Tosa Kurouchi Petty 105mm HC209 Super Aogami Japanese kitchen knife

The knives of the 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 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 knives are made by the Tadayoshi forging company under the guidance of master craftsman Tadayoshi Saku.
We present you Japanese forged knife Kurouchi Petty Tosa 120mm handmade. The blade of the knife is three-layer and, which is important for a Japanese kitchen worker, it has a double-sided sharpening. The central, extremely thin and strong layer, hardened to a hardness of 60-61HRC, is made of White Paper Steel # 1 (or in the Japanese version Shirogami), 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. In addition, Shirogami allows you to get extreme sharpness of the cutting edge when sharpening, which is not achievable even on more expensive brands such as Aogami. The outer layers (which serve to prevent damage to the thin, hard, but relatively brittle central core) are made of softer steel, also rusted, partially blackened (Kurouchi), which makes it easier to care for the knife. Prolonged use of the knife will cause a slight darkening of the area that is not protected by an anti-corrosion coating. This will not damage the knife or detract from its performance, but it will give a pleasing visual contrast to the mild steel outer layers, showing the seam line - the jagged pattern of which will resemble the yakiba line found on Japanese katanas.
The Kurouchi Petty Tosa knife belongs to the Petty variety, has a blade size of 120 mm characteristic of this variety. If in Japanese cuisine the main knife can be called a Santoku-type knife, then in professional Western kitchens the base is a small general-purpose knife called an all-purpose knife. Such a knife is used for everything - for cleaning, shaping and cutting fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, chopping herbs and preparing side dishes. Kurouchi Petty Tosa is an analogue of a universal European knife. The compact size and relatively narrow blade of the Petty knife make it very comfortable and controllable to use, making it ideal for precise cuts.
Now the most important thing about the Tadayoshi forging company's Kurouchi Petty Tosa knife is what is called blade action among specialists. The blade structure is called the geometry of the blade in all dimensions, which, as a result, to a greater extent determines for any knife - everything from cutting ability to its cost. This knife has a so-called blade in the system. double wedge. Those. the blade blade gradually becomes thinner both from the heel to the tip and from the butt to the cutting edge, having an isosceles triangle in two planes, in any transverse and longitudinal section. This is a technologically rather difficult configuration of the blade to be implemented in the manufacture, but it is extremely effective in operation. It is not for nothing that they say it is not steel that cuts - it is geometry that cuts. First of all, you should pay attention to the blade system when choosing a knife, at least looking at its butt - a wedge on the butt immediately gives out a high-quality and expensive knife.
About the knife handle. The handle of Japanese knives used in the domestic market of Japan, as a rule, is made, as if deliberately casually. With its nondescript appearance, it should not set off the importance of the blade, since, according to the Japanese, the blade is the most important thing in a knife. The handle of the Kurouchi Petty Tosa knife is made in the traditional style for modern Japanese knives. Oval cross-section of the handle with a D-shaped protrusion for the right hand, plastic binding and mounting on a thermocompound. Walnut wood is chosen as the material for the handle. Unlike most traditional Japanese knives, the handle of the Kurouchi Petty Tosa knife is treated with polymer impregnation, which makes it extremely durable and resistant to external influences (mechanical, chemical, and ultraviolet), i.e. it does not require additional processing.
When operating and caring for a Kurouchi Petty Tosa knife, it must be taken into account that the blade, both the facing part and the solid core, are subject to corrosion. Although most of the golomen and protected by blackening, but still it does not completely protect against rust. Therefore, after each use, the Kurouchi Petty Tosa knife must be washed 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 shock loads on the cutting edge, contact of the knife with something very hard (bones, frozen foods, etc.). Also, due to the fact that the central layer is very thin, with prolonged exposure to an aggressive environment, rust can completely destroy it.