"Kiritsuke knife MINAMO 210, SG2, Olive"
Yoshimi Kato - Master in the tradition of the cutlery family
Yoshimi Kato is the master craftsman in charge of the family cutlery workshop and has proven himself to be a truly worthy successor to his grandfather Kintaro Kato and his father Hiroshi Kato. Like his father and grandfather, he followed the long and intensive path to becoming a master of the fine art of cutlery and has mastered his craft to an exceptionally high standard. Hiroshi Kato once co-founded the knife village of Takefu together with other master blacksmiths. The aim was to preserve the old knowledge, exchange experience and pass it on to young blacksmiths. Yoshimi Kato is continuing this legacy and has taken the art of knife forging to new heights. Although tradition plays an important role in the family, Yoshimi Kato is also a man of change and development. His knives are finding more and more enthusiastic customers in Japan as well as in Europe. They are characterized by the excellent craftsmanship of the blades, the well-considered choice of knife steels, high-quality handles, excellent knife balance and high design quality. We would like to thank Yoshimi for the trusting and creative collaboration.
Knife series Yoshimi Kato Minamo SG2
Material: As the name suggests, Yoshimi Kato forges the Minamo SG2 chef's knife series from SG2 steel. This powder steel was developed specifically for Japanese knife blades and produced by several manufacturers. This is why there are several names for the almost identical steel: SG2, SGPS, SPG2, Super Gold 2, Super Gold Powder Steel. Yoshimi Kato obtains the steel from Takefu Special Steel, the original designation is SPG2 Super Gold 2. It is a high-quality, stainless steel with high hardness and excellent cutting performance. Essentially, the steel has the following elements: carbon, which influences the hardness of the steel, chromium, which increases the corrosion resistance. Molybdenum and vanadium are alloying elements that have a positive effect on the strength and wear resistance of the steel. It is important to note that SG2 is a very high quality steel, which is generally more expensive than other common steel grades for knife blades, such as VG-10. However, the cutting performance and durability of SG2 knives are also higher. If the steel is heat-treated accordingly, a hardness of approx. 63 HRC can be achieved. Finish: The Minamo series has a blade with 3 layers and an extremely beautiful hammering that dominates the appearance of the blade. Before the blade is hammered, Yoshimi finishes the blade surface with a particularly fine grind. Handle: We offer this series with two different handles. One handle is made of Italian olive wood, waxed and octagonal (octagon) shaped. The second handle is made of dark wenge. octagon. Both handles have a great feel and fit perfectly in the hand.
Instructions for use
Japanese chef's knives are made from extremely hard steels and are forged and ground thinner than their European counterparts. Some of these knives have very finely ground cutting edges, making them more delicate and only suitable for soft cuts. Please note the relevant information in the product details. Knives with a very thin cutting edge and hollow grind are particularly prone to chipping on the blade. These are ideal for fine cuts of soft food, but should be used with appropriate care. Sharpening on a whetstone usually produces an angled grind, which makes the edge more stable over time.
Chipping on the cutting edge can also be caused by leverage and frozen cuttings, which significantly reduce the temperature of the steel. Leverage forces often occur when cutting material with bones, for example. Chips on the cutting edge may need to be ground out by a specialist.
The knife should always be guided in a straight line with a pulling or pushing cut, without applying great pressure. To maintain sharpness, avoid cutting on stone, glass or other hard surfaces. Never use \"sharpening steel\" for resharpening. We recommend using water whetstones (grit: 400-1200 for pre-sharpening, 3000 for fine sharpening, 6000 or more for honing the blade) and a honing leather if necessary.Please keep the knife away from children. These knives are extremely sharp, please be careful.
All products are unique, slight deviations from the exemplary illustration are therefore possible.
Care instructions
When using knives made of sensitive steel types, such as Aogami, Shirogami or V-Toku, please clean them occasionally with a cloth and water, even during prolonged use. However, 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. Never 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 on product care.
Clean the knife by hand and do not use a dishwasher. Dry it thoroughly afterwards.
