales — judge them on the finish alone: geometry, cleanliness, contrast, and interpretation. Sharpness is not a criterion.
Each blade is also filmed briefly under the same conditions — a short, slow pass that lets the light travel across the finish. A photograph cannot hold everything a polish does; the video gives the jury a second way to read what the still cannot, the play of light a fixed frame freezes. The judgment rests on the photograph; the video stands beside it.
This is exactly what the judges see, a 100MP stack, no editing, not even exposure, the same way December's finishes are shown:
Shown life-size; that's a coffee bean
Held at arm's length, this is as close as the eye can truly see, and as close as the work is judged — when the bean blurs, you've looked too far.
The final
The results are announced on 20 December, live on YouTube. The ceremony has four parts: the contest results, a personal favourite chosen by the founder, the Audience Choice Award, and the live draw.
Prizes
1st place
a finished 210mm knife by Milan Gravier, and a high resolution print of the winning blade
2nd place
a curated selection of polishing tools, and a high resolution print
3rd place
a selection of polishing tools, and a high resolution print
Audience Choice Award
Once the photographs are published, everyone can vote for their favourite finish. The winner receives a special prize — revealed on 20 December.
The draw
All six finished blades, each mounted with its handle, are given away in a free draw, drawn live on 20 December.
Entry is free, and the last blade drawn is the winning blade of the Kasumi Cup 2026.