Yoshimi Kato 8,5cm VG10 Nickel Damascus cherry wood japanese paring knife

Find out more about the blacksmith :

This 8.5cm paring knife is designed by Yoshimi Kato, a certified Japanese blacksmith from the town of Takefu.

To begin with, he was a student of several renowned blacksmiths, including Hiroshi Kato San, who is highly respected in Japan, and is in fact his father-in-law. The latter is one of the greatest master blacksmiths of our time. He has been creating knives almost every day for about half a century, so you can easily get an idea of his expertise!

Hiroshi san is also one of the founding members of the Takefu Blacksmith Village, which facilitates the work of blacksmiths in the area (they can share their skills, materials and ideas, as well as becoming a highly sought-after area for apprentice blacksmiths). He now teaches his art to the next generation. Yoshimi has taken over his workshop and continues to create his master's knives, while having launched her own collections.

Each Kato kitchen knife is crafted in the Japanese tradition, using meticulous techniques and processes. A knife like this could be just the thing for you, or the ideal gift for a cook.

Yoshimi Kato San began his apprenticeship in 2013, and is a very talented blacksmith who learns very quickly. He continues the work of Hiroshi Kato, while bringing innovative ideas that all cooks will appreciate!

Left: Hiroshi Kato and right: Yoshimi Kato

The knife blade:

For starters, it's fully forged, meaning that Yoshimi Kato starts the knife from a solid piece of steel, which increases its strength and durability. Kato uses a cold-forging method: contrary to what the name suggests, the knife is not forged at low temperature, but at room temperature, before it reaches its recrystallization point. The advantage of this process is that the knife is formed quickly, and the blacksmith does not necessarily need to do much finishing work afterwards.

The blade is composed of several layers. Here's how they look:

- The heart of the knife is made of VG10 Japanese stainless steel, an alloy renowned for its durability and razor-sharp edge when sharpened. It contains 1% carbon, giving it excellent hardness (around 60 HRC on the Rockwell scale). The edge is durable, and you can maintain it with a Sharpening stone when the need arises.

- This core is then surrounded by several layers of different steels, making it a 63-layer damascus (31 layers folded in 2 on the core + the latter, which is counted in the calculation). A damascus knife is one on which layers of steel have been folded one on top of the other. Here, Kato uses a mild stainless steel and a nickel steel. It's the variation in steels that creates the unique undulating waves on the cutting surface. The stainless steel has the advantage of increasing the steel's corrosion resistance, while the nickel steel will give it greater mechanical strength. The blend of the two tones gives the knife a surprisingly attractive look.

The blade is hand-sharpened to guarantee excellent performance in use. The Japanese characters on its surface are engraved by hand.

Knife handle :

The handle is made of cherry wood, highly appreciated for its strength and durability. Its light shades contrast beautifully with the cold metal of the blade. Its functional oval shape allows both right- and left-handed users to use it comfortably. It is complemented by a red bolster in Pakkawood, a moisture-resistant, antibacterial composite material. The combination of colors is surprisingly pleasing.

Care and maintenance:

The knife should be washed by hand, to maintain its appearance and effectiveness over time (no dishwasher). You can then wipe it with a soft cloth and store it in a dry place. It should not be left in contact with moisture for too long, and should not be allowed to soak.

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