This gyuto arrived from the manufacturer with a couple of small scratches on the blade, one of which is visible in the fourth picture.
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.
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.
- 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
