Hitachi Aogami #2 has long been a favorite among Japanese knife enthusiasts for how readily it takes an edge and how well it holds one, and this 165mm nakiri from Anryu Hamono puts that reputation to work on vegetables. The rustic, hand-hammered cladding and clean fit and finish are signature traits of the Hammered lineup.
The core steel is reactive carbon, wrapped in a stainless cladding for easier upkeep, and finished with a first-rate grind suited to the flat profile and tall blade height a nakiri needs for push cutting. Because each knife is handmade, expect some variation in dimensions between individual examples. The handle is an oval rosewood with a black pakka wood ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: Reviewers consistently praise the fit and finish, balance, and comfortable rounded choil on this nakiri, with several buying a second one as a gift after trying it themselves. One reviewer noted the factory edge out of the box was just okay rather than razor sharp, which is worth knowing for anyone who wants to dive straight into heavy use without a touch-up first, though the same review still rated the knife highly overall for its geometry and value. Most owners describe the blade as astonishingly sharp once it has had any sharpening attention at all.
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: 5.9 oz (168 g)
Blade Length: 160 mm
Total Length: 309 mm
Spine Thickness at Heel: 4 mm
Blade Height: 51 mm
The core steel is reactive carbon, wrapped in a stainless cladding for easier upkeep, and finished with a first-rate grind suited to the flat profile and tall blade height a nakiri needs for push cutting. Because each knife is handmade, expect some variation in dimensions between individual examples. The handle is an oval rosewood with a black pakka wood ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying: Reviewers consistently praise the fit and finish, balance, and comfortable rounded choil on this nakiri, with several buying a second one as a gift after trying it themselves. One reviewer noted the factory edge out of the box was just okay rather than razor sharp, which is worth knowing for anyone who wants to dive straight into heavy use without a touch-up first, though the same review still rated the knife highly overall for its geometry and value. Most owners describe the blade as astonishingly sharp once it has had any sharpening attention at all.
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.
Reviews
6 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Exceptional performance and valuePosted By: Tom
64 people found this review helpful
I was lucky to snap this knife up recently when it came back into stock, though I had just bought a kotetsu blue #2 nakiri, I couldn't resist. I'll start by saying these knives are surprisingly cheap given the hype around them, but more importantly the knife itself did not disappoint.
Fit and finish are excellent, and the balance and shape of the knife make it extremely comfortable to use - especially the long, somewhat thick neck and the rounded off choil. Factory edge was just okay - my white #2 knife gets much sharper on a #2000 big green brick - but you can tell the geometry and treatment are excellent as it glides through carrots and minces and slices effortlessly with zero bruising or accordion cuts. Edge retention is amazing. I got it for ultra fine slicing and julienne and it's perfect for that, despite the thicker spine and mild belly giving it some more versatility.
That said, there are some downsides that I think are entirely forgivable at this price point given the overall performance of the knife:
1) Food release is absolutely abysmal. Possibly the worst of all my knives. This is the only aspect where the kotetsu outshone it, and it was by a large margin. No technique seems to help. If it wasn't for this, I'd be able to work a lot faster with this knife and I'd use it for almost everything.
2) the cladding is somewhat reactive and picked up some rust spots despite washing and drying the knife off after every use.
3) the varnish on the handle starts to wear off after a couple of washes exposing the very open grain, making the handle porous. I oil it and it's fine, but as a matter of preference I don't care for it, I prefer the feel of ho wood.
4. There's some glue poking out of the ferrule, not an objectionable amount at all but it does catch the light a bit and two people I showed the knife to when it was brand new immediately pointed it out.
64 people found this review helpful
I was lucky to snap this knife up recently when it came back into stock, though I had just bought a kotetsu blue #2 nakiri, I couldn't resist. I'll start by saying these knives are surprisingly cheap given the hype around them, but more importantly the knife itself did not disappoint.
Fit and finish are excellent, and the balance and shape of the knife make it extremely comfortable to use - especially the long, somewhat thick neck and the rounded off choil. Factory edge was just okay - my white #2 knife gets much sharper on a #2000 big green brick - but you can tell the geometry and treatment are excellent as it glides through carrots and minces and slices effortlessly with zero bruising or accordion cuts. Edge retention is amazing. I got it for ultra fine slicing and julienne and it's perfect for that, despite the thicker spine and mild belly giving it some more versatility.
That said, there are some downsides that I think are entirely forgivable at this price point given the overall performance of the knife:
1) Food release is absolutely abysmal. Possibly the worst of all my knives. This is the only aspect where the kotetsu outshone it, and it was by a large margin. No technique seems to help. If it wasn't for this, I'd be able to work a lot faster with this knife and I'd use it for almost everything.
2) the cladding is somewhat reactive and picked up some rust spots despite washing and drying the knife off after every use.
3) the varnish on the handle starts to wear off after a couple of washes exposing the very open grain, making the handle porous. I oil it and it's fine, but as a matter of preference I don't care for it, I prefer the feel of ho wood.
4. There's some glue poking out of the ferrule, not an objectionable amount at all but it does catch the light a bit and two people I showed the knife to when it was brand new immediately pointed it out.
Excellent Knife Nice addition to the toolkitPosted By: SFSteve
17 people found this review helpful
Received this knife mere days ago and my initial impressions are thoroughly positive. I dithered over the purchase for quite awhile but, though it's early days yet, I'm glad I took the plunge. Rustic in appearance (I regard the unique hammer marks pattern like a fingerprint that sets my knife apart from all others), the blade arrived astonishingly sharp. It almost melts through food, and I confess to whittling my way through several sheets of paper just for the fun of it. Dicing up the first brunoise was a kick, too. Fit and finish on the oval handle is very nicely done. Aside from cosmetics -- and I get that this finish is not to everyone's taste -- I'm not sure what more I could have expected in terms of performance had I opted for a costlier selection. Looking forward to incorporating this knife as an integral member of the kitchen arsenal.
17 people found this review helpful
Received this knife mere days ago and my initial impressions are thoroughly positive. I dithered over the purchase for quite awhile but, though it's early days yet, I'm glad I took the plunge. Rustic in appearance (I regard the unique hammer marks pattern like a fingerprint that sets my knife apart from all others), the blade arrived astonishingly sharp. It almost melts through food, and I confess to whittling my way through several sheets of paper just for the fun of it. Dicing up the first brunoise was a kick, too. Fit and finish on the oval handle is very nicely done. Aside from cosmetics -- and I get that this finish is not to everyone's taste -- I'm not sure what more I could have expected in terms of performance had I opted for a costlier selection. Looking forward to incorporating this knife as an integral member of the kitchen arsenal.
Excellent Chef Knife Esy to use and very sharp
