Hatsukokoro | SKU: YK-W2NASH-ST180EB

Hatsukokoro x Yoshikane White 2 Nashiji Santoku 170mm Stainless Clad Ebony

Name: Hatsukokoro x Yoshikane White 2 Nashiji Santoku 170mm Stainless Clad Ebony
Brand: Hatsukokoro
SKU: YK-W2NASH-ST180EB
Price: 399.95 AUD
Availability: InStock

$399.95

Add a saya and receive $20 bundle discount!

Detailed Specifications

Line	Hatsukokoro By Yoshikane White 2 Nashiji
Profile	Santoku
Bevel Type	Double Bevel
Weight	170 g 6.0 oz
Edge Length	166 mm .6.54 inch
Heel Height	50 mm .1.97 inch
Width @ Spine	3.7 mm 0.15 inch
Width @ Mid	2.2 mm 0.09 inch
Width @ 1cm from Tip	0.6 mm 0.02 inch
Steel	White 2 / Shirogami #2 \| Carbon
Blade Construction	Sanmai - Stainless Clad
Hardness (HRC)	60 - 64
Surface Finish	Nashiji
Handle	Octagonal Ebony
Region	Sanjo
Best for	Pro chefs Students Enthusiasts

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Hatsukokoro By Yoshikane White 2 Nashiji, previously known as the K&S Amekiri(雨切), just like this name of "Rain-Cutting", it was well known for extreme sharpness and smoothness when cutting through food, maybe space and time too. Now with its sister line SKD Nashiji, the og White 2 line is under the Hatsukokoro name, what doesn't change is the excellent fit and finish, great handling and the renowned sharpness out of the box.

The extreme sharpness of this line comes form two aspects: the steel and edge geometry. The core steel is Hitachi White 2, a pure carbon steel without alloy content. The stainless steel gains rust resistance through chromium, but the chromium carbide formed during the heat treating have larger particle size, meaning it's hard to get a very refined edge liek you could on a carbon steel. This choice of steel ensures the performance of the cutting edge of the knife. The forging and grinding fone by Yoshikane is a tapered blade combined with a convex grind. The tapering allows the blade to be thinner at the front, and the convex bevel can reduces the sticking and rubbing, ensures very little resistance can be felt when cutting through a large protion of food. This convex grind is done so subtly it barly increace the thickness of the bevel, as the result, there are no noticeable wedging when cutting into potatos.

There aren't much to say about the fit and finish. The Nashiji finish is shiny yet rustic-looking, choil and spine are not fully rounded but are highly polished to give your finger a gentle feeling, and the bevel, they receive a matt finish with a shiny cutting edge, so refined that there are barely any marks left from the polishing. With the stainles cladding, the carbone steel are mostly covered, making it much easier to look after these knives.

Although it seems to be a good amount of money to spend on a White 2 Steel knife at first glance, I still going to say this Yoshikane Nashiji line is overall a great bang for your bucks, especially if you are enthusiastic about the pure cutting performance of your knives.

Pros	Cons
Excellent performance Great for professionals Thin behind the edge	High budget Prone to rust

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.

Yoshikane Hamono

Yoshikane is a boutique knife maker based in Sanjo, Niigata. Founded in 1919 (大正8年)，it is one of the most established top quality kitchen knife manufacturers in the region. Many new generation blacksmith in Sanjo took has apprenticeship experience at this knife workshop.

Headmaster Yamamoto-san believes, “while many things change rapidly nowadays, there are ideas and believes that never change. Everyday I make sure the meaning of these words are forged into knife making”. And indeed because of this firm believe, this workshop produces some of the highest quality kitchen knives with superb fit and finish. The workshop is alsp very famous for its heat treatment of White 2 and the use of semi-stainless SKD steel.

Profile: Santoku

The Santoku knife, embodying the meaning "three uses," is a cornerstone in Japanese kitchens, adept at slicing, dicing, and mincing. Esteemed for its versatility, it features a blade length typically between 15cm and 20cm (6 to 8 inches), catering to a wide array of culinary tasks. Distinguished by its less pointy tip compared to the Gyuto, the Santoku boasts a unique profile that contributes to its functionality and popularity. Its design is tailored to provide ease and efficiency in preparation, also because of its less aggressive prrofile, making it a preferred choice for home cooks.
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Steel: White 2 / Shirogami #2
White Steel No.2, also known as Shirogami #2 or White Paper #2, is long regarded as the go-to choice for crafting high-grade Japanese kitchen knives. This steel is celebrated for its capacity to be fashioned into knives that exhibit a sharp cutting edge, moderate tenacity, and long-lasting sharpness, alongside being notably easy to sharpen. While it possesses a slightly lower carbon content (C: 1%) compared to White Steel No.1 (C: 1.3%), it still requires a high level of craftsmanship to manipulate effectively. The expertise of a skilled blacksmith is crucial in transforming this material into a premium quality kitchen knife. Despite its excellent qualities, White Steel No.2 is known to be very reactive; hence, knives made from this steel demand meticulous care, including immediate wiping and drying after use, to prevent corrosion.

Sanjo and Sakai are known to widely utilise Shirogami #2 in their mainstream kitchen knives.
Manufacturer:
- Hitachi Special Steel, Japan
Nature: Carbon
Hardness: 60- 64
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Construction: Sanmai - Stainless Clad

Sanmai(Three-Piece) is a common construction for double bevel knives where two pieces of softer cladding steel are forgewelded to each side of a harder core steel. The harder but more brittle core steel will form the hard cutting edge after heat treating, and the softer cladding will support the core to increase the overall strength of the blade.
The soft cladding enables the thinning process to be a lot easier than a honyaki or monosteel construction. And in the case where the cladding steel are stainless in nature, it can offer protection for the carbon or semi-stainless cores against rusting and discoluoring.
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Finish: Nashiji

The "nashiji finish" on Japanese kitchen knives refers to a unique, textured surface finish that resembles the skin of an Asian pear, which is known as "nashi" in Japanese. This finish is achieved through a specific hammering and polishing technique, giving the knife blade a distinct, matte appearance with a slightly uneven, tactile surface. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the nashiji finish also provides practical benefits. It helps to reduce food sticking to the blade by creating tiny air pockets between the food and the steel. This finish is commonly found on traditional Japanese knives, such as santokus and nakiris, and is highly valued for both its functional and visual characteristics, enhancing the overall culinary experience.
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Handle Specs
Profile: Octagonal WA
Material:
- Ebony
This handle, crafted from a single piece of ebony, exemplifies minimalist elegance and functional design. Its unique octagonal shape, featuring a subtle taper, offers a comfortable grip and a visually appealing geometric profile. The ebony wood, known for its deep, rich color and durability, has been meticulously milled from a single block, ensuring a seamless construction that highlights the wood's natural beauty and grain. The handle's surface has been highly polished, achieving a glossy finish that not only enhances the ebony's luxurious dark hue but also provides a smooth, tactile experience for the user. This design choice reflects a minimalist approach, focusing on simplicity, quality, and usability. The combination of the octagonal shape with the taper adds a modern twist to the classic material, making it a standout piece that blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics.
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