Knives

The Vegetable Master: The Minonokuni Aogami Damascus 170mm Santoku The Santoku, meaning "three virtues," is celebrated for its mastery of slicing, dicing, and mincing. The Minonokuni 170mm Santoku is a sublime expression of this versatile form, handcrafted by artisans in Sakai, Japan. With its straighter edge and sheepsfoot tip, this knife excels at clean, downward chopping motions, making it an absolute powerhouse for vegetable preparation. At the heart of this blade is its core of Aogami (Blue Paper) #2 Steel, a legendary high-carbon steel prized by master blacksmiths for its ability to take an incredibly fine, scalpel-like edge and hold it. This pure steel core is protected by layers of soft iron, forged into a breathtaking suminagashi or Damascus pattern that ensures each knife is visually unique. Core Benefits: Legendary Aogami #2 Steel Core: Experience unparalleled sharpness and extraordinary edge retention. Aogami steel is the choice of professionals for its pure, aggressive cutting performance that glides through food. Protective Damascus Cladding: Multiple layers of soft iron are forged around the hard core, creating a stunning ripple pattern. This cladding adds durability and protects the precious Aogami steel. The "Three Virtues" Blade: At 170mm (6.7"), the Santoku shape is perfect for rapid dicing, fine mincing, and clean slicing. The flatter belly makes it ideal for direct, downward chopping with minimal rocking. Traditional Wa-Handle: The octagonal handle is crafted from beautiful red sandalwood, providing a comfortable, secure, and precise grip for all-day use. This traditional "Wa-handle" offers exceptional balance and control. Hand-Forged Artistry: Each knife is a unique piece of functional art, handcrafted by skilled blacksmiths in Sakai, Japan, a city with centuries of blade-making history. A Note on Care: Aogami is a reactive high-carbon steel. This is what allows for its extreme sharpness. It must be hand-washed and dried immediately after use to prevent corrosion or rust. A beautiful patina will develop over time, telling the story of your culinary journey. Learn More

Minonokuni Homura 170mm Ao-Ko Santoku The Minonokuni Homura 170mm Santoku is an all-purpose Japanese knife for cooks who want the edge of blue carbon steel with less of its maintenance. A santoku, or “knife of three virtues,” handles slicing, dicing and mincing with equal ease, and its compact length suits smaller cutting boards and everyday preparation of vegetables, fish and boneless meat. Features Ao-ko carbon steel core: The cutting edge is Ao-ko (Blue Paper) carbon steel, valued for the fine edge it accepts and for its edge retention. Stainless steel cladding: A stainless jacket covers the faces of the blade, so only the exposed edge needs the attention a carbon knife requires. This construction greatly reduces the risk of rust compared with a blade made entirely of carbon steel. Double-bevel edge: The symmetrical edge cuts straight and suits right- and left-handed cooks alike. Japanese wa-handle: The light, oval red sandalwood handle places the balance toward the blade and gives a secure grip in either hand. Choosing Within the Homura Line Cooks who prepare mostly vegetables may prefer the flat edge of the Minonokuni Homura 170mm Ao-Ko Nakiri. For longer slicing strokes and larger cuts of meat, the Homura 210mm Ao-Ko Wa-Gyuto offers more length. The Homura 150mm Petty covers detail work and trimming. Learn More

We are proud to offer works of Japan's Minonokuni Blacksmiths. The Raku series (Aogami Super Blue Steel). In Japan Raku means "being happy" as well as "being easy (to maintain)." In other words they would like you to imagine a person who cooks happily using a hocho that is sharp and easy to maintain due its superior steel. This 180 mm. (7.1in.) Gyuto is an exceptional all purpose knife from finely filleting fish to chopping a bushel of carrots this Gyuto will do it with ease. The rounded handles on Japanese Gyuto's make working easier as the knife can gently spin and move in your palm. A handforged Gyuto of this size is hard to come by making this a rare handmade product of Japan. The Super Blue Steel used in this Raku Gyuto is known for holding a fine edge for much longer than competitive steel types and is easy to reshapen. Some knives use very hard steel types that hold an edge for a good while, but hard steels can be very hard to resharpen. This is not the case with Super Blue which responds very well to ceramics and whetstones. These incredibly unique Hochos are forged by experienced Japanese Blacksmiths using the best blade and handle materials available.

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AOS-2064 is 170mm santoku with kurouchi finish with a hammered tsuchime finish. A very versatile knife with a flatter edge than a gyuto. Learn More