Of all the kitchen knives made in Japan, one line stands out as truly unique and recognizable over all others. Shosui Takeda is a third generation blacksmith who has become recognized as one of the masters in forging blades from the high-quality carbon steel called
Aogami Super Steel (AS). His knives are made entirely by hand with his small staff of smiths and craftsmen.
The unique aesthetic character of Mr. Takeda’s knives is highlighted by the beautiful kurouchi finish and oversized blade dimensions, which are exceptionally tall, laser thin, and extremely light for their size. This knife is made with a 50/50 compound grind and a very tall, acute edge bevel. The kurouchi finish on these knives is smoother than on the Takeda Classic line, though the aesthetic character of the knives remains intact.
Takeda gyutos are by nature very tall blades, so this sasanoha can be thought of as a short-in-height
gyuto. It is an excellent choice for those who enjoy the aesthetics, construction, and steel used by Takeda but prefer a gyuto style knife with a more common blade height-to-length ratio.
The handle is very well made from maple with a black pakka wood ferrule.
Brand: Takeda Hamono
Blacksmith: Shosui Takeda
Location: Niimi, Japan
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Core Steel: Aogami Super
Cladding: Stainless
Finish: Kurouchi
Handle: Maple Octagonal
Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
Edge Grind: Even 50/50
Weight: 4.9 ounces / 142g
Blade Length: 285 mm (They Vary)
Overall Length: 425 mm
Thickness at Heel: 2.2 mm
Blade Height: 52.0 mm