165mm Hatsukokoro Shinkiro Damascus AS Wa Bunka

H & K’s house brand is called Hatsukoro. The brand is supplied by a handful of manufacturers from different notable knifemaking regions such as Seki and Tosa. Our first import shipment from H & K included the Shinkiro line. Shinkiro translates to “mirage”, and this line is stunning. Hand-forged damascus-clad Aogami Super steel at its finest. Our first batch was mated to multi-color pakka and maple octagonal handles. These blades are made specifically for H & K by a blacksmith named Takahiro Nihei in Fukushima. The tsuchime pattern in the damascus cladding is indicative of the expertise of the blacksmith. Nihei also makes knives for the wholesaler Konosuke Knives, and is highly regarded.

Location: Amagasaki, Japan

Line: Shinkiro

Construction: Hand-forged San mai

Edge Steel:

Aogami Super (Blue Super) HRC~64

Cladding: Iron Damascus

Finish: Kurouchi

Edge Grind: 50/50 (Double Bevel)

Handle: Octagonal stabilized birch with micarta spacer.

Weight: ~180 grams

Blade Length: ~170mm

Overall Length: ~313mm

Thickness at Heel: ~4mm

Blade Height: ~50.8mm

This is a food prep knife designed for users who value excellent sharpness and edge retention and who can tolerate the reactivity of the blade as they are prone to discolor food they come in contact with. 

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.