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Product Description
HAP40 perfection? Nope, not even close. This is a hand-shaped, hand-assembled cutter. Tolerances are generous. What we find with almost every half-tang 'haisu' (high speed steel) knife fashioned by a small maker is that blade fit can be spotty. Handle pins can sit a little proud, tang gaps are common. The things that machines are better at. Please note, if a flawless handle-fit is important to you please study our images carefully before placing your order.
Then consider the price, and think about what you're getting.
HAP40 high speed steel offers great sharpness and very persistent sharpness. Sharpening - maybe once a year even if used every day. This steel is very slow to dull and that means conveniently long stretches between sharpening sessions. (That's good, because high speed steel is also very slow to sharpen, so those sharpening sessions might be long.) The sandalwood handle feels great and will last forever. Nakamura san's blade path is unusually tall. These are wonderful cutters.
Yo-bocho simply means 'western knife'. It's what many traditional makers call what we think of as a gyuto. 'Yo' is like the flipside of 'wa', and it means western or European. Yo-shoku, western food. Yo-fuku, western clothing. Yo-nashi, a western pear (Japanese pears are round). Yo-shiki toire, a western toilet. Oh dear, where would we be without those.
| Blade steel: | HAP40 High Speed Steel | Stainless |
| Bevel: | Ryōba double bevel |
| Blade construction: | Sanmai |
| Left-handed available: | Handle and blade suit both hands |
| Handle: | Laminated Wood |
| Blade length: | 200mm |
| Overall Length: | 335mm |
| Blade height: | 41mm |
| Blade spine: | 2mm |
| Handle length: | 125mm |
| Handle width: | 25mm (widest point) x 16mm |
| Weight in hand: | 152g |
Product Reviews
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This knife is fun to cut with!
Posted by Giani on 24th Nov 2023
Awesome cutting experience at a great price. Tip glides through onions smoothly. There is basically no resistance when dicing. Food doesn't stick to the blade as much compared to other thin knives which is great. I can hear some cracking while halving denser potatoes but it doesn't affect the cutting experience. The choil and spine are pretty rough but it's not uncomfortable to hold. The handle is super comfortable, no complaints there. Out of the box edge is good as well, I've found no need for sharpening at the moment (HAP40 so it'll last for a very long time). The only thing I would note is that the blade height is fairly short, I've nicked myself accidentally on the heel because my pointer finger came down a little far after cutting a carrot, used to slightly taller blades and all. Not a downside just something to consider if you have large hands. Mine are small-medium sized so I still find the knife very comfortable overall.
