Hatsukokoro HAP40 Petty 120mm

Performance

Sharp out of the box and there's definitely scope to pretty easily get a truly screaming sharp edge with a little work on a stone or with a ceramic rod. 

This range is machine made and then finished and sharpened by hand and scores very well on our sharpness tests so with that potential to hone further and durability we think this is a great knife for overall performance.

Beauty

This is perhaps not a range you're going to buy based entirely on its looks. It's a classic polished finish with a visually interesting and consistent grind exposing the HAP40 steel core and the Kanji is 初心 meaning 初 (innocent) 心 (spirit).

Comfort

The entire range is impressively lightweight and overall they're pretty thin all the way along the spine and taper nicely. The heel of the knife is comfortable but it would be nice if it were just a little more rounded and finished around the edges for added comfort.

Durability

Made by Hitachi Metals Limited, HAP40 is a steel that is well regarded for its hardness and the treatment of this range is around 64-65 HRC so edge retention is excellent and these are durable knives when looked after correctly. 

Ease of care

These are a semi stainless knife so we'd recommend caring for them following the normal rinse and dry routine but it would also be worth applying drop or two of camellia oil from time to time as HAP40 steel has a chromium content but it's worth the extra care for the edge retention properties it offers.

Value for money

This range is machine made in Seko City, Japan and then sharpened and the handles fitted by hand. It's tempting and entirely fair to compare them with the entirely hand made knives we sell and it's a tricky one in some respects because it's a difficult comparison of man vs machine made but the obvious benefit of machine made here is consisency and finish across the range.

The reality here is that you're paying for the HAP40 steel which is going to take and retain an excellent edge and offers a high level of durability despite it's thin profile.