Tanaka Blue #2 Nashiji Gyuto 210mm

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Shigeki Tanaka is the son of master blade maker Kazuyuki Tanaka. Following the passing of his father, Shigeki took over the reins of the business and began forging a name for himself while continuing to further enhance the stature of the family business. He works with a small crew of artisans in a small workshop in Miki City, one of the epicenters of blade making in Japan. Tanaka-san continues to employ the traditional methods to make all of his knives.

This gyuto a great example of his skills with Blue #2 steel. Blue Paper #2 carbon steel is one of the most popular steels for the making of kitchen cutlery. Tanaka-san hardens it to 62 HRC and clads it with a softer stainless steel to add strength and resilience. The cladding is treated with a nashiji (pear skin) finish.

These are medium weight knives that have a stiff and controlled feel. The blade is well proportioned with an overall cutting edge length of 208mm coupled to a 49mm blade height at the heel. The spine is quite thick above the heel but tapers to a very nicely realized thin tip.

These are really nice artisanal handmade knives that epitomize the blacksmith art. Enjoy!

Blacksmith: Shigeki Tanaka

Location: Miki, Japan

Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged

Cladding: Stainless

Edge Steel: Blue #2

Finish: Nashiji

Edge Grind: Even

Handle: Walnut Octagonal

Weight: 5.5 oz/ 156g

Edge Length: 208 mm

Overall Length: 355 mm

Spine Thickness at Heel: 2.7 mm

Blade Height at Heel: 49 mm

Reviews

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Better than expected

Posted By: Thatguy
2 people found this review helpful

CKTG accommodated my request based on my profile preference, and I couldn't be happier with what I received. Clean grinds. Zero lip above the ferrule. Super sharp out the box. Smooth, clean, and versatile profile. Japanese knives usually don't have "perfect" fit and finish at these lower-intermediate prices, but this one along with my other 2 Tanaka knives came closer than expected (one needed 1 minute of sanding behind the choil). Might get a few more to throw in the Christmas drawer.

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Great knife, beautiful custom handle.

Posted By: Ian
3 people found this review helpful

Pictures here don't do it justice, it is a beautiful knife and an absolute laser.

Can't judge OOB sharpness because I paid for the extra finished sharpening service and the edge was virtually perfect, sharpest I've ever used. Extremely close scrutiny shows maybe one tiny little barely-visible imperfection. Very impressive, I feel like it was probably worth the extra cost.

unfortunately "Fit and Finish" was sub-par on the blade itself, living up to the Tanaka reputation apparently. There were a few tiny burrs on the spine including one near the pinch point that gave me a tiny blister and tore my skin after a little usage. A gentle touch with steel wool seemed to solve the issue. Same issue with the choil, a little rough but a touch with the steel wool resolved it. Still, at this price point this should not be necessary at all and there is no excuse for that, but I wouldn't drop a full star for that alone.

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Tanaka Blue #2 Nashiji Gyuto 210mm

Reviews

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