These beautiful knives are made by Master Blacksmith Kamo-san from Takefu Village in Japan. It's rare to find blacksmiths who excel with both grinding and forging but Kamo-san is one of them. He works with a very small crew of just two other workmen. While many shops farm their blades out to various workmen for the different stages of manufacture, Kamo-san keeps these operations in house and under his personal supervision.
Constructed from White #2 carbon steel, the knife is then clad with reactive Damascus steel for a beautiful looking blade that will gain character as patina forms on the blade with use. The face etching is very well realized and reveals a lovely pattern from the cladding layers. This is a light blade but one that feels strong in the hand. Edge sharpness out of the box is excellent, as are the overall fit and finish.
The blade shape is fairly conventional for this type of knife, featuring a fine tip and slight belly and it will excel with push and pull cutting. We are now supplying these knives with a beautiful sandalwood D-shaped handle with a black pakkawood ferrule. This is a really fun knife and one that will surprise you with its ability to perform many tasks around the kitchen. It’s also a great and inexpensive way to experience White #2 steel.
Please note these knives have thin edge grinds and use hard steel so they can chip if you don’t use them carefully. No bones, frozen foods, hard root stems, or garlic husks. Use push or pull cuts to put less stress on the edge. Unfortunately, none of the sayas fit this knife. Get the blade guard.Blacksmith: Shiro Kamo
Location: Echizen, Japan
Factory: Takefu Village
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Cladding: Damascus
Edge Steel: White Paper #2 Steel
HRC: 61
Edge Grind: Even (See Choil Shot)
Handle: D Shape Sandalwood
Weight: 5.5 oz (156 g)
Edge Length: 218 mm
Total Length: 366 mm
Spine Thickness: 2.3 mm
Blade Height: 54.7 mm
Engraving: Hand Engraved
Constructed from White #2 carbon steel, the knife is then clad with reactive Damascus steel for a beautiful looking blade that will gain character as patina forms on the blade with use. The face etching is very well realized and reveals a lovely pattern from the cladding layers. This is a light blade but one that feels strong in the hand. Edge sharpness out of the box is excellent, as are the overall fit and finish.
The blade shape is fairly conventional for this type of knife, featuring a fine tip and slight belly and it will excel with push and pull cutting. We are now supplying these knives with a beautiful sandalwood D-shaped handle with a black pakkawood ferrule. This is a really fun knife and one that will surprise you with its ability to perform many tasks around the kitchen. It’s also a great and inexpensive way to experience White #2 steel.
Please note these knives have thin edge grinds and use hard steel so they can chip if you don’t use them carefully. No bones, frozen foods, hard root stems, or garlic husks. Use push or pull cuts to put less stress on the edge. Unfortunately, none of the sayas fit this knife. Get the blade guard.
Reviews
6 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval)
3 year review, August 21, 2024Posted By: Ryan C
1 people found this review helpful
After using it constantly for 3+ years I will say Shiro Kamo might be the best performer for the money. The shape is perfect, thin and light. Sharpens quickly and holds it really well. My Mazakis have a lot of heart but for half the money this outperforms them. The D handle is also so comfortable with a pinch grip and finished really well. I don't remember how well it was sealed to the tang originally but after 3 years there's a little wear and rust, and some play in the handle. I only oiled it once so I'm pretty satisfied and will clean it up and reinstall it for another great many years to come.
1 people found this review helpful
After using it constantly for 3+ years I will say Shiro Kamo might be the best performer for the money. The shape is perfect, thin and light. Sharpens quickly and holds it really well. My Mazakis have a lot of heart but for half the money this outperforms them. The D handle is also so comfortable with a pinch grip and finished really well. I don't remember how well it was sealed to the tang originally but after 3 years there's a little wear and rust, and some play in the handle. I only oiled it once so I'm pretty satisfied and will clean it up and reinstall it for another great many years to come.
Love this knife, March 31, 2024Posted By: Bryant
2 people found this review helpful
Excellent knife, great balance and the handle if very comfortable for a right handed chef. As a heads up always wipe right away! This knife is very reactive and will easily rust or discolor. Just be careful with it and you have a great knife. Needed to send for resharpening after a few months. Might want to consider the sharpening (finishing) service.
