Okeya Blue #2 Honesuki 150mm
The main function of a Honesuki knife is to part out poultry. It is adept at this task because of its stiff and robust triangular blade. The pointed tip is perfect for getting into the joints of birds but not for breaking bones. That is a job better served by a
cleaver.
Okeya is a small shop located in Miki, Japan. It is run by a father and son team who produce highly functional kitchen knives at really attractive prices. They use high-quality materials, in this case Hitachi Blue #2 steel. The core steel is hardened to 60 HRC. The Aogami inner core (hagane) is then covered with a layer of softer stainless steel to protect and add strength. This outer layer (jigane) is given a very nice tsuchime finish.
Honesuki blades are often single ground, but in the case of the Okeya, it is a double-sided blade and is thus useful to both left and right-handed users. Being ground on both sides, it is also much easier to sharpen.
The blade is mated to a nice walnut octagonal handle with black pakka wood ferrule. If you are a professional chef who processes a lot of poultry or other birds, a honesuke really should be in your knife roll. For a home cook who even once in a while parts out birds, the price of this great little blade is low enough to make the purchase well worth while.
Brand: Okeya
Blacksmith: Fujiwara San
Location: Miki Japan
Construction: San Mai
Method: Hammer Forged
Cladding: Tsuchime Finish
Core Edge Steel: Hitachi Blue #2 Steel
HRC: 61
Edge Grind: Even: See Choil Photo
Blade Style: Honesuki
Handle: Walnut Octagonal
Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
Weight: 3.4oz
Blade Length: 153mm
Total Length: 290mm
Spine Thickness at heel: 2mm
Height: 37mm