160mm Kato SG2 Minamo Wa Nakiri

Hiroshi Kato was a co-founder of the Takefu Knife Village. His son Yoshimi apprenticed with him and other master smiths for over 20 years before taking over the family business.

Yoshimi Kato also forges blades for the Masakage knife brand.

Kato san visited District Cutlery in 2018 and performed a forging demonstration for our customers.

Location: Echizen, Japan

Line: SG2

Construction: San mai

Edge Steel: SG2 (HRC ~63)

Cladding: Stainless

Finish: Hammered & Polished

Edge Grind: 50/50 (Double Bevel)

Handle: Rosewood with red pakka ferrule

Weight: ~ 154g

Blade Length: 160mm

Overall Length: ~303mm

Thickness at Heel: ~2mm

Blade Height: ~51mm

The best sharpening tools for Japanese knives are leather strops and fine whetstones.

Japanese chef knives are brittle and are designed for cutting soft tissue foods. High Carbon steel chef knives can rust if not kept dry.