Syungo Ogata trained for seven years at the Takefu Knife Village cooperative in Echizen, Japan under Shiro Kamo — a recipient of the Dento-Kogei-shi title meaning master of traditional crafts, and one of the most sought-after smiths at the Village. Now working as a master smith in his own right, Ogata-san brings that exceptional grounding to every knife he produces. His reputation for clean grinds, precise heat treatment, and high cutting performance has earned him a devoted following among serious cooks and knife enthusiasts.
This nakiri is built around SG2 powdered stainless steel, a premium alloy with an extremely fine grain structure that allows it to take a very sharp edge and hold it through demanding use. The san mai construction surrounds the SG2 core with stainless cladding, finished in a kasumi — meaning hazy — polish that gives the blade a refined, brushed texture rather than a mirror finish. The grind begins midway up the blade height and tapers to an exceptionally thin edge, allowing the knife to glide through vegetables with almost no resistance. At 159mm with a 49mm blade height it is a well-proportioned full-size nakiri with excellent knuckle clearance. The octagonal red sandalwood handle is beautifully constructed and comfortable in hand.
What Customers Are Saying:
Customers are consistently blown away by the cutting performance of this nakiri — one line cook describes it as punching well above its price range and outperforming knives that cost significantly more. The exceptionally thin grind earns particular praise, with reviewers noting how effortlessly it moves through product. The kasumi finish has a subtle texture to it — not a mirror polish but a refined brushed surface that some appreciate and others should know about before buying. After a session on quality stones the SG2 edge reaches another level entirely, holding sharp for weeks of daily service use.
Care Instructions:
The steep edge geometry and high hardness of SG2 make this knife exceptionally sharp but require some care. Avoid cutting bones, frozen foods, or dense stalks as the edge can chip under stress. Use on wood or rubber cutting boards only. Hand wash and dry thoroughly after use. Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
This nakiri is built around SG2 powdered stainless steel, a premium alloy with an extremely fine grain structure that allows it to take a very sharp edge and hold it through demanding use. The san mai construction surrounds the SG2 core with stainless cladding, finished in a kasumi — meaning hazy — polish that gives the blade a refined, brushed texture rather than a mirror finish. The grind begins midway up the blade height and tapers to an exceptionally thin edge, allowing the knife to glide through vegetables with almost no resistance. At 159mm with a 49mm blade height it is a well-proportioned full-size nakiri with excellent knuckle clearance. The octagonal red sandalwood handle is beautifully constructed and comfortable in hand.
What Customers Are Saying:
Customers are consistently blown away by the cutting performance of this nakiri — one line cook describes it as punching well above its price range and outperforming knives that cost significantly more. The exceptionally thin grind earns particular praise, with reviewers noting how effortlessly it moves through product. The kasumi finish has a subtle texture to it — not a mirror polish but a refined brushed surface that some appreciate and others should know about before buying. After a session on quality stones the SG2 edge reaches another level entirely, holding sharp for weeks of daily service use.
Care Instructions:
The steep edge geometry and high hardness of SG2 make this knife exceptionally sharp but require some care. Avoid cutting bones, frozen foods, or dense stalks as the edge can chip under stress. Use on wood or rubber cutting boards only. Hand wash and dry thoroughly after use. Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
- Blacksmith: Ogata-san
- Location: Echizen, Japan
- Workshop: Takefu Knife Village
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Edge Steel: SG2 Powdered Stainless Steel
- Cladding: Stainless Steel
- HRC: 62-63
- Finish: Kasumi (Hazy)
- Edge Grind: Even 50/50
- Handle: Octagonal Red Sandalwood
- Weight: 5.4 oz (152 g)
- Blade Length: 159 mm
- Total Length: 305 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 49 mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval)
first nakiri - a good one!Posted By: steve
28 people found this review helpful
Midway thru the height of the blade the grind starts. So the taper is very long and pronounced allowing easy glide thru of veggies of this VERY thin blade. The handle color and construction is EXCELLENT quality. Slightly heavier than expected with most the weight coming from the top area of the blade. Fit and finish is good with no sharp edges on spine and choil. This isn't a mirror polished blade. It is "brushed" stainless as the description depicts. If you move your fingernail across the grain of the brush you can feel the texture. If that is something you don't want then avoid this blade.
28 people found this review helpful
Midway thru the height of the blade the grind starts. So the taper is very long and pronounced allowing easy glide thru of veggies of this VERY thin blade. The handle color and construction is EXCELLENT quality. Slightly heavier than expected with most the weight coming from the top area of the blade. Fit and finish is good with no sharp edges on spine and choil. This isn't a mirror polished blade. It is "brushed" stainless as the description depicts. If you move your fingernail across the grain of the brush you can feel the texture. If that is something you don't want then avoid this blade.
Couldn't Get BetterPosted By: Osbaldo Garcia
35 people found this review helpful
Alright guys so I bought this not really expecting an above average performer (but I was hopeful) and wow was I blown away with the performance of this knife! OTB sharpness was OK but after a sharpening on some Naniwa Choseras and a leather strop that edge just FLYS through product!! It's held an insanely sharp edge for the better part of 2 weeks now as my line knife and I don't see myself putting it down yet. I thought my Yu Kurosaki was great but this Ogata punches way above its price range. Get it, do prep, be happy.
35 people found this review helpful
Alright guys so I bought this not really expecting an above average performer (but I was hopeful) and wow was I blown away with the performance of this knife! OTB sharpness was OK but after a sharpening on some Naniwa Choseras and a leather strop that edge just FLYS through product!! It's held an insanely sharp edge for the better part of 2 weeks now as my line knife and I don't see myself putting it down yet. I thought my Yu Kurosaki was great but this Ogata punches way above its price range. Get it, do prep, be happy.
