SAK-01187
Sakai Takayuki Kengata Gyutou chef knife, hammer forged by the renowned Itsuo Doi in Sakai, Japan. At 210mm (8.3"), this is a great size for home or professional use. Perfect for use as an everyday all-purpose chef knife. Please note that while Sakai Takayuki characterizes this as a 225mm blade, we measured the edge from heel to tip as 210mm.
The blade is forged from Aonikou Blue-2 Carbon Steel which is a high-end Hitachi Yasugi-works steel which is a very pure high carbon steel with added chromium and tungsten for increased toughness and durability (making it somewhat less fragile than the "white" steels for example). This steel is also called Aogami or Ao-Ko II in Japanese. It is very hard, with an HRC in the range of 61-63, and so will take a very fine and sharp edge easily and hold it like no stainless steel knife will.
The edge is ground 50/50 and so along with the octagonal roasted and urushi lacquered oak-wood handle, it's fine for right or left-handed use.
Remember, this is a carbon steel knife, NOT stainless, which means you need to keep it clean and dry and stored in a dry place to keep it from rusting. Wash by hand, wipe, dry and store after use. Do NOT leave it sitting in a sink or on a cutting board until after dinner... work like a pro and do all your prep, clean up, cook, then feast! The hard steel also means it is potentially more fragile than a stainless steel knife, so care must be taken to never hit bones or cut very hard items such as squash or frozen/partially-frozen meat. As such, CHIPS OR CRACKS TO THE EDGE OR TIP ARE NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY. It is the nature of such a knife that it is more fragile than a cheaper knife. If you are not prepared for this potential eventuality, this might not be the knife for you. You should DEFINITELY also own a standard workhorse stainless-steel knife (Wusthof or Victorinox for example) for those situations where you might hit bones or for going through hard/tough items.
I recommend the Idahone fine ceramic hone for regular everyday maintenance. For full re-sharpening, please use stones, never a gadget or electric device. And of course NO dishwasher.
Also, if you are not able to keep the knife very dry and if you don't use it daily (or if you just want to take the maximum care against rust), please consider usingtsubaki/cammelia oil to protect the blade of your carbon steel knife.
Approx. weight: 230g