2 people found this review helpful
Excellent knife, great balance and the handle if very comfortable for a right handed chef. As a heads up always wipe right away! This knife is very reactive and will easily rust or discolor. Just be careful with it and you have a great knife. Needed to send for resharpening after a few months. Might want to consider the sharpening (finishing) service.
6 month ReviewPosted By: Brennan
I can't say enough about this knife, as it is arguably the best knife in my collection. I purchased this knife a while back on a whim and was truly unprepared for what I was going to receive. This knife, for what its worth, is remarkably underpriced. On any given day, this knife out performs all of my knives in my collection (and some are worth 2-3 times this knife). The edge retention is unparalleled, sharpening on whetstone is effortless, and overall the knife is just an absolute joy to work with. Patina formed on it is incredible too! If anything happens to my current one, I will surely be back to replace it!
I can't say enough about this knife, as it is arguably the best knife in my collection. I purchased this knife a while back on a whim and was truly unprepared for what I was going to receive. This knife, for what its worth, is remarkably underpriced. On any given day, this knife out performs all of my knives in my collection (and some are worth 2-3 times this knife). The edge retention is unparalleled, sharpening on whetstone is effortless, and overall the knife is just an absolute joy to work with. Patina formed on it is incredible too! If anything happens to my current one, I will surely be back to replace it!
Maybe I'm just PickyPosted By: Eddy
15 people found this review helpful
I wish the knife I'd gotten looked like the ones in these pictures. The cross pattern is so muted on mine that it's basically not even there. The knife has some heat damage discoloration where the spine enters the handle; it probably doesn't affect the performance of the knife, but on an Echizen knife this is a mistake and certainly not intentional. It also arrived jammed into a blade guard that was clearly too small for it, with the blade guard already split in two because the knife is too big for it.
I have other Shiro Kamo knives, and they're all good. But this one somehow slipped through QC and made it to me. It's still a functional knife, but it makes me sad every time I see it since it's not up to the usual standards of the Takefu Knife Village.
15 people found this review helpful
I wish the knife I'd gotten looked like the ones in these pictures. The cross pattern is so muted on mine that it's basically not even there. The knife has some heat damage discoloration where the spine enters the handle; it probably doesn't affect the performance of the knife, but on an Echizen knife this is a mistake and certainly not intentional. It also arrived jammed into a blade guard that was clearly too small for it, with the blade guard already split in two because the knife is too big for it.
I have other Shiro Kamo knives, and they're all good. But this one somehow slipped through QC and made it to me. It's still a functional knife, but it makes me sad every time I see it since it's not up to the usual standards of the Takefu Knife Village.
A pleasure to use.Posted By: Anthony S
2 people found this review helpful
I was looking for a good proper knife to use in the kitchen and wanted to upgrade from my standard big box store knife set. After quite a bit of research, I settled on this Shiro Kamo White #2 Guyto. It seemed to strike that fine balance between quality, price, and good reviews (both here and other sites). I was not prepared for what I received. Upon receiving the knife, I immediately put it to use and was blow away by how effortlessly it cut through food while I was cooking. Also, I can't get over how light it is. Compared to the knife I upgraded from, this thing feels like a feather in my hands. Finally, it's just straight up beautiful to look at. If you're looking for an amazing knife at a good price, I would strongly recommend this knife. I'm very happy with my purchase and do not believe I will ever be replacing this knife.
2 people found this review helpful
I was looking for a good proper knife to use in the kitchen and wanted to upgrade from my standard big box store knife set. After quite a bit of research, I settled on this Shiro Kamo White #2 Guyto. It seemed to strike that fine balance between quality, price, and good reviews (both here and other sites). I was not prepared for what I received. Upon receiving the knife, I immediately put it to use and was blow away by how effortlessly it cut through food while I was cooking. Also, I can't get over how light it is. Compared to the knife I upgraded from, this thing feels like a feather in my hands. Finally, it's just straight up beautiful to look at. If you're looking for an amazing knife at a good price, I would strongly recommend this knife. I'm very happy with my purchase and do not believe I will ever be replacing this knife.
