Masakage "Mizu" by Anryu Aogami #2 Kurouchi 165mm Santoku

This Masakage "Mizu" Santoku is handcrafted by Takumi Ikeda using Aogami #2 steel, and hand-sharpened by Takayuki Shibata. The Kurouchi finish and the slightly rough fit and finish gives the knife a rustic style; and the beautiful distal tapering allows this Santoku to deliver an ultra smooth cutting performance. The blade is paired with an oval-shaped wa-handle made of Cherry wood, with marble-patterned resin Kuchiwa.

Spec:

• Origin (Made in): Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
• Brand: Masakage
• Craftsman: Takumi Ikeda
• Sharpener: Takayuki Shibata
• Knife Type: Santoku
• Blade
• Construction: San Mai
• Grind: Double-edged Blade (50/50 Grind)
• Hagane (Core Steel): Aogami #2 (Blue #2)
• Jigane (Cladding): Soft Iron
• Hardness: 62-63 HRC
• Hand-forged, hand- ground, hand-sharpened
• Blade Finishes:
• Kurouchi
• Kasumi Polish
• Blade Length: 165mm (6.5")
• Blade Height (at heel): 45mm
• Spine Thickness
• Above heel: 3.3mm
• Middle: 2.0mm
• Handle
• Shape: Marugata (Oval-shaped)
• Material: Cherry Wood
• Kuchiwa: Resin
• Length: 130mm
• Overall Length: 311mm
• Weight: 129g (4.55oz)
• Engraved Mark: In Japanese Kanji "Masakage" (昌景)

About Masakage 昌景

Masakage Knives was founded in 2007 by Takayuki Shibata, one of the top knife sharpeners in Japan. His goal was to help the legendary artisans in Takefu Knife Village to showcase their talent as well as their handcrafted knives.

About Anryu Hamono 安立打刃物

Katsushige Anryu is the 4th generation knife artisan at Anryu Hamono, a small knife making workshop in Echizen started by his great grandfather Hansaburo Anryu in 1873. Katsushige-san joined the family business in 1959 at a very young age. Under the guidance of his father Katsutoshi Anryu, he mastered traditional knife forging and became a certified traditional knife artisan. Highly respected for his works and his integrity, Katsushige-san was elected the chairman of the Takefu Knife Village Co-op, an association of Echizen's best knife makers. He was recognized in 2015 for the medal of honourable work of traditional crafts. Katsushige-san works retired by the end of 2020, and the 5th generation Takumi Ikeda, a nephew of his, is now in charge of Anryu Hamono. 

Care:

Aogami #2 (Blue #2) steel is a premium Japanese high carbon steel for knife making. Despite some corrosion resistant quality (for a carbon steel), it is not stainless, therefore you should wipe your knife dry after each use. Patina will develop over time. Rust may develop if left in prolonged contact with water or acidic food. Use a rust eraser to clean if rusts develop. Avoid cutting into bones, frozen foods, hard fruit pits.

Cutting Surface:

Recommended cutting surface: wood, rubberized boards and high-end composites, and quality plastics such as polyethene make acceptable cutting surfaces, and will help protect and prolong knife’s edge. AVOID glass, metal, countertops, and other rigid, non-forgiving surfaces.

Sharpening:

We recommend sharpening all quality Japanese knives on whetstones, as we believe they yield the best results for your knives.