This knife splits the difference between a nakiri and a Chinese cleaver, keeping the thin grind associated with a vegetable knife while adding the extra blade height of a cleaver. It is a versatile shape for cooks with large hands, large ingredients, or simply a preference for a taller blade, and the added surface area makes scooping prepped food off the board noticeably easier, too.
The blade is made from Aogami Super, set into a softer iron jigane through traditional san mai construction. That gives the inner core protection and strength while letting the edge take and hold an exceptionally fine grind, and the outer layer carries the rustic black kurouchi finish typical of the Yoshimitsu AS line. The handle is now an upgraded oak octagonal shape with a burnt urushi finish. Trust the handle shown in the current photos rather than the one shown in the video.
What Customers Are Saying: One detailed long-term reviewer calls the knife a blast to use, breezing through cabbage, onions, and other tall vegetables, and praises how great it looks in person, even more so than in photos. They note the grind runs slightly uneven, convex on one side and a touch concave on the other, along with a fairly pronounced belly in the edge profile that can be sharpened away if desired. The blade also ran heavier than expected, only marginally lighter than a comparable Takeda. On the fit and finish side, the same reviewer found the handle dry out of the box and recommends a coat or two of beeswax before first use, along with a little wax where the blade meets the handle, since that area is not stainless. The factory edge was rated about 4 out of 10, the dullest they had received from CKTG, and they spent one to two hours bringing it up to par before first use, calling that a worthwhile tradeoff for the look and performance but a real consideration for anyone without a sharpening setup of their own.
Care Instructions: Aogami Super is reactive and one of the hardest carbon steels around, so wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use rather than letting it sit. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for long stretches, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer-term storage, including a touch of wax or oil where the blade meets the handle, since that junction is not stainless. Hand wash only, and a quality water stone with a final strop will keep the edge at its sharpest between full sharpenings.
Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.Brand: Yoshimitsu
Location: Nagasaki, Japan
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Edge Steel: Aogami Super
Cladding: Soft Iron
HRC: 62-63
Finish: Kurouchi
Edge Grind: Even (50/50)
Handle: Oak Octagonal with Burnt Urushi Finish
Weight: 6.4 oz (181 g)
Blade Length: 175 mm
Total Length: 325 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 3 mm
Blade Height: 75 mm
The blade is made from Aogami Super, set into a softer iron jigane through traditional san mai construction. That gives the inner core protection and strength while letting the edge take and hold an exceptionally fine grind, and the outer layer carries the rustic black kurouchi finish typical of the Yoshimitsu AS line. The handle is now an upgraded oak octagonal shape with a burnt urushi finish. Trust the handle shown in the current photos rather than the one shown in the video.
What Customers Are Saying: One detailed long-term reviewer calls the knife a blast to use, breezing through cabbage, onions, and other tall vegetables, and praises how great it looks in person, even more so than in photos. They note the grind runs slightly uneven, convex on one side and a touch concave on the other, along with a fairly pronounced belly in the edge profile that can be sharpened away if desired. The blade also ran heavier than expected, only marginally lighter than a comparable Takeda. On the fit and finish side, the same reviewer found the handle dry out of the box and recommends a coat or two of beeswax before first use, along with a little wax where the blade meets the handle, since that area is not stainless. The factory edge was rated about 4 out of 10, the dullest they had received from CKTG, and they spent one to two hours bringing it up to par before first use, calling that a worthwhile tradeoff for the look and performance but a real consideration for anyone without a sharpening setup of their own.
Care Instructions: Aogami Super is reactive and one of the hardest carbon steels around, so wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use rather than letting it sit. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for long stretches, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer-term storage, including a touch of wax or oil where the blade meets the handle, since that junction is not stainless. Hand wash only, and a quality water stone with a final strop will keep the edge at its sharpest between full sharpenings.
Each knife is made by hand so measurements may vary.
Reviews
1 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Very fun knife, not for the novice care-takerPosted By: Prkr
49 people found this review helpful
This is the 4th or so knife I have bought from CKTG. I absolutely love it. This knife is a blast to use, breezes through tall objects (cabbage, onions, etc), and has a lovely rustic finish. I want to leave some notes for the curious.
Pros: Very aesthetic in person, more so than the pictures
AS steel is always fantastic and this is no exception. Takes a razor sharp edge and seems to last for a while
Very tall.
Neutral notes: Grind is rather uneven, slightly convex on one side and concave on the other. Personally I like this because of food release properties, but some might not enjoy it.
Large "belly" in the edge profile, as seen in video. Can be sharpened away if desired
Weight was more than I expected, as only being marginally more than a similar Takeda. I was expecting a pretty lightweight knife and this is definitely on the heavy side. Somehow I don't mind it and it feels really amazing in hand.
Cons: Fit and finish leaves a bit to be desired. Yes it's a rustic finish, but it still had a few notes that are worth pointing out. The handle was very dry. I used the CKTG beeswax on it twice before use, and recommend the same to anyone else. I also recommend putting some of said wax where the knife meets the handle, as this is not stainless in this location. The handle became far darker in color, and more protected. I also used some lemon oil to remove the sticker and this did not stain the wood.
OOTB sharpness was like a 4/10. Definitely the most dull knife I've purchased from here.
All in all, this knife is extremely fun to use, very versatile, and very aesthetic if you like a rustic look. This knife is great for enthusiasts or people that want a minor project knife, as I spent about 1-2 hours getting it up to par before use. This was totally ok with me, but for someone without a sharpening setup or the means to remove stickers or prepare a handle, this would be a major drawback.
9/10 would recommend
49 people found this review helpful
This is the 4th or so knife I have bought from CKTG. I absolutely love it. This knife is a blast to use, breezes through tall objects (cabbage, onions, etc), and has a lovely rustic finish. I want to leave some notes for the curious.
Pros: Very aesthetic in person, more so than the pictures
AS steel is always fantastic and this is no exception. Takes a razor sharp edge and seems to last for a while
Very tall.
Neutral notes: Grind is rather uneven, slightly convex on one side and concave on the other. Personally I like this because of food release properties, but some might not enjoy it.
Large "belly" in the edge profile, as seen in video. Can be sharpened away if desired
Weight was more than I expected, as only being marginally more than a similar Takeda. I was expecting a pretty lightweight knife and this is definitely on the heavy side. Somehow I don't mind it and it feels really amazing in hand.
Cons: Fit and finish leaves a bit to be desired. Yes it's a rustic finish, but it still had a few notes that are worth pointing out. The handle was very dry. I used the CKTG beeswax on it twice before use, and recommend the same to anyone else. I also recommend putting some of said wax where the knife meets the handle, as this is not stainless in this location. The handle became far darker in color, and more protected. I also used some lemon oil to remove the sticker and this did not stain the wood.
OOTB sharpness was like a 4/10. Definitely the most dull knife I've purchased from here.
All in all, this knife is extremely fun to use, very versatile, and very aesthetic if you like a rustic look. This knife is great for enthusiasts or people that want a minor project knife, as I spent about 1-2 hours getting it up to par before use. This was totally ok with me, but for someone without a sharpening setup or the means to remove stickers or prepare a handle, this would be a major drawback.
9/10 would recommend
