The cabbage knife is a format developed in the vegetable-farming regions around Sanjo City, Japan - a town as famous for its metalworking as it is for its agriculture. Farmers in these fields use a tool like this to harvest cabbage heads directly in the field, crouching down and cutting cleanly at the base with a single stroke. The 160mm blade and 48mm height give it the leverage and contact area for that kind of low, decisive work through a dense head of cabbage at ground level - a task that would abuse a kitchen knife and leave a standard folding knife hopelessly outmatched.
The construction is san mai: Aogami (blue paper steel) #2 core at 62 HRC clad in stainless steel. That combination gives the blade real cutting performance - Aogami #2 at 62 HRC takes a sharp, durable edge with a clean bite through fibrous produce - with the stainless cladding reducing maintenance. The carbon edge still requires care, but the flanks of the blade are protected. The handle is oval ho wood with black resin ferrule, compact and grippy for field work. At 5.1 oz and 316mm total length this is a serious tool that also pulls double duty as an outstanding heavy-duty kitchen knife for breaking down large cabbages, squash, and dense vegetables.
Care Instructions: The Aogami core is reactive carbon steel - wipe and dry after use, especially along the exposed edge. The stainless cladding handles the flanks, but the cutting edge will patina and can rust if left wet. Hand wash only. Sharpen on quality water stones.
The construction is san mai: Aogami (blue paper steel) #2 core at 62 HRC clad in stainless steel. That combination gives the blade real cutting performance - Aogami #2 at 62 HRC takes a sharp, durable edge with a clean bite through fibrous produce - with the stainless cladding reducing maintenance. The carbon edge still requires care, but the flanks of the blade are protected. The handle is oval ho wood with black resin ferrule, compact and grippy for field work. At 5.1 oz and 316mm total length this is a serious tool that also pulls double duty as an outstanding heavy-duty kitchen knife for breaking down large cabbages, squash, and dense vegetables.
Care Instructions: The Aogami core is reactive carbon steel - wipe and dry after use, especially along the exposed edge. The stainless cladding handles the flanks, but the cutting edge will patina and can rust if left wet. Hand wash only. Sharpen on quality water stones.
- Brand: Kohetsu
- Location: Sanjo City, Japan
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Edge Steel: Aogami (Blue Paper Steel) #2
- Cladding: Stainless Steel
- HRC: 62
- Handle: Ho Wood, Oval
- Ferrule: Black Resin
- Weight: 5.1 oz (146 g)
- Blade Length: 171mm
- Total Length: 316mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 3.5mm
- Blade Height: 48.7mm
