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Details
Specifications
- Series: Minonokuni Take
- Shape: Kama-usuba, Kansai style (single-bevel vegetable knife with a pointed tip)
- Blade length: 210mm (8.3 inches)
- Steel: Shirogami #2 (White #2) carbon steel, kasumi construction; not stainless
- Hardness: 60-62 HRC
- Grind: Single bevel with an urasuki (hollow-ground) back, ground for right-handed use
- Handle: Oval (D-shaped) oiled ho (Japanese magnolia) wood with a buffalo horn ferrule
- Item number: Take-1584
- Made in: Japan
Take Kama-Usuba Sizes
| Knife | Blade | Hand | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take 7.1-inch (180mm) Kama-Usuba | 180mm (7.1 in.) | Right | Home boards, garnish work |
| Take 7.1-inch (180mm) Left-Handed Kama-Usuba | 180mm (7.1 in.) | Left | Home boards, garnish work |
| Take 8.3-inch (210mm) Kama-Usuba | 210mm (8.3 in.) | Right | Professional prep with detail work |
Matsu, Take and Ume Compared
| Line | Steel | Hardness | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matsu | Aogami #2 (blue) | 63-65 HRC | Experienced single-bevel users; longest edge retention, most delicate |
| Take | Shirogami #2 (white) | 60-62 HRC | The sweet spot; professional use, less brittle than blue |
| Ume | SK-4 (yellow) | 58-60 HRC | Novices; most forgiving and the best for learning to sharpen |
About a Hand-Forged Knife
Take knives are forged by hand, so no two are identical. Small hammer marks, uneven shading in the kasumi finish and minor variation in the bevel line are normal results of handwork rather than defects, and they have no effect on the edge.
Before First Use
Wash the knife with warm water and mild soap, then dry it completely. The edge and tip arrive sharp; a light pass on a fine waterstone refines them further.
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
- Wash by hand and dry right away. Keep the knife out of the dishwasher and out of standing water.
- This is a reactive carbon steel. It will darken with use and form a patina, and it will rust if left wet.
- Before storing it for a while, wipe on a light coat of camellia oil.
- See our guide to the care and maintenance of carbon steel for more detail.
Additional Info
| Blade Length (Inches) | 8.3 in. |
|---|---|
| Blade Length (mm) | 210 mm |
| Blade Width (inches) | No |
| Grind | Urasuki Chisel |
| Steel Type | White #2 Carbon Steel |
| Rockwell Hardness | 60-62 |
| Stainless | No |
| Handle Material | Oiled Japanese Magnolia (Ho) Wood with a Buffalo Horn Ferrule |
| Spine Thickness (mm) | No |
| Brand | Minonokuni |
| Country of Manufacture | Japan |
| SKU | Take-1584 |
| Manufacturer's Part Number | TAKE1584 |
| Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price | No |
