A sujihiki at this length is built for a single purpose: long, clean pull cuts through proteins where a sawing motion would damage the result. At 270mm this one has plenty of reach to handle most proteins in one uninterrupted stroke, and the SG2 steel at 62-63 HRC ensures the edge stays keen enough to make each cut as clean as the last. Minamo is the newest line from Yoshimi Kato, built around SG2 powdered stainless - also known as R2 - with a clean stainless cladding that prioritizes performance and precision over visual drama.
Kato is the son-in-law of the renowned Hiroshi Kato and has run the family workshop at Takefu Knife Village in Echizen since Hiroshi retired in 2017, making knives for Masakage and Kanehiro alongside his own lines. The shitan rosewood octagonal handle with red pakka wood ferrule provides a comfortable, secure grip for the long drawing strokes a sujihiki demands, and the refined, understated finish of the Minamo line suits cooks who want serious performance without the visual complexity of a Damascus blade.
Care Instructions: SG2 is a stainless steel but is hard and chip-prone at 62-63 HRC. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Hand wash and dry after each use. Strop regularly between sharpenings to maintain the edge. Free shipping over $100.
Kato is the son-in-law of the renowned Hiroshi Kato and has run the family workshop at Takefu Knife Village in Echizen since Hiroshi retired in 2017, making knives for Masakage and Kanehiro alongside his own lines. The shitan rosewood octagonal handle with red pakka wood ferrule provides a comfortable, secure grip for the long drawing strokes a sujihiki demands, and the refined, understated finish of the Minamo line suits cooks who want serious performance without the visual complexity of a Damascus blade.
Care Instructions: SG2 is a stainless steel but is hard and chip-prone at 62-63 HRC. Use wood or rubber cutting boards only. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials. Hand wash and dry after each use. Strop regularly between sharpenings to maintain the edge. Free shipping over $100.
- Blacksmith: Yoshimi Kato
- Brand Name: Yoshimi Minamo
- Location: Echizen, Japan
- Workshop: Takefu Knife Village
- Construction: Hammer Forged, San Mai
- Edge Steel: SG2 (AKA R2) Stainless
- Cladding: Stainless
- HRC: 62-63
- Edge Grind: Even, 50/50 Double Bevel
- Engraving: Laser
- Handle: Shitan Rosewood Octagonal
- Ferrule: Red Pakka Wood
- Weight: 5.4 oz (154 g)
- Blade Length: 270mm
- Total Length: 423mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2mm
- Blade Height: 39mm
