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Blade Length | 245 mm |
Total Length | 399 mm |
Steel | R2 (SG2) |
Handle | Stabilized Birch |
Ferrule | G10 White Spacer |
Rockwell | 63-65 |
Height Spine to heel | 40 mm |
Width at Spine | 2.4 mm |
Weight | 185 grams |
The Blacksmith
Nigara Hamono is located in Hirosaki which is a city at the very northern tip of the main island of Honshu. Their family has a 350 year old history of making knives and swords and more recently has expanded into structural steel beams for use in construction. Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa stands as the 8th generation smith in the lineage of blacksmiths at Nigara Hamono and creates knives with his younger brother and two other craftsman.
Nigara Hamono knives are characterized by their signature tsuchime pattern, as well as play with stainless damascus. The Anmon line is inspired by the Anmon waterfalls, also located in Aomori prefecture, on the western most part, in Shirakami-Sanchi, designated as a natural World Heritage site. These knives stand out for their aesthetic appeal, thinness behind the edge, and functionality, given they make their steel in house, and work primarily with high powdered stainless steels. They produce uniquely versatile profiles, ranging from very flat “kiritsuke nakiris” to aggressively curved “kiritsuke gyutos”.
*These knives are extremely thin behind the edge, this gives them an unbelievable cutting feel but makes them more delicate than even other Japanese knives. Twisting and torquing the knife on the board or in an ingredient will certainly cause chipping. Make sure to use only up and down, forward and back motions with the knife.
The Knife
The Sujihiki is meant for all things slicing. The long slender blade allows the user to perform nice long strokes and avoid sawing through proteins which leads to perfect, thin slices and no more tearing. Carving roasts, slicing brisket, thinly slicing fish are all within its grasp.
Follow these care recommendations for your Japanese knives to protect the edge and keep them sharp as long as possible:
All products are shipped within 24 hours. We offer same day shipping for products ordered by 12pm. Please allow 4-7 business days for your shipment to arrive with standard shipping. Expedited shipping options are also available at checkout.
We offer free shipping on orders within Canada over $150 CAD and free shipping on orders to the US over $200 USD.
Curbside pick-up is available at both our Hamilton and Etobicoke locations.
To make sure our customers are always satisfied, we offer full refunds on products for 14 days after receiving them. See our full return policy for details.
More questions? Check out our shipping policy, our return policy, or reach out to us directly.
The word "Sujihiki" translates to "flesh slicer". The long, slender blade allows the user to make long drawing strokes, which makes it incredibly adept at slicing and reduces the amount of sawing needed to get through ingredients. They are most commonly in the 240 mm (10 inches) to 300 mm (12 inches) range. The Sujihiki has a very specific use case, so if you're looking for a knife that is capable of slicing and chopping vegetables, we would recommend a Gyuto or Kiritsuke.
R2 and SG2 are technically different steel types, but are so similar we and many other retailers lump them into the same category. They are what’s known as a “quick powdered” stainless tool steel with incredible edge retention and corrosion resistance. Their one drawback is that their hardness can make them difficult to sharpen. It is not a steel we would recommend for those planning to thin and polish the bevels of their knives unless they are equipped with the proper tools (you will need a low grit stone in the #200 grit range).
Chemical Composition:
C 1.25-1.45% | Cr 14.0-16.0% | Mo 2.3-3.3% | V 1.8-2.2%
LOW MAINTENANCE
Stainless steel Japanese knives are made in a process called “Sanmai” or “Forge welding” where two softer layers of stainless steel are laminated around a harder core layer of stainless steel. All three of these layers are rust resistant and therefore are not susceptible to rust or discoloration. The softer outer layers of steel are used to make the knife more durable and flexible while the harder core layer is used to provide better edge retention to the blade.
Nigara Hamono is located in Hirosaki city, Aomori Prefecture, on the north west tip of the main island of Honshu, Japan. Their family has been making knives and swords for more than 350 years and more recently has expanded into structural steel beams for use in construction. Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa stands as the 8th generation smith in the lineage of blacksmiths at Nigara Hamono and creates knives with his younger brother and two other craftsmen.