Japanese blade Migaki Santoku TOSA-HC104-B1-165-NH

The blades of Tosa masters have long been famous for their very high quality and reliability and need no introduction. The region where these knives are produced is located on one of the southern islands of Japan (Shikoku Island) and is widely known for festivals of knifemakers and manufacturers of a wide variety of cutting tools. The interest of professionals in various industries using knives, collectors, as well as just lovers of this subject is caused by both the high skill of manufacturers and excellent product quality, and the fact that due to the high competition of blacksmiths in this region, it is possible to purchase exclusive samples of knives made from the best grades of steel ( such as, for example, Super Aogami) for a relatively low price. Moreover, Tosa sells both ready-to-use products (knives) and blades separately (knife manufacturers in Japan, as a rule, are extremely reluctant to do this), and the handle can be made at your discretion, it can be very convenient. The presented blade is made by the Tadayoshi forging company under the guidance of master craftsman Tadayoshi Saku. The presented blade belongs to the Santoku variety - one of the most revered Japanese knives in the kitchen. The very word "Santoku" (Santoku) is translated as "three good things", more precisely "three benefactors", literally denoting three options for using this type of knife - cut, chop and crumble. Santoku is one of the most common and used types of Japanese kitchen knives, in fact, in its purpose - an analogue of our chef's knife. The blade length of the Santoku-bocho kitchen knife is 165 mm. Santoku with this blade size is considered standard, in this design it is very convenient as a good kitchen all-rounder. Santoku-bocho has a specific blade configuration. The line of the cutting edge is almost straight, with a slight rise to the tip. This allows you to cut products with great comfort, and also greatly simplifies the sharpening process. The wide shank of the blade eliminates the contact of the hand with the surface of the table, and also allows the knife to be used as an improvised spatula for applying chopped products. Santoku is very close in blade construction to Usuba or Nakiri, but unlike them, it still has a point. Santoku-bocho have a double-sided sharpening and a thin blade - 2mm thick, which allows it to literally fall into the cut product. The knife from this blade adapts very well to all the main tasks of European cuisine, and if you want to have only one Japanese knife, then the most functional choice would be Santoku. The Migaki Santoku Tosa 165 blade is three-layered, double-sided sharpened, it is sharpened and ready to use. The Migaki Santoku Tosa 165 blade has a gradual narrowing of the blade thickness, characteristic of a Japanese knife, both from the butt to the cutting edge and from the heel to the tip (very beautiful and correct narrowing along the butt from 3.0 to 1.5 mm), forming in orthogonal sections right isosceles triangles. Such a blade structure is called a double wedge - it is very laborious to implement, but guarantees an extremely aggressive and easy cut to the knife. The central, extremely thin and strong layer, hardened to a hardness of 61-63 HRC, is made of Aogami #1 steel, which has established itself as one of the best Japanese carbon blade steels. It naturally rusts - the Japanese traditionally do not use chromium steels, since carbon gives a much more aggressive cut and is more resistant to dulling. The outer layers are also made of steel, only softer, which prevents damage to the central core. Prolonged use of the knife will result in a slight darkening of the approach area around the cutting edge. This will not damage the knife or impair its performance, but it will give a pleasant visual contrast with the outer layers, showing the seam lines - the uneven pattern of which will resemble the yakiba line, as on Japanese katana. Kurouchi is missing, which gives the blade a very presentable appearance, but requires maintenance to prevent corrosion damage. The Migaki Santoku Tosa 165 blade is treated with a thin layer of waterproof varnish on top to eliminate the effects of corrosion during storage and transportation. During operation, this varnish can not be removed from the main part of the blade; it can be mechanically removed along the slopes in the area of ​​the cutting edge during sharpening. After each use, the finished Migaki Santoku Tosa 165 knife must be washed with water and wiped dry. It is better to store it on an open magnetic suspension. If you do not intend to use the knife for a long time, it is advisable to lubricate the rusting parts of the blade with oil. The Japanese use butt oil for this. You also need to take into account that the central layer of the blade is very thin and hard, and the sharpening angle is critically small. It is necessary to avoid strong shock loads on the cutting edge, contact of the knife with something very hard (bones, frozen foods, etc.). The blades are handmade, so there may be slight deviations from the specified dimensions and weight. Country of origin Japan. Type Migaki Santoku Tosa 165. Craftsman Tadayoshi Saku. Blade length 165 mm. Blade height 43 mm. Blade thickness 3.0-1.5 mm. Overall length with shank 260 mm. Blade type three-layer. Middle layer steel Aogami#1. The hardness of the middle layer is 61-63HRC. Shank length 90mm. Design features sharpened, reduced to zero. Weight 90 grams.