Shiro Kamo Yoru Blue #2. "Yoru" means "night" in Japanese and these blades have the nice kurouchi blacksmith finish that bears their name. The blades are reactive so you need to dry them after using and washing the blades to keep them from rusting. Edge sharpness out of the box is excellent. The knives also have nice walnut octagonal handles that are durable and attractive. These are great values from one of the master blacksmiths from Echizen.
Blacksmith: Shiro Kamo
Location: Echizen, Japan
Factory: Takefu Village
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Finish: Kurouchi Finish
Edge Steel: Blue #2 Carbon Steel (Aogami #2)
HRC: 61
Edge Grind: Even (See Choil Shot)
Handle: Walnut Octagonal
Ferrule: Black Pakkawood
Weight: 5.2oz (148g)
Blade Length: 213mm
Overall Length: 355mm
Spine Thickness at Heel: 3.0mm
Blade Height at Heel: 51.8mm
Reviews
1 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Awesome Posted By: Anthony
6 people found this review helpful
This is my first really nice knife, stepping into the world of Japanese steel. I used a decent enough ceramic Kyocera Gyuto as my daily driver for the last few years, but this blows it out of the water. I think the description of this knife is very accurate. The out of the box sharpness is great, it practically falls through veggies and will slide through paper all day, it was the just first thing I had to cut. Prepped a few onions, garlic, bell pepper, and carrots after that. It went way faster than usual due to the sharpness, size, and feel. I don’t have a reference point for reactivity, but it already started developing a nice light blue patina after just a few onions. I was a little hesitant to go for the blue #2 steel vs something stainless, not being familiar with the material care and all, but I am glad I did. I’ve always been in a good habit of rinsing and drying my blades between ingredients anyways, so my reservations were a bit unfounded. I absolutely love the kurouchi finish and everything else about the knife, it definitely exceeds my expectations and I’m looking forward to using it for years to come!
6 people found this review helpful
This is my first really nice knife, stepping into the world of Japanese steel. I used a decent enough ceramic Kyocera Gyuto as my daily driver for the last few years, but this blows it out of the water. I think the description of this knife is very accurate. The out of the box sharpness is great, it practically falls through veggies and will slide through paper all day, it was the just first thing I had to cut. Prepped a few onions, garlic, bell pepper, and carrots after that. It went way faster than usual due to the sharpness, size, and feel. I don’t have a reference point for reactivity, but it already started developing a nice light blue patina after just a few onions. I was a little hesitant to go for the blue #2 steel vs something stainless, not being familiar with the material care and all, but I am glad I did. I’ve always been in a good habit of rinsing and drying my blades between ingredients anyways, so my reservations were a bit unfounded. I absolutely love the kurouchi finish and everything else about the knife, it definitely exceeds my expectations and I’m looking forward to using it for years to come!
