Matsubara Kurouchi Shirogami #1 Nakiri 165mm

This hand-forged Nakiri has a blade length of 165mm. It was forged in traditional handwork by Tanaka-san from the Matsubara forge in Japan. The Nakiri sides and has a matte Kurouchi finish. Kurouchi is a special type of surface finish that is not atypical on Japanese knives. The surface is carbonized and therefore black. This blade finish significantly improves the resistance and corrosion resistance of the knife, in addition to creating this rustic aesthetic. The core of the blade is made of White #1 steel. White #1, or Shirogami 1, is a steel made by Hitachi and is extremely popular with Japanese chef's knives, as it brings ideal properties for a sharp blade. The steel (Japanese: Hagane) can be brought to over 65 HRC depending on the hardening process, which allows the blade to be ground very sharp. A layer of softer carbon steel is welded around the blade core using the San Mai method. The softer carbon steel on the blade blade not only protects the inner steel core, but also gives the blade a degree of flexibility.

This feature makes these blades optimal vegetable knives, even when cutting large vegetables such as cabbage shows how well these knives can be guided. Smaller vegetables can be both cut and chopped, which allows for very fine work with herbs and garlic without squeezing the cut material. After chopping, the vegetables can be optimally "scooped" into the pot or pan with these blades. This chef's knife has its center of gravity towards the tip of the blade, so less force is required when cutting compared to western chef's knives, which have their center of gravity at the handle.