| Blade Length |
135 mm |
| Total Length |
265 mm |
| Steel |
R2 (SG2)
|
| Handle |
Maple |
| Ferrule |
Stabilized Maple (Coral) |
| Rockwell |
63-65 |
| Height Spine to heel |
30 mm |
| Width at Spine |
1.7 mm |
| Weight |
65 grams |
The Blacksmith
Nigara Hamono is located in Hirosaki city, Aomori Prefecture, on the west coast of the very northern tip of the main island of Honshu, Japan. 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 craftsmen.
Nigara Hamono knives are characterized by their signature tsuchime pattern, as well as play with stainless damascus. 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”.
The Knife
The petty is the Japanese equivalent of the western style paring knife. They're usually a little longer and I could never go back after using one. The idea is all the on board work is done with your gyuto or chef knife and everything in hand is done with the petty. Not limited to capping strawberries, peeling, turning, or coring veggies, and smaller butchery tasks like chicken, small fish, or deboning a pork shoulder.
*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.
Knife Care (Stainless Steel)
- Although this knife is made from stainless steel we do still encourage our customers to keep their knives as dry and clean as possible.
- NO DISHWASHER - the high heat will ruin the wooden handle.
- Wash and dry by hand using regular dish soap and warm water using a none abrasive sponge or cloth.
- Ensure the knife is dry before being put away for storage and ensure the edge of the knife is protected to avoid any unnecessary dulling.
- Avoid Bones, Frozen foods, nuts and hard candies or anything other than fruits, vegetables and proteins.
