This santoku is made from Shirogami #2 high carbon steel clad in a multi-layer soft iron outer; it is finished with a rosewood oval handle with black pakka wood ferrule. It will react but it has the typical kurouchi (or blacksmith) finish which will help protect the knife, although not completely! Get used to wiping after use and that should help!
Shirogami, or white #2 is a very popular alloy in knife making and takes a skilful blacksmith to work with it, it is capable of an incredibly sharp edge but doesn't quite have the edge retention of other steels such as super blue or ZDP-189. It is however really easy to sharpen which makes it a good steel to buy if you want a knife that is a bit easier to look after.
Technical details
- Blade Length: 173mm (Measurement of the cutting edge)
- Total Length: 314mm (Blade + Handle)
- Blade width: 4mm (Measured where blade enters handle)
- Blade height: 46mm Heel to spine
- Total weight: 144 grams
- Steel Type - Cladding: Soft Iron
- Steel Type - Cutting edge: White #2
- Left or Right handed: Either
- Hardness: 61 HRC
- Handle style: Japanese
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This knife steel has some special care instructions – learn more.
Our aim is to measure everything as accurately as possible but some specifications (such as hardness for example) are provided by the manufacturer and therefore should be used as a guide only.
Blacksmith Profile
Katsushige Anryu
Knife making is in Anryu-san's blood. A fourth generation knife maker and has been working as a blacksmith for well over 50 years.
