Anryu Aogami #2 Tsuchime 165mm Santoku

The santoku is hand-forged with Aogami #2 core steel with stainless steel cladding, finished by an aesthetically-pleasing tsuchime finish. Beautifully ground with superb thinness behind-edge and a refined kasumi polish, the excellent edge geometry and distal tapering ensure a sleek cutting performance.

Spec:

• Origin (Made in): Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, Japan
• Brand: Anryu Hamono
• Craftsman: Takumi Ikeda
  
• Knife Type: Santoku
• Blade
• Construction: San Mai
• Grind: Double-edged Blade (50/50 Grind)
• Hagane (Core Steel): Aogami #2 (Blue #2)
• Jigane (Cladding): Stainless Steel
• Hardness: 62-63 HRC
  
• Hand-forged, hand-ground, hand-sharpened
• Blade Finishes:
• Tsuchime (Hammered)
  
• Kasumi Polish
• Blade Length: 165mm (6.5") 
• Blade Height (at heel): 46mm
• Spine Thickness
• Above heel: 2.7mm
• Middle: 1.9mm
• Handle
• Premium Custom Handle
• Shape: Hachikaku (Octagonal)
• Material: Wenge / Walnut
• Kuchiwa: White Buffalo Horn
  
• Length: 128mm
• Overall Length: 312mm 
• Weight:
• Wenge: 144g (5.08oz)
• Walnut: 125g (4.41oz)
• Engraved Mark: In Japanese Kanji "Echizen Anryu" (越前 安立)

About Anryu Hamono 安立打刃物

Anryu Hamono is a distinguished knife-making workshop in Echizen, Japan, now led by Takumi Ikeda, the 5th-generation artisan carrying forward its legacy. Takumi-san, a nephew of the renowned Katsushige Anryu, trained extensively under his uncle’s guidance and has inherited the expertise and spirit of the Anryu family tradition. With deep respect for the craft, he continues to forge high-quality blades using time-honored techniques while also embracing innovation to refine the art of knife-making. The origins of Anryu Hamono trace back to 1873, when Hansaburo Anryu, the great-grandfather of Katsushige-san, established the workshop. Over generations, the Anryu family has upheld a tradition of excellence in blade craftsmanship. Katsushige Anryu, the 4th-generation master, joined the family business in 1959 and trained under his father, Katsutoshi Anryu, to become a certified traditional knife artisan. Renowned for both his exceptional work and integrity, he was elected chairman of the Takefu Knife Village Co-op, an association of Echizen’s finest knife makers. In 2015, he was honored with the Medal for Distinguished Service in Traditional Crafts. After more than six decades of dedication to the craft, Katsushige-san retired at the end of 2020, entrusting the future of Anryu Hamono to Takumi Ikeda. Under Takumi-san’s leadership, Anryu Hamono continues to honor its rich heritage while forging the future of Japanese knife-making—blending tradition with modern refinements to craft exceptional blades for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Care:

Aogami #2 (Blue #2) steel is a premium Japanese high carbon steel for knife making. It is not stainless, therefore you must wipe your knife dry after each use, in particular the core steel not covered by the stainless cladding. Patina will develop over time, which will appear as “discoloration” on the cutting edge, but that is the nature of carbon steel - not a defect. The stainless cladding covers a large part of the blade, making maintenance easier but still preserving the cutting and sharpening pleasure of the Aogami Super core. 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.