Minonokuni Gin-San 7.1-inch (180mm) Kama-Usuba

Specifications

• Series: Minonokuni Gin-San
• Shape: Kama-usuba, Kansai style (single-bevel vegetable knife with a pointed tip)
• Blade length: 180mm (7.1 inches)
• Steel: Gin-san (Silver #3) stainless steel edge in kasumi construction, jacketed in a softer SUS405 stainless steel
• Hardness: 60-62 HRC
• Grind: Single bevel with an urasuki (hollow-ground) back, ground for right-handed use
• Handle: Shou sugi ban (flame-burnt) chestnut wood with a buffalo horn ferrule
• Item number: Silver-1641
• Made in: Japan

Gin-San Kama-Usuba Sizes

Single-Bevel Lines Compared

A line shown without a link is not made in this shape and size.

About a Hand-Forged Knife

Each Gin-san knife is hammer-forged by hand rather than stamped or cut by machine. Forging marks, slight unevenness in the kasumi finish and small differences between one knife and the next are part of that work, and they do not affect the edge.

Before First Use

Wash the blade in warm, soapy water and dry it thoroughly. The knife arrives sharp, and a few strokes on a fine waterstone will refine the edge to the cook’s preference.

Tips for Best Results

• Use the flat section of the edge for push cuts and katsuramuki, and the tip for scoring and carving.
• Do not pry with the tip or use it on frozen food.
• Sharpen the beveled face with the curve of the tip following the stone, then remove the burr on the flat back.
• Cut on wood or a soft synthetic board.

Care

• Hand wash and dry the knife after use. Do not put it in a dishwasher or leave it to soak.
• Gin-san is a stainless steel and resists rust, but drying the blade keeps the edge and the wooden handle in good condition.
• Store the knife in a block or on a magnetic strip so the edge does not touch other utensils.