Japanese blade Migaki Nakiri Tosa 165 mm

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 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 - this can be very convenient. The presented blade is made by the Tadayoshi forging company under the guidance of master craftsman Tadayoshi Saku. Because of their resemblance in Western cuisine, Nakiri blades are also called Usuba-mi. This is not entirely correct. Nakiri and Usuba are different knives and in Japanese cuisine they not only perform different tasks, but are also used by different specialists. The heavier and wider Usuba, with a one-sided sharpening, is used mainly for decorating tasks in professional kitchens, and the Nakiri with a very thin blade and very long double-sided descents at an extremely low angle (sometimes up to 5 degrees) is used mainly in household for home use. The only thing that these two knives have in common is the rectangular blade and the fact that both of them are designed to work on vegetables. The rectangular blade of these knives allows it to be used as a makeshift spatula for moving chopped vegetables. The wide shank of the Migaki Nakiri Tosa allows you to easily adjust the thickness of the cut products safely resting on the blade with your knuckles, cut products quickly, with great comfort and eliminates the contact of the hand on the knife handle with the table surface. Specific in their appearance, Japanese kitchen knives Nakiri and Usuba emphasize the exotic charm of the kitchen interior, and if you want a whole set of Japanese knives to settle in your kitchen, then you can’t do without such original-looking knives. As a rule, knives of this configuration are second in demand after the main one - Santoku, Gyuto or Petty. The Migaki Nakiri Tosa blade is sharpened and ready to go. The Migaki Nakiri Tosa 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 beginning of the knife (this knife has from 3 to 1.5 mm), forming even isosceles triangles in orthogonal sections. Such a blade structure is called a double wedge - it is very laborious to implement, but it guarantees an extremely aggressive and easy cut to the knife. The Migaki Nakiri Tosa blade is a three-layer laminate with double-sided sharpening. The central, extremely thin and strong layer, hardened to a hardness of 61-62 HRC, is made of Blue Paper Steel 1 (or in the Japanese version Aogami # 1), 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 detract from its performance, but it will give a nice visual contrast with the outer layers, showing the seam lines - the uneven pattern of which will resemble the yakiba line, as on Japanese katanas.

The Migaki Nakiri Tosa blade has a fully ground barebone surface, no blackening or Kurouchi coating, this gives the blade a very presentable appearance, but requires care of the blade in order to avoid corrosion damage. The Migaki Nakiri Tosa 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 region of the cutting edge during sharpening. After each use, the finished Migaki Nakiri Tosa knife should be rinsed 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. Blades Migaki Nakiri Tosa are handcrafted and may vary slightly from the stated dimensions and weights. The knife is sharpened and ready to go.