Yoshimi Kato VG-10 Suminagashi Nakiri 165mm

Yoshimi Kato took over the workshop founded by his father in law, Hiroshi Kato, and has built a strong reputation of his own forging blades in Echizen. This 165mm nakiri is a kamagata style, with a gently rounded corner at the far blunt end of the blade rather than the fully rectangular profile found on nakiris from the Tokyo area.

The core is VG-10 stainless steel, valued for excellent edge retention and ease of care, wrapped in a softer stainless steel outer layer finished in the suminagashi style, an acid etched Damascus pattern that flows across the blade like marbled water. The flat, thin profile is built for efficient push cutting through vegetables, and the knife is finished with an oval wa handle in rosewood and a black pakka wood ferrule.

What Customers Are Saying:Reviewers consistently describe this nakiri as beautiful, well balanced, and light in hand, with more than one calling it the best nakiri in their collection. The handmade craftsmanship and the etched Damascus pattern draw repeated praise, and one buyer who gave it as a gift had it professionally sharpened right away just to have a reference point for future touch ups.

Care Instructions:VG-10 is a low maintenance stainless steel, so hand wash and dry the blade after use rather than running it through a dishwasher. Avoid cutting through bones or frozen foods, and sharpen on quality water stones when the edge needs attention. The etched finish scratches more easily than a plain polished blade, so a saya or knife block is a better storage choice than a magnetic strip.

• Blacksmith: Yoshimi Kato
• Location: Echizen, Japan
• Workshop: Takefu Knife Village
• Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
• Edge Steel: VG-10 Stainless Steel
• Cladding: Stainless Damascus (Suminagashi)
• HRC: 61-62
• Edge Grind: 50/50
• Handle: Rosewood Oval (Wa)
• Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
• Weight: 5.1 oz (144 g)
• Blade Length: 159 mm
• Total Length: 307 mm
• Spine Thickness at Base: 2 mm
• Blade Height: 51 mm