Hatsukokoro / Myojinriki Seisakusho "Shirasagi" Aogami #2 Kurouchi Tsuchime Gyuto

This Hatsukokoro "Shirasagi" Gyuto is hand-forged with Aogami #2 steel, heat-treated to 63-64 HRC. The Kurouchi-finished blade has a relatively rough fit and finish, but the beautiful tapering allows this knife to cut smoothly. It is a down to earth handcrafted Kiritsuke Gyuto that focuses on cutting performance above anything else. If you like a rough kurouchi finish that brings you back to the very basis of a great carbon steel handmade blade, this is the knife to go for.

Spec:

• Origin (Made in): Susaki, Kochi Prefecture, Japan
• Brand: Hatsukokoro
• Workshop: Myojinriki Seisakusho
• Knife Type: Gyuto
  
• Blade
• Construction: Awase (Kasumi)
• Grind: Single Bevel (Right-handed)
• Hagane (Core Steel): Aogami #2 (Blue #2)
• Jigane (Cladding): Soft Iron
  
• Hardness: 62-63 HRC
  
• Hand-forged, hand-ground, hand-sharpened
• Blade Finishes:
  
• Kurouchi
• Tsuchime
• Blade Length (heel-to-tip): 200mm (7.8") / 229mm (9.0")
• Blade Height (at heel): 47mm / 48mm
• Spine Thickness
• Above heel: 4.5mm / 4.2mm 
• Middle: 3.6mm / 3.6mm
  
• Handle
• Shape: Hachikaku (Octagonal)
  
• Material: Wenge
• Kuchiwa: Buffalo Horn
• Length: 135mm / 135mm
• Overall Length: 348mm / 378mm
• Weight: 234g (8.25oz) / 273g (9.63oz)
• Engraved Mark (Front): In Japanese Kanji "Trademark Hatsukokoro" (登録 初心)
  

About Myojinriki Seisakusho 明神利器製作所 

Myojinriki Seisakusho is a Kochi-based knifemaking workshop run by Tateo Myojin (明神 健雄) and Naohito Myojin (明神 直人), the father and son team. Tateo, who was born in the largely rural Kochi Prefecture in 1950, developed his interest in blade forging at a young age, so he went to Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, the famous city of forged knives, to receive training from Sakai knifemakers. 

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.