Kohetsu is a CKTG exclusive brand - knives developed and specified by Mark Richmond, made in Seki City, Japan. The name loosely translates to "be happy." Seki is Japan center of production-scale knife making, organized around a network of specialist shops - forgers, grinders, sharpeners, handle fitters - each owning one stage of the process, with blades moving between them in plastic crates on small delivery trucks. Mark visited Seki City and toured these shops personally. The Kohetsu AS line is made by the Tsukahara family, specialists in finish sharpening, with Aogami Super hardened to HRC 64 and tested for consistency on every batch.
The gyuto at 240mm is a capable all-purpose chef knife with a thin grind that lets the blade pass through food with minimal resistance. The 60/40 asymmetric grind is biased toward the right side with a feathered, thinned tip - Tsukahara-san does this intentionally to improve cutting performance, particularly on fine cuts near the point. A hazy scratch pattern near the edge is a normal result of this thinning process, not a defect. Stainless san-mai cladding protects the AS core and simplifies daily maintenance while the carbon edge does the cutting work. The dark grey pakka wood octagonal handle is well finished and light in hand, suitable for right- and left-handed users. Fit and finish are of a high standard throughout. CKTG is the only source for this line.
Care Instructions: Aogami Super is a reactive carbon steel - the stainless cladding protects the flanks but the exposed carbon edge will patina naturally with use. Wipe and dry the blade immediately after every use. Avoid leaving acidic foods on the edge. Hand wash only, never dishwasher. Apply camellia oil for long-term storage. Sharpen on quality water stones - AS at HRC 64 rewards good sharpening technique and responds beautifully to stropping. A hazy or cloudy scratch pattern near the edge is normal and results from the intentional thinning process during sharpening.
The gyuto at 240mm is a capable all-purpose chef knife with a thin grind that lets the blade pass through food with minimal resistance. The 60/40 asymmetric grind is biased toward the right side with a feathered, thinned tip - Tsukahara-san does this intentionally to improve cutting performance, particularly on fine cuts near the point. A hazy scratch pattern near the edge is a normal result of this thinning process, not a defect. Stainless san-mai cladding protects the AS core and simplifies daily maintenance while the carbon edge does the cutting work. The dark grey pakka wood octagonal handle is well finished and light in hand, suitable for right- and left-handed users. Fit and finish are of a high standard throughout. CKTG is the only source for this line.
Care Instructions: Aogami Super is a reactive carbon steel - the stainless cladding protects the flanks but the exposed carbon edge will patina naturally with use. Wipe and dry the blade immediately after every use. Avoid leaving acidic foods on the edge. Hand wash only, never dishwasher. Apply camellia oil for long-term storage. Sharpen on quality water stones - AS at HRC 64 rewards good sharpening technique and responds beautifully to stropping. A hazy or cloudy scratch pattern near the edge is normal and results from the intentional thinning process during sharpening.
- Brand: Kohetsu
- Exclusive: CKTG Exclusive - Available Only at CKTG
- Blacksmith: Tsukahara Family
- Location: Seki City, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Edge Steel: Aogami Super (Super Blue) Carbon Steel
- Cladding: Stainless Steel
- HRC: 64
- Finish: Migaki (Polished)
- Edge Grind: 60/40 Asymmetric Double Bevel
- Engraving: Acid Etched Kanji
- Handle: Octagonal Pakka Wood (Dark Grey)
- Blade Length: 240mm
- Note: Sharpener intentionally thins the tip area for greater cutting performance - hazy scratch pattern near edge is normal, not a defect
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Great knife, February 13, 2026Posted By: D
Second one I bought (previous was in 210mm), this one just feels really good in the hand. It was sharp enough to use from the box, but I sharpened it some more with a 4k, 6k and then stropped. It shaves hairs. This edge took a nice gray patina quickly. Very happy with this knife, will buy more. Mark was great to work with (I had a last minute change from a different knife to this one and Mark was very helpful).
Second one I bought (previous was in 210mm), this one just feels really good in the hand. It was sharp enough to use from the box, but I sharpened it some more with a 4k, 6k and then stropped. It shaves hairs. This edge took a nice gray patina quickly. Very happy with this knife, will buy more. Mark was great to work with (I had a last minute change from a different knife to this one and Mark was very helpful).
Nice knifePosted By: Kevin
44 people found this review helpful
I had a 210 and a 240 the 210 is a laser the 240 is much more substantial.
Just bought my 2nd 240 and it seems a bit nicer then my first one I don't know if it's just the stabilized word versus the raw wood it also seems to have more exposed core steel at the edge.
Definitely happy with my purchase and will buy more knives from cktg in the future.
44 people found this review helpful
I had a 210 and a 240 the 210 is a laser the 240 is much more substantial.
Just bought my 2nd 240 and it seems a bit nicer then my first one I don't know if it's just the stabilized word versus the raw wood it also seems to have more exposed core steel at the edge.
Definitely happy with my purchase and will buy more knives from cktg in the future.
