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Sakai Kikumori Nakagawa Aogami 1 Kurouchi Knife Set - 2 Pieces

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$1,049.39
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We are proud to be the sole North American retailer of this collaboration between Sakai Kikumori and Nakagawa Hamono. In a conversation between Bernal Cutlery’s Lisa and Josh and Sakai Kikumori, Kawamura-san at Kikumori asked what we would like to see. Shirogami 1 and aogami 1 kurouchi gyutos from Nakagawa 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. 

Aogami 1 is a low contaminate carbon steel with tungsten as a main alloy ingredient. Sometimes, Aogami 1 is overshadowed by its sibling, aogami super, which has a higher alloy content that includes vanadium for long edge life. However, aogami 1 has better edge formation and typically works better at finer finishes than the busier aogami super. Nakagawa-san’s aogami 1 has a nice blend of edge life, toughness for a hard steel and most of all, excellent edge formation. Nakagawa-san’s aogami 1 has a bitey feeling even at finer finishes that can often leave aogami steels feeling sterile or slidey. Nakagawa’s aogami 1 also works very nicely with a variety of 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. 

When new, the burnt chestnut handle may transfer to your hands.

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 set includes: 

Sakai Kikumori Nakagawa 210mm Gyuto Aogami 1 Kurouchi  Burnt Chestnut with Saya - general use great for single piece vegetables like onion, carrot, peppers and the medium sized cabbage or eggplant while still being long enough to be a good slicer on boneless meats.

Sakai Kikumori Nakagawa 150mm Petty Aogami 1 Kurouchi  Burnt Chestnut with Saya  - utility use small enough to do some handheld work but longer enough to process on a cutting board.

Brand: Sakai Kikumori
Smith: Satoshi Nakagawa
Producing Area: Sakai, Japan
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Steel: Iron-Clad Aogami 1
Handle: Burnt Chestnut Octagonal
HRC: 63-64

Measurements available on individual product listings

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.