K&S - Sydney | SKU: HATS_B2W2_ITAD_GY240

Hatsukokoro Itadaki Blue2 & White2 Dual Core Damasccus Tsushime Gyuto 240mm

Name: Hatsukokoro Itadaki Blue2 & White2 Dual Core Damasccus Tsushime Gyuto 240mm
Brand: K&S - Sydney
SKU: HATS_B2W2_ITAD_GY240
Price: 1399.95 AUD
Availability: InStock

$1,399.95

Add a saya and receive $20 bundle discount!

Detailed Specifications

Line	Hatsukokoro x Nigara Itadaki Blue 2/White 2 Coreless Kurouchi Tsuchime Damascus
Profile	Gyuto / Chefs Knife
Bevel Type	Double Bevel
Weight	250 g 8.82 oz
Edge Length	229 mm .9.02 inch
Heel Height	49 mm .1.93 inch
Width @ Spine	4.2 mm 0.17 inch
Width @ Mid	3.1 mm 0.12 inch
Width @ 1cm from Tip	1.1 mm 0.04 inch
Steel	Blue 2 / Aogami #2 \| Carbon
Blade Construction	Coreless
Hardness (HRC)	61 - 63
Surface Finish	Kurouchi Tsuchime
Handle	triple spacer ebony
Region	Aomori
Best for	Enthusiasts Collectors

Free shipping for knives over AU$200 Australia wide.
World-wide shipping via DHL Express, 3 to 5 days.

The Hatsukokoro x Nigara(巓, Peak) can truly live up to its name. I would consider this as a line as a perfect representation of Nigara's approach to blade making, and the blade by themselves are remarkable in many means.

The elephant in the room is, it is a Coreless/Dual Core construction, with forge-weld Blue 2 and White 2 carbon steel that extend all the way to the edge. In the context of Japanese kitchen knives, this construction is usually reserved for pretty high-end, hand-forged pieces and collector items that are not approachable, that is if they happen to be available when you find them. With some magic, Nigara seems to be able to produce them in relative large quantity, just like what they did with their Yorokobi SLD copper Damascus line.

The reason I say this line is a representative piece for Nigara is, it have done really well at what this brand is best at, and pushed it further. From all the higher-end lines we see recently like the Ryusui or Ginsan Kurozome, Nigara seems to be very into artistic knife with complex visual elements to them, and some interview of Yoshizawa Go, the currently leader of the brand, have clearly indicated his passion In Damascus.

The Itadaki reaches the peak regarding complexity in construction and finish, infusing Damascus, Kurouchi, Tsuchime and Kurozome/etching on one blade, and the profiles in the line with k-tip has that unique grind around the spine to add more texture to the blade. While is its pretty complicate to manufacture with great consistency, the truly impressive part is that Nigara manage to keep these elements organised and clean, resulting a knife you can hold up close and look at for a long time.

When inspected closely, the Damascus appears to be not uniform, the steel becomes more shiny as it gets further away from the edge. It is a indication that Nigara may added some more high nickel steel on top of the blue and white steel, and have them concentrate on the outer side to create contrast, and when looking across the blade starting from the edge, the tone will shift from black to grey then silver, ending with the black Kurouchi finish that is covered with sharp chisel marks that reminds me of You Kurosaki's Fujin line. When holding the blade sideway and edge down, it's like a side of the mountain, starting with dark earth, reaching up to the snow line, and ending at a steep cliff face that covered with sharp, weathered stones. This is truly a high level of craft combining with thoughtful design that I cannot appreciate more.

On top of the great design, the execution is very good. Some of these high-end design from Nigara happens to be on the thicker side and Doen't perform as great. But their improvement on these blades are noticeable on the Newer SLD Yorokobi Special and the later batch of the copper Damascus, and the Itadaki is a pretty good cutter. With a fine edge composed with Blue and White carbon steel, there is not much hesitation for the blade to pierce through the skin of a potato, the weighty blade then fall through quite smoothly. If I'm picky, I shall say there is a bit of food sticking on the bevel, but it is unavoidable with that polished and etched finish.

A coreless hand-forged knife would felt quite distant for many knife enthusiasts, and for many others they may not consider or even heard of it. The production of Itadaki has brought down the price of this kind of prestige blade to a range that is considered affordable for a lot more enthusiasts, which is a remarkable move. With this product line, Nigara have shown us its capability in designing and executing the production of a blade like this I can see there's a proud element in it when they named it "Peak".,

Pros	Cons
Highly collectable Great artistic Workhorse grind	Prone to rust On the thicker side

Care Instruction

Don't cut hard things! Japanese knives are brittle so bone hacking is a NO NO!
Wash with neutral detergent after use, and wipe dry;
Please don't wash knife with dishwasher, it will damage the wood handle;
Be careful not to leave the knife close to a heat source for a long time;
It is a lot more dangerous to cut with a blunt knife than a sharp knife!
It is best to sharpen a Japanese knife regularly on a waterstone.
Oil the (carbon) knife if storing for an extended period of time to prevent rust.

