ATS34 is a high-carbon stainless steel developed in Japan and used across a range of high-end cutting tool applications - kitchen knives, hunting knives, and straight razors among them. It carries excellent edge-forming characteristics, sharpens readily on quality water stones, and holds its edge well. Hatsukokoro works with Nihei Takahiro in Tosa to produce the Hayabusa series, and the ATS34 Damascus line represents their approach to a premium stainless petty: thin grind, premium steel, Damascus cladding, kasumi finish, and a handle that suits the blade.
This is a light, precise petty with a 2mm spine at the heel that tapers to a nimble tip - the kind of geometry that makes fine work feel effortless. The Damascus cladding wraps the ATS34 core in San Mai construction and is finished in kasumi (hazy) style, which gives the blade surface a soft, traditional character that lets the Damascus layering show without being mirror-polished. At HRC 61, the heat treatment is toward the upper end of what ATS34 achieves, and the even grind makes it equally accessible for right- and left-handed cooks. The one-piece octagonal ebony handle is well-fitted and carries a quiet elegance that suits the overall aesthetic of the knife.
Care Instructions: ATS34 stainless is low maintenance - hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. The ebony handle is dense and durable but benefits from occasional conditioning with food-safe wood wax or oil. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard surfaces that could chip the edge at this hardness level.
This is a light, precise petty with a 2mm spine at the heel that tapers to a nimble tip - the kind of geometry that makes fine work feel effortless. The Damascus cladding wraps the ATS34 core in San Mai construction and is finished in kasumi (hazy) style, which gives the blade surface a soft, traditional character that lets the Damascus layering show without being mirror-polished. At HRC 61, the heat treatment is toward the upper end of what ATS34 achieves, and the even grind makes it equally accessible for right- and left-handed cooks. The one-piece octagonal ebony handle is well-fitted and carries a quiet elegance that suits the overall aesthetic of the knife.
Care Instructions: ATS34 stainless is low maintenance - hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. The ebony handle is dense and durable but benefits from occasional conditioning with food-safe wood wax or oil. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard surfaces that could chip the edge at this hardness level.
- Brand: Hatsukokoro
- Location: Tosa, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Edge Steel: ATS34 Stainless Steel
- Cladding: Damascus Stainless
- Finish: Kasumi (Hazy)
- HRC: 61 +/-
- Edge Grind: Even
- Handle: Octagonal Ebony
- Weight: 3.0 oz (84 g)
- Blade Length: 153 mm
- Total Length: 282 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 37 mm
