Yoshimi Kato makes knives for several respected brands, including Masakage and Kanehiro, but this SG2 line was the first to carry his own name. He is the son-in-law of the renowned Hiroshi Kato and runs the family workshop at Takefu Knife Village in Echizen. The quality of grinds, fit, and finish that has made his work for other brands so respected is fully on display here, and the overall aesthetic appeal is genuinely stunning.
This santoku is built from SG2, a powdered metallurgical stainless steel developed for surgical instruments and precision cutting tools, hardened to 61-62 HRC for outstanding edge retention alongside easy sharpening on quality water stones. The SG2 core is clad in multi-layer Damascus stainless steel that catches light beautifully. This is a well-proportioned santoku - compact enough for smaller hands and tighter workspaces while fully capable across vegetables, proteins, and herbs alike. The rosewood octagonal handle with a pakka wood ferrule rounds out a package that delivers genuine performance alongside real visual character.
What Customers Are Saying: One owner calls this a truly stunning knife that feels great in hand - praising the handle selection as a perfect aesthetic match for the blade, noting the edges and choil are beautifully finished, and adding that it clearly had real care and time put into its making. Out-of-the-box sharpness was decent, but the knife really showed its potential on the stones. A second owner praises the edge retention, describes the blade as beautiful with a nice flex, and calls it a winner - easy to resharpen and a knife they love using.
Care Instructions: SG2 is a stainless steel but is hard and chip-prone at 61-62 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.Brand: Yoshimi SG-2
Blacksmith: Yoshimi Kato
Location: Echizen, Japan
Workshop: Takefu Knife Village
Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
Core Edge Steel: SG-2 Powdered Stainless
Cladding: Damascus Stainless
HRC: 61-62
Engraving: Hand Engraved
Edge Grind: Even
Handle: Rosewood Octagonal
Ferrule: Pakka Wood
Weight: 4.6 oz (130 g)
Blade Length: 172 mm
Total Length: 314 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 2 mm
Blade Height: 46 mm
Photos by Gustavo Bermudez
This santoku is built from SG2, a powdered metallurgical stainless steel developed for surgical instruments and precision cutting tools, hardened to 61-62 HRC for outstanding edge retention alongside easy sharpening on quality water stones. The SG2 core is clad in multi-layer Damascus stainless steel that catches light beautifully. This is a well-proportioned santoku - compact enough for smaller hands and tighter workspaces while fully capable across vegetables, proteins, and herbs alike. The rosewood octagonal handle with a pakka wood ferrule rounds out a package that delivers genuine performance alongside real visual character.
What Customers Are Saying: One owner calls this a truly stunning knife that feels great in hand - praising the handle selection as a perfect aesthetic match for the blade, noting the edges and choil are beautifully finished, and adding that it clearly had real care and time put into its making. Out-of-the-box sharpness was decent, but the knife really showed its potential on the stones. A second owner praises the edge retention, describes the blade as beautiful with a nice flex, and calls it a winner - easy to resharpen and a knife they love using.
Care Instructions: SG2 is a stainless steel but is hard and chip-prone at 61-62 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.
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) Outstanding Posted By: Garchtoto
47 people found this review helpful
This knife is truly a work of art. It feels great in hand and is just a stunner. The handle selection works very well with the aesthetics of the blade. Sharpness was ok. It will definitely need a bit of time on the stones to really show it's full potential. Didn't have issues with "sticking" as others have mentioned in forum posts. None the less, I am really happy with it and excited to use it again after I sharpen it. Edges and choil are nicely done. Clearly a lot of care and time went into making this knife.
47 people found this review helpful
This knife is truly a work of art. It feels great in hand and is just a stunner. The handle selection works very well with the aesthetics of the blade. Sharpness was ok. It will definitely need a bit of time on the stones to really show it's full potential. Didn't have issues with "sticking" as others have mentioned in forum posts. None the less, I am really happy with it and excited to use it again after I sharpen it. Edges and choil are nicely done. Clearly a lot of care and time went into making this knife.
