Kohetsu Shinano Blue #2 Nakiri 165mm

Over the past few years, we have built the Kohetsu brand into a multi-line powerhouse. We feature many different steels, techniques, and styles in this impressive range of Japanese kitchen cutlery. Each sub-brand is made by a different blacksmith, chosen for his particular abilities with the specified techniques and steels. Our newest line is named after the river that flows through the Niigata Prefecture, an area rich in sword and knife making tradition, and the place where these blades are made.

Kohetsu Shinano knives are constructed from the popular high carbon Blue #2 steel. Arguably the most popular steel used for kitchen knives, Aogami 2 is a tough alloy that is easy to sharpen. The toughness does result in slightly lower wear resistance as compared to Aogami 1 steel, however, at the stated hardness of 62 HRC, this is hardly noticeable.

A soft outer layer of stainless steel is applied in the san-mai style which adds to the strength of the blade while protecting the hard core steel. The blade face is given a lovely matte finish in contrast to the polished cutting edge. Daily maintenance is reduced significantly by the use of this stainless steel jigane.

This is a standard kakugata style nakiri which is one of the best knives for cutting vegetables. It is ground with a symmetrical 50/50 edge bevel. Blade height is about average for this length of knife, as is the weight. The knife comes with a lovely octagonal walnut and black pakka wood handle.

Brand: Kohetsu

Line: Shinano

Blacksmith: From Sanjo City

Construction: San Mai

Edge Steel: Blue #2

HRC: 62

Knife Type: Nakiri

Weight: 4.9 oz (140 g)

Edge Length: 160 mm

Total Length: 307 mm

Spine Thickness at Base: 3.2 mm

Blade Height: 49.0 mm

Grind: Even 50/50

Handle: Walnut Octagonal

Ferrule: Black Pakka