HAP40 is a semi-stainless powdered high-speed steel that CKTG has long referred to as Voodoo Steel - a nickname earned by its almost uncanny ability to hold a sharp edge for extended periods while remaining sharpenable on quality water stones. At 65-66 HRC it runs harder than most other steels in this category, which is part of what produces that edge retention, and the semi-stainless nature of the steel means the core provides better corrosion resistance than carbon while still behaving like carbon steel on the stones. Katsuto Tanaka of Tanaka Kama Kogyo produces these blades in Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture, where a blacksmithing tradition traceable to refugees from the Battle of Dannoura - over 800 years ago - has been passed down through four generations of the family.
The 150mm petty is the right size for in-hand work, peeling, and the kind of small prep that a gyuto would overpower - trim work, breaking down citrus, fine detail cuts. The blade runs flat at the heel and picks up a gentle belly toward the tip, which gives it comfortable tracking whether you use it on a board or in hand. The HAP40 core is clad in stainless in san mai construction, which keeps maintenance low; the migaki (polished) finish runs clean on the cladding. The rosewood western handle sits at a conventional scale for cooks who prefer western geometry. At 2.4 oz and 30.5mm blade height this is a light, compact knife with serious steel behind it.
Care Instructions: HAP40 is semi-stainless - hand wash and dry after use. Avoid the dishwasher. Use wood or rubber boards and keep away from bones and frozen foods to protect the edge at this hardness. Sharpen on quality water stones; strop regularly to maintain the edge between sessions.
The 150mm petty is the right size for in-hand work, peeling, and the kind of small prep that a gyuto would overpower - trim work, breaking down citrus, fine detail cuts. The blade runs flat at the heel and picks up a gentle belly toward the tip, which gives it comfortable tracking whether you use it on a board or in hand. The HAP40 core is clad in stainless in san mai construction, which keeps maintenance low; the migaki (polished) finish runs clean on the cladding. The rosewood western handle sits at a conventional scale for cooks who prefer western geometry. At 2.4 oz and 30.5mm blade height this is a light, compact knife with serious steel behind it.
Care Instructions: HAP40 is semi-stainless - hand wash and dry after use. Avoid the dishwasher. Use wood or rubber boards and keep away from bones and frozen foods to protect the edge at this hardness. Sharpen on quality water stones; strop regularly to maintain the edge between sessions.
- Brand: Matsubara
- Blacksmith: Katsuto Tanaka, Tanaka Kama Kogyo
- Location: Omura City, Nagasaki, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Steel: HAP40 Semi-Stainless
- Cladding: Stainless
- Finish: Migaki (Polished)
- HRC: 65-66
- Edge Grind: Even 50/50
- Handle: Rosewood Western
- Weight: 2.4 oz (68 g)
- Blade Length: 151mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 1.8mm
- Blade Height: 30.5mm
