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Home | Hitohira Tanaka | Hitohira Tanaka Kyuzo 210mm Gyuto Aogami 1 Yakisugi Cedar

Hitohira Tanaka Kyuzo 210mm Gyuto Aogami 1 Yakisugi Cedar

£387.02
£387.02
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Slightly larger than usual geometry for a Sakai gyuto but still following in that style, not being finish ground on the faces it has a bit heavier blade. The cedar and horn handle with the kurouchi finish give these a great rustic Japanese country feel.

Hand made in Sakai, rustic kurouchi finished iron clad aogami 1 forged by dentoukougeishi master smith Yoshikazu Tanaka and expertly ground by Kyuzo, a sharpener that is very well regarded for his wide double bevel work. Tanaka-san’s treatment of aogami is very highly regarded, he manages to incorporate both toughness, ease of sharpening with excellent edge formation with long edge life. We have been fans of Tanaka-san’s for a long time and are very happy to find this collaboration with Hitohira and Kyuzo.

Kyuzo’s father Heihachi is one of the busiest sharpeners in Sakai. Heihachi’s workshop room and corridor were always filled with knives waiting to be sharpened. Although Kyuzo initially worked under his father to learn the foundation of rough sharpening, eventually he became a student of Kambei, known as one of the best sharpeners in Sakai because he knew best how to sharpen wide double bevel knives. After a few years of training, he built his style based on both his father and Kambei’s respective styles. Today, Kyuzo is one of only a few people who can sharpen wide double bevel with really good Shinogi-line in Sakai, one of the most challenging techniques in sharpening.

Tanaka uses charcoal to quench when treating the knife, which does not produce a Kurouchi dark finish. So in order to produce the finish, which is both aesthetically pleasing and useful in protecting against rust, sharpener uses a special and secret technique that has been used in Sakai for a long time and etches the surface of the knife.

This way of finishing creates the dark and beautiful Kurouchi finish found on this special line. While both types of Kurouchi finishes can fade over time, the etching technique used by sharpener may fade faster.

 

 

 

Brand: Hitohira ひとひら (一片)
Smith: Tanaka Blacksmith 田中打刃物製作所
Producing Area: Sakai-Osaka/ Japan
Profile: Gyuto
Size: 210mm
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Steel: Yasuki Blue (Aogami) #1, Soft Iron Clad
Handle: Yakusugi Cedar & Buffalo Horn Ferrule Octagonal
Total Length: 360mm
Edge Length: 206mm
Handle to Tip Length: 215mm
Blade Height: 46mm
Thickness: 3mm
Handle Length: 144mm
Weight: 144g
Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
Sharpener: Kyuzo

This is a carbon steel knife. Carbon steel is expected to develop a dark patina with use. It needs to be hand washed and towel dried soon 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.

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