We are always looking out for new stuff here at CKTG, whether it’s original and unique products or exciting new talents entering the world of knife making. We love giving these young, and sometimes not so young, blacksmiths a path to show the world what wonderful things they can do with a piece of steel.
We are very excited to introduce you to a new smith who is making knives for the first time in his career. Kei Kobayashi has, up till now, been a very talented sharpener and finisher working for a couple of the top blacksmiths. But he recently branched out into knifemaking himself and these knives are the first of his offerings to reach these shores. Considering his short time at the forge we have to say that we are extremely impressed.
Kobayashi-san is using the wonderful PM steel known as SG2 for these knives and this pleases us greatly. We are big fans of this high tech steel for many reasons, none less than its outstanding edge performance and toughness together with its ability to take a super fine edge. The core of SG2 is encased in a jigane of a soft stainless steel to protect the core and also make sharpening much easier. The outer layer is given a fine hairline finish to contrast with the polished SG2 edge steel.
These knives are real lasers. They are very thin and light and have a wonderful feel on the cutting board. The perfect balance of the knife is achieved with the use of a very unusual seven-sided one-piece handle made from pakka wood which is finished with a great feeling lacquer treatment.
We are excited to offer these new knives to our customers while enabling this young smith to sing his song, which so far is note perfect!Maker: Kobayashi san
Location: Seki Japan
Edge Steel: SG2 (AKA R2) Stainless Steel
HRC: 63+-
Weight: 5.8 oz (166 g)
Edge Length: 242 mm
Total Length: 392 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 1.9 mm
Blade Height: 52.7 mm
We are very excited to introduce you to a new smith who is making knives for the first time in his career. Kei Kobayashi has, up till now, been a very talented sharpener and finisher working for a couple of the top blacksmiths. But he recently branched out into knifemaking himself and these knives are the first of his offerings to reach these shores. Considering his short time at the forge we have to say that we are extremely impressed.
Kobayashi-san is using the wonderful PM steel known as SG2 for these knives and this pleases us greatly. We are big fans of this high tech steel for many reasons, none less than its outstanding edge performance and toughness together with its ability to take a super fine edge. The core of SG2 is encased in a jigane of a soft stainless steel to protect the core and also make sharpening much easier. The outer layer is given a fine hairline finish to contrast with the polished SG2 edge steel.
These knives are real lasers. They are very thin and light and have a wonderful feel on the cutting board. The perfect balance of the knife is achieved with the use of a very unusual seven-sided one-piece handle made from pakka wood which is finished with a great feeling lacquer treatment.
We are excited to offer these new knives to our customers while enabling this young smith to sing his song, which so far is note perfect!
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Sublime Working KnifePosted By: Ivan Gill
3 people found this review helpful
In truth I only have a set of Wusthofs and a beautiful Yoshimo Kato Ayogami Super to compare this with. The Kato while not a laser is still very light at 180g and most of the time there is little difference between the two knives in use. However on starchy veg like sweet potato the Kato will wedge where this will glide through in a single push stroke and that's the key difference. The cladding is soft and shows marks from chicken bones (rubbing against, not cutting) and even the cotton towel I rub down the blade to clean it. It doesn't maintain it's aesthetics like the Kato despite having much less use to date. SG2 means it's less maintenance than the Kato and it is not rusty the rare mornings I find I left the knife on the chopping board overnight (thanks goodness for rust erasers). Performance and low maintenance makes this my go to knife when I open the knife drawer. The art in this knife is not in the artisanal aethetics, it's the thought and and sublime execution that has gone into it's performance.
3 people found this review helpful
In truth I only have a set of Wusthofs and a beautiful Yoshimo Kato Ayogami Super to compare this with. The Kato while not a laser is still very light at 180g and most of the time there is little difference between the two knives in use. However on starchy veg like sweet potato the Kato will wedge where this will glide through in a single push stroke and that's the key difference. The cladding is soft and shows marks from chicken bones (rubbing against, not cutting) and even the cotton towel I rub down the blade to clean it. It doesn't maintain it's aesthetics like the Kato despite having much less use to date. SG2 means it's less maintenance than the Kato and it is not rusty the rare mornings I find I left the knife on the chopping board overnight (thanks goodness for rust erasers). Performance and low maintenance makes this my go to knife when I open the knife drawer. The art in this knife is not in the artisanal aethetics, it's the thought and and sublime execution that has gone into it's performance.
Incredible knifePosted By: Michael Rash
3 people found this review helpful
This is the most impressive kitchen knife I have ever bought, with a great price for this level of incredible quality. I can't recommend this knife enough. This maker really focuses on fit and finish, detail, and the best cutting geometry I have seen. This thing is truly a laser, it's the second knife I've bought from this maker and I couldn't be more impressed.
3 people found this review helpful
This is the most impressive kitchen knife I have ever bought, with a great price for this level of incredible quality. I can't recommend this knife enough. This maker really focuses on fit and finish, detail, and the best cutting geometry I have seen. This thing is truly a laser, it's the second knife I've bought from this maker and I couldn't be more impressed.
