Omura City sits in Nagasaki Prefecture in the south of Japan - not a city that appears on most Japanese knife maps, but home to Tanaka Kama Kogyo and four generations of blacksmith craft with roots going back over 800 years. Katsuto Tanaka is the principal blacksmith and the craftsman behind the Matsubara line. Mark has visited and knows the family personally. CKTG is the exclusive US source for Matsubara knives.
Traci had no idea she would love this knife so much. She describes it as absolutely perfect in every way, a knife that just makes you want to cook. At 240mm blade length, 7.8 oz, 4mm spine with Blue #2 at 62-63 HRC. Even 50/50 double-bevel grind. CKTG exclusive US source for Matsubara. Free US shipping over $100.
What Customers Are Saying: Two five-star reviews. Traci had no idea she would love this knife so much - describes it as absolutely perfect in every way, a knife that just makes you want to cook. A second reviewer confirms the quality. For knife enthusiasts who fall in love with certain knives, this is one of them.
Care Instructions: Blue #2 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 - Blue #2 at 62-63 HRC sharpens easily and rewards good technique. Strop regularly between sharpenings.
Traci had no idea she would love this knife so much. She describes it as absolutely perfect in every way, a knife that just makes you want to cook. At 240mm blade length, 7.8 oz, 4mm spine with Blue #2 at 62-63 HRC. Even 50/50 double-bevel grind. CKTG exclusive US source for Matsubara. Free US shipping over $100.
What Customers Are Saying: Two five-star reviews. Traci had no idea she would love this knife so much - describes it as absolutely perfect in every way, a knife that just makes you want to cook. A second reviewer confirms the quality. For knife enthusiasts who fall in love with certain knives, this is one of them.
Care Instructions: Blue #2 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 - Blue #2 at 62-63 HRC sharpens easily and rewards good technique. Strop regularly between sharpenings.
- Blacksmith: Katsuto Tanaka
- Workshop: Tanaka Kama Kogyo
- Location: Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
- Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
- Edge Steel: Blue #2 (Aogami #2) Carbon Steel
- Cladding: Stainless
- HRC: 62-63
- Finish: Nashiji
- Edge Grind: Even 50/50 Double Bevel
- Handle: Walnut Octagonal
- Weight: 7.8 oz (221g)
- Blade Length: 240mm
- Total Length: 390mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 4mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Pleasant Surprise! , October 26, 2025Posted By: Traci
1 people found this review helpful
For knife enthusiasts, you will understand when I say, sometimes you just have knives you LOVE, and knives you hate. I had no idea I would love this knife so much!! Great buy. It's absolutely perfect in every way, and just makes me happy. I find I grab it the most often, and ignore all my others now. I love the weight, the sturdiness of the blade, the sharpness, and overall performance. The blade is taller, like a Takeda NAS, and that is definitely appreciated when doing veggies because they aren't constantly going over the top of the knife and falling back down in the chopping path.
Size wise, I'm a woman, and this 240 is not too big for me.
This knife is the best of both worlds -- a total workhorse, but fun and pleasant to use like your high-end Japanese knifes. Grab it before it's sold out, you will not regret it.
1 people found this review helpful
For knife enthusiasts, you will understand when I say, sometimes you just have knives you LOVE, and knives you hate. I had no idea I would love this knife so much!! Great buy. It's absolutely perfect in every way, and just makes me happy. I find I grab it the most often, and ignore all my others now. I love the weight, the sturdiness of the blade, the sharpness, and overall performance. The blade is taller, like a Takeda NAS, and that is definitely appreciated when doing veggies because they aren't constantly going over the top of the knife and falling back down in the chopping path.
Size wise, I'm a woman, and this 240 is not too big for me.
This knife is the best of both worlds -- a total workhorse, but fun and pleasant to use like your high-end Japanese knifes. Grab it before it's sold out, you will not regret it.
Beautiful Aesthetics with Precision Craftsmanship and Exceptional PerformancePosted By: I.V.
27 people found this review helpful
The knife was recommended to me by a friend.
Beautiful massive knife. The blade is wide. It's like it has some kind of magic in it.
The center of gravity is about 3-4 centimeters from the handle which is made of light wood. I like it when the weight is brought forward. It helps when cutting. If someone doesn't like it they can change the handle to a heavier one and move the center of gravity back.
The soft stainless steel that covers the core has a variable thickness. This was mentioned in one of the forums. Each knife has a unique workmanship. Near the edge the blade is about 4mm thick. Moving forward to the blade it decreases to about 2mm (in the region where the signature is). It then increases to about 3mm and becomes very thin when it reaches the blade. The thickness of the bottom of the blade is the same along its entire length.
The tip of the blade on one side was like unfinished and needed a little filing. A very minor and quick fix. There was a typical smell to the collared ring. It looked like someone had tried ta polish it. There were also scratches.
A really impressive knife. Extremely sharp. I had no idea how sharp it really was until I started using it. It's just a pleasure to work with. The upper part of the blade is polished in a very unique way. It feels soft when you grip it to start working. I have not experienced it using other knives. And it's the only knife I had a chance to try, where the sticking of veggies (especially potatoes) is really minimal.
This knife definitely combines beautiful aesthetics with precision craftsmanship and exceptional performance.
Without hesitation I would recommend it or buy it again if I need another one.
The shipping and the delivery was super efficiently managed and executed. Big Thank you!
27 people found this review helpful
The knife was recommended to me by a friend.
Beautiful massive knife. The blade is wide. It's like it has some kind of magic in it.
The center of gravity is about 3-4 centimeters from the handle which is made of light wood. I like it when the weight is brought forward. It helps when cutting. If someone doesn't like it they can change the handle to a heavier one and move the center of gravity back.
The soft stainless steel that covers the core has a variable thickness. This was mentioned in one of the forums. Each knife has a unique workmanship. Near the edge the blade is about 4mm thick. Moving forward to the blade it decreases to about 2mm (in the region where the signature is). It then increases to about 3mm and becomes very thin when it reaches the blade. The thickness of the bottom of the blade is the same along its entire length.
The tip of the blade on one side was like unfinished and needed a little filing. A very minor and quick fix. There was a typical smell to the collared ring. It looked like someone had tried ta polish it. There were also scratches.
A really impressive knife. Extremely sharp. I had no idea how sharp it really was until I started using it. It's just a pleasure to work with. The upper part of the blade is polished in a very unique way. It feels soft when you grip it to start working. I have not experienced it using other knives. And it's the only knife I had a chance to try, where the sticking of veggies (especially potatoes) is really minimal.
This knife definitely combines beautiful aesthetics with precision craftsmanship and exceptional performance.
Without hesitation I would recommend it or buy it again if I need another one.
The shipping and the delivery was super efficiently managed and executed. Big Thank you!
