Hayabusa Santoku Aogami Super Ebony 180mm (7.1″)

Hayabusa Santoku Aogami Super Ebony 180mm (7.1″) is a versatile Japanese kitchen knife ideal for preparing meat, fish, and vegetables. With this knife, frequent sharpening becomes a thing of the past, as its superb edge retention ensures long-lasting performance. A true star of any knife collection, this blade is anything but basic.

Fun fact: Hayabusa santoku shares its name with the peregrine falcon (ハヤブサ), the fastest member of the animal kingdom. This knife may not reach speeds upwards of 350 km/h, but chopping with it will feel just as fast.

BLADE SHAPE:
The Santoku knife, originating from Japan, is a versatile and multipurpose kitchen tool commonly found in Japanese households. It excels at various cutting and chopping tasks on the cutting board.

STEEL:
The centerpiece of this knife series is Hitachi’s Super Blue Steel (Aogami Super), which ranks at the very top of quality Japanese steels. Aogami Super steel is extremely rich in carbon, which directly affects the blade’s hardness. It also contains 0.4% vanadium which gives the steel more toughness.

LAMINATION:
The core layer consisting of the harder Aogami Super steel was sandwiched between two layers of softer stainless steel. This technique is called san-mai and is used to protect the hard (but delicate) core from outside factors and physical impacts, which could lead to breakage.

GEOMETRY:
It has a double bevel (symmetrical) blade. The cutting edge is sharpened to a 50/50 angle and stays sharp even after hours of constant use. The blade is extremely thin, which allows the user to work precisely even with the smallest ingredients.

BLADE FINISH:
The blade features a clean, highly polished mirror finish (also called migaki). It is a simple, minimalistic blade. The surface of the knife is thinned and polished during the manufacturing process to expose the smooth and shiny surface of the knife. Such a finished look minimizes damage to the food cells during cutting, so it is suitable for the most delicate tasks.

HANDLE:
The blade is fitted with an octagonal Japanese (Wa) style handle made out of a single piece of luxurious dark ebony wood, renowned for its exceptional hardness and density, which makes it one of the most durable and resistant woods. It is polished to a high gloss, creating a luxurious and elegant appearance and smooth feel that fits into the hand seamlessly. The octagon shape of the handle provides a comfortable and secure grip, allowing for precise control during use.

SMITHY:
Hatsukokoro is a Japanese brand, established in 2019, that aims to be a bridge between Japan and the world. It seeks out the best products Japan has up its sleeve and develops sales channels to distribute them around the world. The meaning of Hatsukokoro comes from the Japanese proverb “do not forget your original purpose”.