Hitohira Imojiya Kuma 180mm Santoku Aogami 2 Nashiji Tsuchime Western Handle

This is a stainless clad carbon steel knife. The exposed carbon steel edge will take on a dark patina with use and can rust with prolonged exposure to moisture and debris up to the clad line. The stainless steel portion should resist oxidation and corrosion but can stain with habitual prolonged exposure to moisture. Hand wash and towel dry. Do not put it in the dishwasher. Do not air dry.

Twisting, scraping and heavy use as well as use on hard and very dense objects can lead to edge damage. Using a quality wooden cutting board will keep a sharper edge for longer. Cutting surface materials like glass, ceramic and bamboo will make the edge go dull quickly and should be avoided.

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