Nigara

Based in the small yet beautiful city of Hirosaki in the northern prefecture of Aomori, Nigara hamono has been making samurai swords for 350 yearas, with master Kunitoshi (國俊) being one of the most famous sword smith in his generation. Now headed by the 8th generation mastersmith Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa (吉澤剛) supported by his father Toshiju Yoshizawa (吉澤俊寿), Nigara is becoming very popular thanks of its exquisite forging skills and second to none quality control.

Profile: Gyuto

Chefs Knife
A Japanese chef's knife is known as a gyuto (牛刀ぎゅうとう） gyūtō?), literally meaning 'beef knife'. Its blade resembles a flatter version of a French chef's knife. Japanese cutlery is known for sharpness due to its acute blade geometry, and the hardness of the steel used, sometimes exceeding 60 HRC on the Rockwell Scale A typical western chef's knife may be sharpened to an edge angle of 20-22°, while a Japanese gyuto generally has a sharper edge angle of 15-18° (or even lower), which requires a harder, more brittle grade of steel. In recent years Japanese gyuto have gained in popularity with western chefs.

A modern chef's knife is a multi-purpose knife designed to perform well at many differing kitchen tasks, rather than excelling at any one in particular. It can be used for mincing, slicing, and chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and disjointing large cuts.
Slide for more >>
Steel: Blue 2 / Aogami #2
Blue Steel No.2, also recognized as Aogami No.2, is a distinguished high carbon steel produced by Hitachi Metals Ltd, enhanced by the addition of chromium and tungsten to the base of White Steel No.2. This modification brings about an improvement in toughness and the creation of hard carbide molecules, which significantly boost edge retention. Although its sharpness is comparable to that of White Steel No.2, Blue Steel No.2 offers a slight advantage in maintaining its edge.

Widely favored for its versatility, Aogami No.2 is celebrated for its ease of sharpening and robust resistance to chipping, making it an ideal choice for those new to Aogami steel knives. Containing 1.0–1.2% carbon and achieving a typical hardness of 62–63 HRC on the Rockwell scale, it stands as the benchmark in evaluating Aogami steel cutlery.
Manufacturer:
- Hitachi Special Steel, Japan
Nature: Carbon
Hardness: 61- 63
<< Slide for more >>
Construction: Coreless

The careless construction is a very unique way of building a blade in Japan but way more common in America. There is no clear distinction between the cladding steel and core steel, but the entire blade is made out of a rather uniform piece of Damascus, formed by two or more types of harden-able steel.
The classic example is layering 1084 carbon steel with 15N20 Nickel steel, which is employed by most American blade smith. But in Japan, due to the time-consuming nature of forging a Damascus billet, the coreless construction are rarely seen except on the extremely expensive collector pieces, sometimes priced over the prestigious Honyaki.
Common composition of Japanese coreless are Blue 2 mixed with White 2, the difference in alloy content allows them to form some contrast when etched under controlled condition. More exotic coreless knife may have Blue/White 1 added in to create different shades, there are remarkable pieces from masters like Shoichi Hashimoto mixing 13 different steel and few iron into Damascus to create pattern that is out of this world. Thus, the coreless knife tend to be less seen and highly collectable in the landscape of Japanese knives.
<< Slide for more >>
Finish: Kurouchi Tsuchime

The Kurouch Tsuchime is a combination of the raw, organic black finish and the characterful hammered Tsuchime finish. It is commonly seen as the Kurouchi finish will keep the original black scale of the billet unpolished after forging, the texture from the forging process will be also kept, allowing all kinds of patterns and indentations to be introduced to the blade. As a combination of Kurouchi and Tsuchime, this finish also inherents their benifits: reduce drag, help with food release and protect the steel from rusting. Over all Kurouchi Tsuchime is a practical and esthetically unique finish.
<< Slide for more >>
Handle Specs
Profile: Octagonal WA
Material:
- Ebony
- Marble / Blonde Horn
- Black Buffalo Horn
Theis Wa handle design is renowned for its elegant, classic design, making it a sought-after feature in premium knives. This particular handle showcases a triple nickel copper spacer, adding a touch of sophistication. The handle itself is crafted from high-quality ebony, complemented by a horn ferrule that can be either black buffalo horn or a stunning blonde/marble buffalo horn. This meticulous combination of materials not only enhances the knife's aesthetic appeal but also ensures durability and a comfortable grip, making it a favorite among discerning chefs and knife enthusiasts.
<< Slide for more