Shigeki Tanaka Aogami #2 Damascus 165mm Santoku

This Santoku is handcrafted by Shigeki Tanaka with Aogami #2 core, clad with stainless steel and heat-treated to 62-63 HRC. The beautiful edge geometry and distal tapering ensure an incredibly smooth cutting performance. The hardness supported by expertly heat-treated Aogami #2 steel enables Tanaka to create extreme thinness behind-the-edge. Featuring a mesmerizing Damascus finish, the blade is paired with a wa-handle made of wenge wood and black buffalo horn. 

Spec:

• Origin (Made in): Miki, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
• Brand: Tanaka Kazuyuki Hamono
• Craftsmen: Shigeki Tanaka
• 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: Damascus
• Blade Length: 165mm (6.5")
• Blade Height (at heel): 48mm
• Spine Thickness
• Above heel: 3.2mm
• Middle: 2.0mm
• Handle
• Premium Custom Handle
• Shape: Hachikaku (Octagonal)
• Material: Wenge
• Kuchiwa: Black Buffalo Horn
• Length: 129mm
• Overall Length: 367mm
• Weight: 139g (4.90oz)
• Hand chiselled mark (Front): In Japanese Kanji "Craftsman Shigeki's Work" (名匠 誠貴作)
• Engraved mark (Back): In Japanese Kanji "Minamoto Aogami#2" (源 青二号)

About Tanaka Kazuyuki Hamono 田中一之刃物

Tanaka's blade making started in the late Meiji era in 1904, by making sickles during the Russo-Japanese War. In 1946, Tanaka workshop started focusing more on kitchen knives, and in the year 2000 with the 3rd generation Kazuyuki Takana (田中 一之) on the throne, the family business changed its name to "Tanaka Kazuyuki Hamono" and has been using this name since. Kazuyuki's son - 4th generation blacksmith Shigeki Tanaka (田中 誠貴) - started making blades with his father in 1994. The father and son team, having learned traditional blade making in Fukui, started making knives with "Shigeki saku" and “Hideyuki saku” mark.

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 #2 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.