"KYUSAKICHI ZA Damascus Santoku 180, 69 layers"
Smiths - tools for daily life
Early, in the ancient times, there were many craftsmen called \"Field Blacksmiths\" on the Japanese island of Kyushu. These blacksmiths supported the daily life of local people by making and repairing various kinds of tools for them. These tools included knives and cutting tools for cooking, farming, fishing, forestry, and many other work uses. Yoshida Hamono Co, Ltd. was founded as Field Blacksmith. In the long history of the company, Yoshida has forged many different kinds of cutting tools for a wide range of customers. Traditional craftsmanship, proven production technology and high expertise have been passed down from generation to generation in the workshop, constantly improved and added to. Cooking knives should be beautiful, but they also have to prove themselves as tools that can be used every day. The longer they are used and cared for, the better they feel in the hand and the stronger the bond between the tool and the user becomes. In general, the Japanese also take great care of utilitarian objects with the goal of long-lasting use. Yoshida's aim is for its products to match this mentality, to satisfy as best as possible the desire for products with a long service life in Japan and among all international customers. This is only possible through the highest quality and care from material selection to manufacturing and delivery.
ZA-18, a strong steel for sharp knives
Aichi Steel Corporation was founded in 1940, but its work began in 1934 as a steel manufacturer for Toyota. Stainless steel has a long tradition at Aichi. The ZA-18 stainless steel is on par with the world-renowned VG-10 knife steel but, how could it be otherwise, modified in some essential ways to improve upon it. For example, the ZA-18 has 1.2% carbon and 17-18% chromium, making it harder to forge and offering greater rust resistance. Nevertheless, the knives can be easily sharpened to a fantastic sharpness and offer a very good stability in the sharpness.
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.
