Description

Yoshikane Nashiji SKD sujihiki 270mm. The sujihiki is the Japanese equivalent of a filleting or slicing knife, therefore perfect for cutting meat and fish.

History and curiosity

As you know, in Japan the style of making a knife varies depending on the city or region where it is made. We can differentiate the way of Sakai, Echizen or Sanjo among others. Yoshikane Hamono, based in Sanjo City, has more than 100 years of history in knife making and is in its fourth generation of bladesmiths. They make  incredible Japanese kitchen knives with attention to detail. Typically, a blade having a thicker spine at the heel that tapers to the tip of the knife and a higher shinogi (part that demarcates the transition from the spine of the blade to the main bevel) are some of the traits defining Sanjo.

Yoshikane is famous for his work with Shirogami #2 steel, SKD steel and SLD steel.

The blade

SKD-12 steel is the Japanese equivalent of A2 steel and is a “high-speed tool steel”. Able to achieve very high hardness and exceptional wear resistance, it is mainly used in factory tools used to work metal. The Yoshikane forge is one of the first forges to have integrated this type of steel into the construction of Japanese knives and is now recognized for its SKD-12 and SLD blades (made from SKD-11 steel). With a chromium content of around 5%, this steel is semi-oxidizable and requires minimal maintenance to avoid rust. The blade has a Nashiji finish, which translates to “pear skin”, for its velvet effect.

The handle

It is made with a yorrell burl, Juma resin spacers and amboyna burl ferrule and bottom cap.

Technical sheet

Brand: Yoshikane hamono

Blacksmith: Kazuomi Yamamoto

Finish: Nashiji (pear skin)

Steel: SKD with stainless coating

Hardness: 63-64 HRC

Type: sujihiki 270mm

Blade length: 24.4 cm

Blade height at heel: 4.16 cm

Heel thickness: 3.7 mm

Tip thickness: 0.4 mm

Weight: 186g