"AS Sujihiki Kiritsuke Tsuchime 255, Ebony Handle"
Nigara Hamono - Since the days of the samurai
The sword and knife smithy Nigara Hamono has a tradition of over 350 years. During the early Edo period, the city of Hirosaki was a castle town. There were over a hundred forges in the area at that time. Nigara Forging is one such historic forge located in Tsugaru, north of Hirosaki, which has preserved and maintained its craftsmanship to this day. The forging techniques used by Nigara are essentially the same as the traditional forging techniques that have been used for centuries to make high-quality sword and knife blades. The folding and hammering of soft iron and steel creates a distinctive beauty in each knife Nigara makes.
Knife Series AS Tsuchime by Nigara
This series of knives is already by your origin, the forge Nigara, something very special. Visually, it is characterized by the bright finishing of the upper part of the blade and the distinctive hand-beaten hammering. However, you will only experience the full character of the knives when you use them in your kitchen. The knives have a very good, balanced weight distribution, are thinly forged and very sharp. The hard steel of the cutting core, forged to about 62 HRC, offers excellent sharpening potential. The cutting core is made of Aogami Super, the blue paper steel. The steel is a genuine Japanese carbon steel and can be forged very hard. It features the finest martensite - metastable microstructure - which provides higher hardness and excellent sharpness. Another advantage is that Aogami super can be easily sharpened despite high hardness and shows very good stability due to the high percentage of tungsten. So with this cutting core, the knives in this series offer exceptional sharpness, cutting performance and durability.
Usage and Safety Instructions
Japanese kitchen knives are made from extremely hard steels and are forged and ground thinner than their European counterparts. Some of these knives feature very finely ground cutting layers, making them more delicate and suitable only for soft cutting materials. Please refer to the relevant information in the product details. In particular, knives with very thin edges and hollow grinds are prone to chipping at the blade. They are excellent for fine cuts of soft materials but should be used with appropriate caution. When sharpening on a whetstone, a bevel is usually formed, making the edge more stable over time.
Chipping at the edge can also occur due to leverage forces and frozen cutting materials, which significantly lower the temperature of the steel. Leverage forces often arise when, for example, cutting materials with bones are being divided. Check the edge of your knife after each use. If a chip in the edge does occur, thoroughly check whether you have removed all fragments from the cutting material. If necessary, it may be safer to discard the material. Chips in the edge may need to be ground out by a professional.
Not suitable for: Very acidic foods (e.g., peeled fruits, tomatoes, pickles, salad dressings). Very salty foods (e.g., pretzels, pickled herring, cured meat)
The knife should generally be guided straight with a pulling or pushing cut, without much pressure. To maintain sharpness, avoid cutting on stone, glass, or other hard surfaces. Do not use a "sharpening steel" for resharpening under any circumstances. Water whetstones are recommended (grit: 400-1200 for pre-grinding, 3000 for fine grinding, 6000 or more to hone the blade) and possibly a leather strop.
Please keep the knife out of reach of children. These knives are extremely sharp; please be careful.
All products are unique pieces; therefore, slight deviations from the sample illustration are possible.
Care Instructions
When using knives made from sensitive types of steel, such as Aogami, Shirogami, or V-Toku, please occasionally clean them with a cloth and water even during extended use. Acidic foods can still cause discoloration on these classic carbon steels. After use, please wash by hand with hot water and use a neutral detergent if necessary. Under no circumstances put the knife in the dishwasher. After cleaning, dry thoroughly, oil if necessary, and store in a well-ventilated place. Residual moisture can cause rust on non-stainless steels. Please refer to our articles in the ORYOKI Japan Blog for product care.
Clean the knife by hand and do not use a dishwasher. Then dry it thoroughly.
