ABOUT THIS PRODUCT: Shigeki Tanaka R2 Damascus Nakiri 165 mm
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Blade Length
165 mm
Total Length
315 mm
Steel
R2 Stainless
Handle
Walnut
Ferrule
Black Pakka Wood
Rockwell
64
Height Spine to heel
51 mm
Width at Spine
2 mm
Weight
151 grams
Shigeki Tanaka started his blacksmith journey when he apprenticed in the Takefu knife village near Echizen city for three years. A region renowned for it's cutlery making and forging techniques he learned the intricacies of hand forging blades used for food production there. He later moved back to Miki City to continue his work at his Family's shop where they primarily made sickles and other agricultural tools. Now the shop focuses on Kitchen knives and has gained a reputation worldwide for producing some of the best knives available. This particular line of knives is made from SG2 (R2) powdered stainless steel and features a beautiful Damascus pattern. They have gorgeous walnut handles with pakka wood ferrules with impeccable fit and finish and outstanding edge retention and overall performance. These knives are a functional piece of art and would make a great addition to any collection.
This Nakiri has great feel in the hand and is balanced forward slightly making this knife a bit blade heavy. It has a relatively flat profile making it perfect for up and down chopping but also has a very slight up curve making a rocking motion possible.
I decided that I needed a little more nakiri in my life so I took advantage of the recent summer sale and picked up this beauty today. This is my first R2 all-stainless blade and, while I'm not usually a fan of "showy" knives, this one felt a bit more understated for a damasuc blade. The pattern is dark and not overly polished. The plain matte walnut handle also helps to ground the appearance of this knife. It still feels like it can do some serious work... while looking awesome doing it! The factory edge was very crisp and it appears to have a bit of a concave grind (to my eye). It made very easy work of some julliene carrots on my first test. Food release wasn't the best, but I know it'll improve with some use. Also note that the spine has a slight upward curve towards the end. It makes for a really attractive profile, but if you like to scrape your chopping block with the back of your knife, be prepared to lose a little Brunoise under the gap. Overall, it was a real pleasure to use and I know it'll get a lot of love in my kitchen. I'm very impressed with this honey of a knife from Tanaka-San!
ADRIANO A.
I decided that I needed a little more nakiri in my life so I took advantage of the recent summer sale and picked up this beauty today. This is my first R2 all-stainless blade and, while I'm not usually a fan of "showy" knives, this one felt a bit more understated for a damasuc blade. The pattern is dark and not overly polished. The plain matte walnut handle also helps to ground the appearance of this knife. It still feels like it can do some serious work... while looking awesome doing it! The factory edge was very crisp and it appears to have a bit of a concave grind (to my eye). It made very easy work of some julliene carrots on my first test. Food release wasn't the best, but I know it'll improve with some use. Also note that the spine has a slight upward curve towards the end. It makes for a really attractive profile, but if you like to scrape your chopping block with the back of your knife, be prepared to lose a little Brunoise under the gap. Overall, it was a real pleasure to use and I know it'll get a lot of love in my kitchen. I'm very impressed with this honey of a knife from Tanaka-San!
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