ZDP189 is made through powdered metallurgy and stands among the most expensive steels to produce, valued for its wear resistance, toughness, and ability to be hardened to very high levels. The tradeoff is a steel that takes real effort to sharpen by hand, but the result is an edge of genuinely supreme sharpness that lasts well into long prep sessions, and this 270mm gyuto puts that steel to full use.
Sukenari has built a reputation as one of the best at working with ZDP189, producing some of the finest blades made from this exotic alloy. The inner core is clad in a softer stainless steel layer, finished here in a mirror polished Damascus pattern rather than the plainer hairline finish found on some other Sukenari knives, which keeps the knife easier to maintain through long professional shifts. The handle is an octagonal rosewood with a buffalo horn ferrule.
Care Instructions:ZDP189 is stainless but very hard and can chip at this hardness level, so use only wood or soft plastic cutting boards and avoid bones, frozen foods, or other hard materials. Hand wash and dry the blade after use, and strop the edge regularly between full sharpenings to keep this high hardness steel performing at its best on quality water stones.
Sukenari has built a reputation as one of the best at working with ZDP189, producing some of the finest blades made from this exotic alloy. The inner core is clad in a softer stainless steel layer, finished here in a mirror polished Damascus pattern rather than the plainer hairline finish found on some other Sukenari knives, which keeps the knife easier to maintain through long professional shifts. The handle is an octagonal rosewood with a buffalo horn ferrule.
Care Instructions:ZDP189 is stainless but very hard and can chip at this hardness level, so use only wood or soft plastic cutting boards and avoid bones, frozen foods, or other hard materials. Hand wash and dry the blade after use, and strop the edge regularly between full sharpenings to keep this high hardness steel performing at its best on quality water stones.
- Brand: Sukenari
- Blacksmith: Hanaki
- Location: Toyama, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Edge Steel: ZDP189
- HRC: 65-66
- Cladding: Stainless Steel
- Finish: Mirror Polished Damascus
- Handle: Rosewood Octagonal
- Ferrule: Buffalo Horn
- Weight: 8.0 oz (226 g)
- Blade Length: 259 mm
- Total Length: 416 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 3 mm
- Blade Height: 51 mm
