Santoku knife 17cm Kisuke ATS34 steel - Tsuchime blade and rosewood handle

Kisuke Santoku: Tradition meets modernity - the noble all-rounder

This line of knives from Kisuke Manaka is an extraordinary creation that cannot be found anywhere else on the market. The knives are unique in their material composition and processing technique and combine innovation with tradition. For the Santoku with a blade length of 170mm, Kisuke uses the ATS-34 blade steel, a comparatively modern steel that is otherwise only found as a mono steel blade for knives. However, Manaka-san has managed to machine this steel so that the blade reaches a hardness level of up to 64 HRC. Normally, Hitachi's ATS-34 steel is only suitable for knives with a hardness level of up to 59 HRC. If the steel is brought to the hardness of 64 HRC through the hardening process and used for knives, it is too brittle for mono blades and the structure of the metal crystals poses a great risk that the blade will break under mechanical stress. This limitation was the incentive for Kisuke to forge a 3-ply traditional Japanese knife based on ATS-34 core steel, which achieves the highest possible hardness of 64 HRC. ATS-34 steel is very demanding when forged in a manual process. This is due to the fact that the material can be easily destroyed during forming by mechanical stress such as hammer blows. This circumstance is also the main reason why ATS-34 is often only found on the market as an industrial product in the form of mono steel blade knives and correspondingly lower hardness. Through special processes and a lot of experience, Kisuke has managed to find a sheath steel that creates a perfect knife. The ATS-34 blade steel is encased in a sheath of softer stainless steel (SUS steel) based on the Warikomi Awase principle. The more flexible outer sheath steel can thereby mechanically relieve and at the same time stabilize the hard ATS-34 blade core, which counteracts brittleness. These knives sharpen well and are comparable in hardness to White#1, White#2, Blue#1 and Blue#2 steels, but are much less susceptible to corrosion.

The Santoku can be seen as a Japanese version of the all-purpose knife known in the West and can be used for meat, fish and vegetables. It can handle rough preparations as well as fine and precise work.

ATS-34 is related to the Gin3 steel and is one of the stainless steels.

• Length blade: 170mm
• Height blade: 46mm
• Length handle: 127mm
• Length knife: 317mm
• Weight: 158g
• Handle: rosewood, partly in red
• Hardness of core steel: HRC 64
• Core steel: ATS-34
• Sheath steel: SUS stainless steel
• Blade Construction: According to Warikomi Awase method

PRODUCT AN CARE INSTRUCTIONS

• This knife is not suitable for hard cuts such as bones and frozen food.
• These knives should never be put in the dishwasher and must be rinsed and dried by hand after each use to ensure long life.
• If not properly cared for, these blades tend to rust. Regular treatment with oil is also recommended.
• As the knives are handmade, each individual knife is unique.
• This also means that the knives may differ slightly in appearance.