180mm Hatsukokoro Kumokage Damascus Aogami Wa Santoku

H & K’s house brand is called Hatsukoro. The brand is supplied by a handful of manufacturers from different notable knifemaking regions such as Seki and Tosa. Our first import shipment from H & K included the Kumokage line and the Shinkiro line. Kumokage translates to “cloud shadow”. The knives are hand-forged damascus-clad blue #2 steel from a factory in Tosa. We had them affixed with wenge and buffalo horn handles with a diagonal-cut base. We think they offer exceptional performance and beauty for the price. 

Location: Amagasaki, Japan

Line: Kumokage

Construction: San mai

Edge Steel: Aogami #2(Blue #2) HRC~63

Cladding: Non-stainless Damascus

Finish: Kurouchi with forced patina

Edge Grind: 50/50 (Double Bevel)

Handle: Octagonal Wenge with buffalo horn ferrule

Weight: ~ 156grams

Blade Length: ~180mm

Overall Length: ~328mm

Thickness at Heel: ~3.2mm

Blade Height: ~47mm

This is a food prep knife designed for users who value excellent sharpness and edge retention and who can tolerate the reactivity of the blade as they are prone to discolor food they come in contact with. 

The best sharpening tools for Japanese knives are leather strops and fine whetstones.

Japanese chef knives are brittle and are designed for cutting soft tissue foods. High Carbon steel chef knives can rust if not kept dry.