16,5cm Sukenari SG2 San Maï japanese craft utility knife with rosewood handle

Sukenari, founded in 1933, is a Japanese company renowned for its high-quality knives. Made up of highly skilled blacksmiths, it excels in the production of Honyaki knives, renowned for their excellence and requiring exceptional expertise. In this way, Sukenari perpetuates the heritage of the craftsmen who once forged the famous samurai swords. Today, the company offers handcrafted kitchen knives that subtly combine tradition and modernity.

The ergonomic octagonal handle

This all-purpose knife features a handle made from rosewood, a strong, durable wood that offers excellent resistance to shock and moisture. As wood is a living material, it features brown nuances and a unique dark veining, adding a traditional touch to this handcrafted knife.

The handle is embellished with a solid, elegant black buffalo horn bolster, further accentuating the character of your knife. A silver ring links the bolster to the handle, adding an extra touch of elegance.

The octagonal shape of the handle adapts perfectly to the hands of all cooks, whether right- or left-handed. It ensures an ergonomic grip and optimum maneuverability, even during long cutting sessions.

Finally, the area where the blade fits into the handle is filled with wood filler. This ensures a perfect seal, preventing water and food residues from entering the handle.

High-quality San Maï-designed blade

This handcrafted Japanese knife features a 16.5cm blade with a structure known as San Maï, or "3 layers" in Japanese. This typical Japanese structure consists of forging a hard steel core and wrapping it in a layer of softer steel that folds in on either side. This technique protects the core while providing optimum balance to the blade.

The blade features a core of Japanese SG2 powder steel, manufactured by the renowned company Takefu Special Steel. This alloy has a high carbon content of around 1.3%, giving it remarkable hardness and durability. With a hardness of 63 HRC on the Rockwell scale, this Sukenari knife has a long-lasting, high-performance cutting edge, allowing you to space out your sharpening sessions.

SG2 steel also contains almost 15% chromium, making it more resistant to corrosion. However, due to its high carbon content, this blade requires careful maintenance to avoid oxidation.

The alloy is characterized by micro-carbides evenly distributed throughout its micro-structure. This characteristic gives the blade greater resistance to micro-cracking and wear, ensuring enhanced durability.

This hard core is then covered bya layer of softer steel, folded over to create the sandwich top layer. This top layer provides a degree of flexibility to the core, making it less susceptible to breakage during use. You can also see the superimposed layers of steel on the surface of the blade, forming a slight random undulation all along the cutting edge.

Finally, the blade has an elegant polished finish, with Japanese kanji engraved on its surface. This adds a touch of character.

How to care for this top-of-the-range Japanese knife

To care for your Sukenari knife, wash it exclusively by hand with mild soap and a non-abrasive sponge, without wetting the handle. After cleaning, dry the knife immediately to remove any moisture, then store it in a dry place, such as the case.

As the blade contains a high level of carbon, its color may change slightly over time, which is perfectly normal. This reaction is caused by the acidity of certain cut foods and ambient humidity.

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