Kanjo Tsukahara works out of Seki, Japan, and we were the first company to carry his knives, back when ZDP189 was still a niche steel most cooks had never heard of. That early bet paid off: his work has built a steadily growing reputation as some of the finest knives on the market today, and this 240mm gyuto is a strong showcase of why.
ZDP189 is an ultra premium powdered stainless steel hardened here to 66 HRC, among the hardest steels we carry, and the blade is precision laser cut rather than hand hammered, which keeps the san mai construction exact and the grind even from heel to tip. Edge fit and finish are excellent, and the knife is topped off with a stabilized gray pakka wood handle and black pakka wood ferrule, chosen for durability and a clean, modern look.
What Customers Are Saying: Owners with deep collections single this knife out. One reviewer with experience across 30 Japanese knives, including Takamura, Kanehide, Hinoura, and Mac, says this gyuto outperforms all of them thanks to the ZDP189 steel paired with a thin, robust grind, and notes the edge does not roll under stress, instead chipping into tiny micro serrations that sharpen out easily without hurting performance. A working professional reports going up to two weeks between sharpenings and still having a usable edge, and finds these among the easiest knives in his kit to bring back to sharp. A third reviewer, an experienced home cook, calls it silly sharp with excellent edge retention and says the balance and feel make it a genuine pleasure to use. The consensus across all three: serious value for a serious knife.
Care Instructions: ZDP189 is a stainless powdered steel, but its extreme hardness means it can chip if it meets something it should not. Use wood or rubber cutting boards, avoid bones and frozen foods, and hand wash and dry the blade rather than letting it sit. The handle is well sealed and needs no special care beyond normal cleaning. Strop regularly between sharpenings to keep the edge in top shape.
ZDP189 is an ultra premium powdered stainless steel hardened here to 66 HRC, among the hardest steels we carry, and the blade is precision laser cut rather than hand hammered, which keeps the san mai construction exact and the grind even from heel to tip. Edge fit and finish are excellent, and the knife is topped off with a stabilized gray pakka wood handle and black pakka wood ferrule, chosen for durability and a clean, modern look.
What Customers Are Saying: Owners with deep collections single this knife out. One reviewer with experience across 30 Japanese knives, including Takamura, Kanehide, Hinoura, and Mac, says this gyuto outperforms all of them thanks to the ZDP189 steel paired with a thin, robust grind, and notes the edge does not roll under stress, instead chipping into tiny micro serrations that sharpen out easily without hurting performance. A working professional reports going up to two weeks between sharpenings and still having a usable edge, and finds these among the easiest knives in his kit to bring back to sharp. A third reviewer, an experienced home cook, calls it silly sharp with excellent edge retention and says the balance and feel make it a genuine pleasure to use. The consensus across all three: serious value for a serious knife.
Care Instructions: ZDP189 is a stainless powdered steel, but its extreme hardness means it can chip if it meets something it should not. Use wood or rubber cutting boards, avoid bones and frozen foods, and hand wash and dry the blade rather than letting it sit. The handle is well sealed and needs no special care beyond normal cleaning. Strop regularly between sharpenings to keep the edge in top shape.
- Maker: Kanjo Tsukahara
- Location: Seki, Japan
- Construction: San Mai, Laser Cut
- Edge Steel: ZDP189 Stainless Steel
- HRC: 66
- Cladding: Stainless
- Edge Grind: Even, 50/50
- Handle: Wa Octagonal, Gray Pakka Wood
- Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
- Weight: 6.8 oz (194 g)
- Blade Length: 240 mm
- Total Length: 388 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 51 mm
Reviews
3 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Ultimate Pro Workhorse Posted By: Wassabi
38 people found this review helpful
Owned 30 Japanese knives, overall performance is much more than my Takamuras, Kanehides, Hinoura and Macs due to magnificent ZDP steel coupled with a thin yet robust grind.
It sharpens in a few passes for me, maybe because I take it only to just shy of shaving? Perhaps people have trouble getting it scary sharp, but it keeps the same exact edge all day, or really all week so I haven't felt the need to take it further. Edge doesn't bend but instead when it chips it chips evenly as tiny micro serrations that doesn't hurt performance, and that sharpen out easily.
Cladding thins very easily and evenly. Handle is very well glazed and doesn't pick up smells in or require maintenance.
Probably going to keep buying this buying this one over and over unless it becomes too hard to get.
38 people found this review helpful
Owned 30 Japanese knives, overall performance is much more than my Takamuras, Kanehides, Hinoura and Macs due to magnificent ZDP steel coupled with a thin yet robust grind.
It sharpens in a few passes for me, maybe because I take it only to just shy of shaving? Perhaps people have trouble getting it scary sharp, but it keeps the same exact edge all day, or really all week so I haven't felt the need to take it further. Edge doesn't bend but instead when it chips it chips evenly as tiny micro serrations that doesn't hurt performance, and that sharpen out easily.
Cladding thins very easily and evenly. Handle is very well glazed and doesn't pick up smells in or require maintenance.
Probably going to keep buying this buying this one over and over unless it becomes too hard to get.
Perfect professional 240Posted By: Wassabi777
41 people found this review helpful
Always sharp, I can get away with not sharpening for work for about two weeks and still have a good edge. It does most everything better than it needs too. And interesting thing I've noticed is since the edge lasts so long you can keep the edge a bit thicker and tougher and still achieve good performance. Another positive is the signature looks like an eye, very cool! Not sure why but these Kanjo zdps are my easiest knives to sharpen, maybe because of the hardness. Get ZDP if you're a pro, much more reliable than any other steel I've used.
41 people found this review helpful
Always sharp, I can get away with not sharpening for work for about two weeks and still have a good edge. It does most everything better than it needs too. And interesting thing I've noticed is since the edge lasts so long you can keep the edge a bit thicker and tougher and still achieve good performance. Another positive is the signature looks like an eye, very cool! Not sure why but these Kanjo zdps are my easiest knives to sharpen, maybe because of the hardness. Get ZDP if you're a pro, much more reliable than any other steel I've used.
AmazingPosted By: Fish
36 people found this review helpful
Great knife - ridiculous value. ZDP189 is silly sharp and holds an edge REALLY WELL. I am an experienced at home chef and love to cook. This tool is a real treat to handle and use in the kitchen, the balance, feel, edge and (Not important) beauty of this knife is fantastic. I would buy again and am considering as a gift to a friend for the holidays - 6 stars - cheers
36 people found this review helpful
Great knife - ridiculous value. ZDP189 is silly sharp and holds an edge REALLY WELL. I am an experienced at home chef and love to cook. This tool is a real treat to handle and use in the kitchen, the balance, feel, edge and (Not important) beauty of this knife is fantastic. I would buy again and am considering as a gift to a friend for the holidays - 6 stars - cheers
