Kogetsu / Goko Hamono Shirogami #1 Nashiji 170mm Bunka

Handcrafted by Yoshito Yamakawa, this Bunka features a Shirogami #1 steel core, clad in stainless steel with an elegant Nashiji finish. The blade is heat-treated to 62-63 HRC, which ensures pretty good edge retention; and the fit and finish is decent for its price. Measuring just 2.8mm at heel and 1.8mm in the middle of the blade, the exceptionally thin behind-the-edge and the beautiful distal tapering allows the knife to deliver a smooth cutting performance. The blade is paired with an octagonal wa-handle that's made with wenge wood with a buffalo horn kuchiwa.

Spec:

• Origin (Made in): Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
• Brand: Goko Hamono
• Craftsman: Yoshito Yamakawa (八間川 義人) aka Kogetsu
• Knife Type: Bunka
• Blade
• Construction: San Mai
• Grind: Double-edged Blade (50/50 Grind)
• Hagane (Core Steel): Shirogami #1 (White #1)
• Jigane (Cladding): Stainless Steel
• Hardness: 62-63 HRC
• Hand-forged, hand-grinded, hand-sharpened
• Blade Finishes: Nashiji
• Blade Length: 170mm (6.7")
• Blade Height (at heel): 46mm
• Spine Thickness
• Above heel: 2.9mm
• Middle: 1.9mm
• Handle
• Shape: Hachikaku (Octagonal)
• Material: Wenge
• Kuchiwa: Buffalo Horn
• Length: 129mm
• Overall Length: 313mm
• Weight: 132g (4.66oz)
• Engraved Mark (Front): In Japanese Kanji "Shimosa Province Kogetsu Made" (下総国 光月作)
• Engraved Mark (Back): In Japanese Kanji "Shirogami #1" (白紙一号)

About Goko Hamono 五香刃物

Gokou Hamono is a tiny knife making workshop located in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture that is run by Norihiko Yamakawa (八間川憲彦) and Yoshito Yamakawa (八間川義人), the father and son team. Norihiko Yamakawa (the father) first founded Gokou Hamono in 1990 as a cutley wholesaler, before turning it into a knife making workshop in 1995 with the help from blacksmith Moriei Seki (関守永). Yoshito Yamakawa (the son), a high school student at that time, shadowed his father and eventually became a blacksmith himself. “Telling no lies” and “Dedication” are Gokou Hamono’s philosophy. The father and son team would not call themselves “masters”, because they think one will always have room to improve, and self-pride would hinder self-reflection. As a result, Gokou Hamono’s knives can only get better and better in the future.  Only knives made by Yamakawa-san are engraved Kogetsu Made ( 光月作)

Care:

Shirogami #1 (white #1) steel is one of the popular types of high carbon steel found in Japanese kitchen knives (Wa Knives). 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 Shirogami 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 polyethylene 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.