Hokiyama Kiritsuke AUS-10 Damascus 240mm (9.4″) – BLADE

Hokiyama Kiritsuke AUS-10 Damascus in 240mm (9.4″) blade length is a multi-purpose Japanese kitchen knife, suitable for use at home, as well as in a professional kitchen.

This knife was exclusively made for us by Hokiyama, according to our specifications. It ticks all the boxes of a traditional Japanese knife. Damascus pattern, hammered imprints, low maintenance AUS-10 stainless steel and highly reflective, mirror polished blade. A true beauty!

BLADE SHAPE:
Kiritsuke knives are double-bevel hybrids between the traditional Japanese knife yanagiba (slicer knife, mostly used for sushi) and the usuba (knife specialized to cut vegetables). This means kiritsuke knives can be used for all sorts of tasks in the kitchen, from making sashimi, slicing through ribeye, to chopping veggies. Traditionally, kiritsuke knives were only allowed to be used by the Executive Chef of the restaurant, but we’ll look away if you’re not (yet) the head chef. 😜

HANDLE:
This knife is without a handle, so you can fit your own. Browse our selection of handles and create your own, custom-looking knife! If you would like that we fit the selected handle to the blade for you, select Handle fitting service when adding the blade to the cart.

STEEL:
The heart of this knife is made of Aichi’s AUS-10 stainless steel, which was hardened to around
59-60 HRC. Due to its high content of Chromium (Cr), AUS-10 steel will resist corrosion very well.

LAMINATION:
The core layer consisting of the harder AUS-10 steel was sandwiched between two layers of softer, more corrosion resistant steel. This technique is called san-mai and is used to protect the hard (but delicate) core from outside factors, such as rusting and physical impacts, which could lead to breakage.

GEOMETRY:
It has a double bevel (symmetrical) blade.

BLADE FINISH:
The knife features a beautiful combination of tsuchime and damascus pattern. The upper part of the blade features a hand chiseled kanji and hammer dents (or tsuchime), which then transform into an intricate damascus pattern that flows down to the cutting edge. 

BLACKSMITH:
Hokiyama Hamono is a leading smithy in Kochi Prefecture in Japan. They have recently celebrated their 100-year anniversary, founded in 1919. Hokiyama Hamono is known for their quality as they follow the tradition of hand-made blades that has been around for over 800 years. They retain the handiwork and traditional craftsmanship that is passed down from generation to generation, while striving for the ever-new knowledge and innovation.