Masanobu Okada & Shirogami
September 5, 2026 – Josh Donald
Meeting Okada-San
In 2025, I was introduced to Mr. Masanobu Okada at his workshop in Takefu, Japan, where he hand-forges Japanese gardening tools and knives as the third-generation head of Okada Hamono.
It was early summer and unseasonably hot. It should have been the end of the tsuyu season, when spring and summer meet in intermittent rain, and it wasn’t as hot as Japanese summers are notorious for yet. That year, apparently it went straight from springtime into blazing-hot summer, and like everywhere I went that trip, it was insanely hot and humid.
We didn’t have much time, and it was a brief introduction. He is a busy guy, so I didn’t want to pester him while he was trying to finish his forging. I am leery of treating craftspeople like zoo exhibits, but it’s always interesting watching a master at work, and I had a hidden agenda. Based on his type of knife and toolmaking and his general story, I asked what his favorite steel was to work with. Like many traditional craftsmen, he mentioned the merits of shirogami, or white steel. Aside from wanting people to use 180 mm and 240 mm gyuto more, I want western users to appreciate shirogami.
Shirogami vs. Aogami
Shirogami is often compared with aogami青紙, blue steel, another old-style Japanese blade-making steel. Aogami especially contains tungsten in its alloy and generally cuts longer than shirogami, which is a much simpler alloy, containing just iron, carbon, and a tiny amount of silica. Aogami is typically more expensive than shirogami when comparing apples-to-apples prices. Aogami generally takes more work to grind, which is why knives made with it cost more. This, I think, has given many users here in the States the idea that aogami is of higher quality than shirogami. “Better” is subjective; for those trying to avoid sharpening, aogami cuts better as it dulls, but for the whetstone-friendly, shirogami has a special quality that is hard to beat.
Do You Know Bakka-Ko?
Some Japanese blacksmiths jokingly call aogami “bakka-ko” or “stupid steel”, because it’s easier to make a usable knife with it compared to shirogami, which is not pre-engineered for edge holding, and for users who are also “bakka”, you can do a poor job of sharpening and still have a usable knife. I will admit this is harsh, and most of those smiths that I have heard use the term “bakka-ko” also make great aogami knives that they put their hearts into, and will backtrack on the judgmental tone so I know they don’t really think aogami and its users are stupid, but there is a pride that blacksmiths have in a well-made shirogami. It truly is a blank canvas.
When done right, shirogami sharpens extremely well and can have an exceptionally keen, bright, biting cutting feel that expresses the nuances of different finishing stones, especially natural stones. It sharpens easily compared to higher-alloy steels and, because of this, is easier for many users to get better bevel geometry, contributing to better cutting feel.
I should clarify: Okada-san never used the term “bakka-ko” when we spoke, but the simple, clear regard he held for shirogami is reflected in his knives. The heat treatment features a lower hardness level than the steel is capable of, which really brings out its sharpenability. Another feature of Okada-san’s knives that I really like is the slightly concave face of the blade between the spine and the wide bevel. It brings the weight down a bit and provides extra food release. Okada-san and I also share an appreciation for a nearly symmetrical spine-to-blade edge shape, which allows for lots of control at the tip and a smooth motion along the cutting board.
With my favorite knives, I feel there is always a conversation between the knifemaker and the cook as it gets used. I look forward to getting to know my new Okada 180 mm gyuto better. I don’t always keep one of the knives that we sell, but I am excited to have some more to talk with Okada-san about on my next visit.
Okada Hamono products mentioned in the article:
