Yoshimi Kato VG-10 Suminagashi Nakiri 165mm

Yoshimi Kato has taken the reins of the business that his father-in-law, Hiroshi, started and is making some of the best blades coming out of Echizen today.

His dedication to his art can be seen in these fine VG-10 knives which look and feel way more refined than their price would suggest. Constructed with a core (hagane) of VG-10 stainless steel, outer layers (jigane) of softer stainless steel are forged to the hagane to protect the inner core while adding strength and durability. This outer layer is decorated with a beautiful suminagashi (damascus) finish which is etched to further enhance the damascus pattern.

The nakiri is a rectangular vegetable knife with a thin blade. It excels in delicate vegetable cutting and chopping tasks. The Japanese word translates into “knife for cutting greens.” The shape of nakiris differs according to the region of origin: knives in the Tokyo area are rectangular in shape, and knives in the Osaka area (like this one) are called kamagata nakiri and have a rounded corner on the far blunt side.

This particular nakiri is a lovely example of the breed, featuring a great-looking damascus blade coupled with an oval rosewood handle with a black pakka wood ferrule.

Maker: Yoshimi Kato

Region: Echizen, Japan

Steel: VG-10 Stainless Steel

HRC: 61-62

Cladding: Stainless Damascus

Handle: Rosewood Oval

Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood

Edge Grind: 50/50

Weight: 5.1 oz (144 g)

Edge Length: 159 mm

Total Length: 307 mm

Spine Thickness at Base: 1.8 mm

Blade Height: 50.6 mm