Blue #2 (Aogami 2) is one of the most trusted carbon steels in Japanese professional kitchens - valued for the combination of edge sharpness, retention, and toughness that makes it practical for everyday heavy use rather than just occasional showcase performance. Katsuto Tanaka, working from Tanaka Kama Kogyo in Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture, uses it as the core steel across the Wavy Face line, forge-welded san-mai into stainless cladding and finished with his hand-hammered wavy face surface. A four-generation blacksmithing family whose craft traces its lineage back over 800 years, the Tanaka shop produces knives where the handwork is genuinely visible in the finished blade.
The nakiri (Japan's dedicated vegetable knife) at 162mm is compact and efficient, with a flat edge profile that delivers full board contact from heel to tip on push cuts. The 57mm blade height is generous for this format - large enough for meaningful knuckle clearance and a wide face for bench-scraping produce after cutting. The 3mm spine gives the blade a solid, planted feel on the board without being thick enough to wedge through hard vegetables. The wavy face hammered cladding is applied by hand and varies slightly from knife to knife, contributing to food release along the blade road and giving the knife the kind of visual character that becomes more interesting the longer you use it. The burnt oak octagonal handle is well-matched to the blade in both weight and proportion. Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
Care Instructions: Blue #2 is a reactive carbon steel that will develop a natural patina with use. Wipe and dry the blade thoroughly after each use and avoid leaving acidic foods on the edge. Hand wash only - no dishwasher. Apply a light coat of camellia oil before extended storage. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly between full sharpenings.
The nakiri (Japan's dedicated vegetable knife) at 162mm is compact and efficient, with a flat edge profile that delivers full board contact from heel to tip on push cuts. The 57mm blade height is generous for this format - large enough for meaningful knuckle clearance and a wide face for bench-scraping produce after cutting. The 3mm spine gives the blade a solid, planted feel on the board without being thick enough to wedge through hard vegetables. The wavy face hammered cladding is applied by hand and varies slightly from knife to knife, contributing to food release along the blade road and giving the knife the kind of visual character that becomes more interesting the longer you use it. The burnt oak octagonal handle is well-matched to the blade in both weight and proportion. Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
Care Instructions: Blue #2 is a reactive carbon steel that will develop a natural patina with use. Wipe and dry the blade thoroughly after each use and avoid leaving acidic foods on the edge. Hand wash only - no dishwasher. Apply a light coat of camellia oil before extended storage. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly between full sharpenings.
- Brand: Matsubara
- Blacksmith: Katsuto Tanaka
- Location: Nagasaki, Japan
- Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
- Edge Steel: Blue #2 (Aogami 2)
- Cladding: Stainless
- Finish: Wavy Face (Hammered)
- Edge Grind: Even
- Handle: Burnt Oak Octagonal
- Weight: 6.4 oz (162g)
- Blade Length: 162mm
- Total Length: 317mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 3mm
- Blade Height: 57mm
