Sakai Kikumori Nakagawa 150mm Petty Shirogami 1 Kurouchi Ho Wood with Saya

Regular Price
$288.00
Sale Price
$288.00
Regular Price
Sold Out
Unit Price
per

Shipping calculated at checkout.

We are proud to introduce as the sole North American retailer, knives done as a collaboration between Sakai Kikumori and Nakagawa Hamono. Inspired by a conversation with Bernal Cutlery’s Lisa and Josh with Sakai Kikumori, Kawamura-san at Kikumori asked what we would like to see, and shirogami 1 and aogami 1 kurouchi gyutos from Nakagawa Hamono came to mind. 

These knives represent a blend of the rustic and the refined. They have a dark forge-scale ‘kurouchi’ finish and exceptionally thin grinds to support the superb forging. Nakagawa-san's smithing is characterized by thorough heat treatment with excellent heat control during forging.  The result are knives that have remarkable edge formation and edge retention while remaining tough. 

Shirogami is rated at 3, 2, & 1; increasing in carbon content as the number gets smaller. Typically, shirogami 3 is tough with a shorter edge life than shirogami 2, and shirogami 1 has the best edge life with the least toughness. However, in the hands of Nakagawa-san, this shirogami 1 is given better toughness which offsets its more brittle nature. This is definitely a sharpener's steel that works well at a very fine finish. It is a real pleasure to sharpen Nakagawa-san's shirogami 1. It has a longer lived edge than his shirogami 2 and performs well at very fine finishes-  it’s a true blank slate that’s great for a huge variety of finishing stones, especially natural stones. 

These have a natural (as opposed to chemically applied) kurouchi finish which will include some hammer marks and rougher cosmetic grinder marks. When cared for properly, the kurouchi will gradually fade and be replaced with a patina from use. 

Nakagawa-san's knives are characterized by excellent heat control during forging and a very thorough heat treatment creating knives that have superb edge formation and edge life with good toughness. His carbon steels are easy to sharpen across most steel types. Nakagawa-san's reputation as one of a few blacksmiths in Sakai to forge Ginsanko and VG10 stainless steels that results in excellent edge life and toughness is well earned.

Sakai Kikumori was started in 1926 and draws on Sakai's 600 year history as the major center of traditional Japanese cutlery manufacturing. They work with a large variety of Sakai's best smiths, sharpeners and small factories to offer a wide variety of knives ranging from traditional to modern.

This knife has a hard carbon steel core with iron cladding for added durability. The entire blade will develop a patina with use, especially with acidic foods. Special attention is needed to keep the blade from rusting. Do not leave wet; hand wash & dry. Never use a dishwasher. Rust can be removed using a light abrasive. Hardwood end-grain or softwood long-grain cutting boards are preferred; avoid bamboo and plastic cutting boards to reduce edge damage. 

 *Actual weights and measurements may vary piece to piece

Brand: Sakai Kikumori
Smith: Satoshi Nakagawa
Producing Area: Sakai, Japan
Shape: Petty
Size: 150mm
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Steel: Iron-Clad Shirogami 1
Handle: Octagonal Ho & Horn
Total Length: 278mm
Handle Length: 127mm
Handle to Tip Length: 150mm
Blade Height: 27mm
Edge Length: 140mm
Thickness: 3.38mm
Weight: ~78g (varies)
Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
Saya: Included
HRC: 63-64

*Measurements are taken from random sample
Actual measurements of knife received may vary.

This is a carbon steel knife. Carbon steel is expected to develop a dark patina with use. It needs to be hand washed and dried immediately after use. Do not air dry. Do not put it in the dishwasher. Long exposure to moisture and debris will result in rust. Any rust development should be removed with a light abrasive.

Twisting, scraping, and heavy use, as well as use on hard and very dense objects can lead to edge damage. Use on a quality wooden cutting board will help the knife stay sharper for longer. Use on hard surfaces like plates and bamboo will reduce the edge life and can result in edge damage. Special attention needs to be taken to prevent edge damage. Scraping, twisting and forceful as well as using on hard or very dense foods can result in chipping.

We recommend hand sharpening on whetstones. We have found that most Japanese knives perform best at a finer finish starting around 4000. Avoid pull through sharpeners and non-water cooled mechanized sharpening. Ceramic honing rods are preferred.