Anryu Hamono has been producing knives in Echizen, Japan, for over 50 years. The shop is now led by Ikeda san, the trusted apprentice who took over from the founder and handles the lion's share of production today. Anryu knives have built a loyal following at CKTG for a combination of precise fit and finish, quality steel selection, and a hammered aesthetic that is both functional and distinctive. Many customers own multiple knives from this maker - a reliable sign of long-term satisfaction.
The Anryu Blue #2 Hammered Petty 120mm is built around a core of Hitachi Aogami #2 (Blue Paper #2) carbon steel clad in stainless on both faces. The cladding is hand-hammered into the tsuchime finish that Anryu is known for - a surface that reduces food adhesion and gives the blade road a textured, forged appearance where stainless and carbon steels meet. The exposed Blue #2 edge takes an extremely keen edge and holds it well. This is a light and agile petty - well suited to meat prep, filleting smaller fish, and precision utility work like thin apple slices and fine vegetable cuts. The blade features a nicely radiused choil, polished spine corners, and an oval rosewood handle with a pakka wood ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: Reviewers consistently praise how light and agile this knife feels in hand - one uses it as a go-to for meat prep and filleting fish around 3 lbs, another reached for it to cut razor-thin apple slices for a salad presentation. The hammered finish patinas beautifully, including in the transition zone where the stainless cladding meets the carbon edge. Multiple customers own several Anryu knives and call this one well-priced for the fit and finish. One reviewer noted it arrived with two nicks and required refinishing before use - worth inspecting out of the box. The Blue #2 edge is consistently described as easy to bring to a keen edge on a stone.
Storage Note: Due to the thick spine, we do not carry a saya that fits this knife. We recommend the felt blade guard instead.
Care Instructions: The stainless cladding on the blade road is low maintenance, but the exposed Blue #2 carbon edge is reactive and will patina naturally with use - including in the hammered transition zone. Wipe and dry the blade immediately after use. Avoid leaving acidic foods on the edge. Hand wash only. Apply camellia oil for long-term storage. Blue #2 sharpens readily on quality water stones and rewards regular stropping.Workshop: Anryu Hamono
Lead Blacksmith: Ikeda san
Location: Echizen, Japan
Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
Edge Steel: Blue #2 (Aogami #2)
Cladding: Hammered Stainless
Finish: Tsuchime (Hammered)
Handle: Oval Rosewood
Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
Weight: 3.1 oz (88 g)
Blade Length: 151 mm
Total Length: 278 mm
Spine Thickness at Heel: 4.5 mm
Blade Height: 34 mm
The Anryu Blue #2 Hammered Petty 120mm is built around a core of Hitachi Aogami #2 (Blue Paper #2) carbon steel clad in stainless on both faces. The cladding is hand-hammered into the tsuchime finish that Anryu is known for - a surface that reduces food adhesion and gives the blade road a textured, forged appearance where stainless and carbon steels meet. The exposed Blue #2 edge takes an extremely keen edge and holds it well. This is a light and agile petty - well suited to meat prep, filleting smaller fish, and precision utility work like thin apple slices and fine vegetable cuts. The blade features a nicely radiused choil, polished spine corners, and an oval rosewood handle with a pakka wood ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: Reviewers consistently praise how light and agile this knife feels in hand - one uses it as a go-to for meat prep and filleting fish around 3 lbs, another reached for it to cut razor-thin apple slices for a salad presentation. The hammered finish patinas beautifully, including in the transition zone where the stainless cladding meets the carbon edge. Multiple customers own several Anryu knives and call this one well-priced for the fit and finish. One reviewer noted it arrived with two nicks and required refinishing before use - worth inspecting out of the box. The Blue #2 edge is consistently described as easy to bring to a keen edge on a stone.
Storage Note: Due to the thick spine, we do not carry a saya that fits this knife. We recommend the felt blade guard instead.
Care Instructions: The stainless cladding on the blade road is low maintenance, but the exposed Blue #2 carbon edge is reactive and will patina naturally with use - including in the hammered transition zone. Wipe and dry the blade immediately after use. Avoid leaving acidic foods on the edge. Hand wash only. Apply camellia oil for long-term storage. Blue #2 sharpens readily on quality water stones and rewards regular stropping.
