Tamahagane San SN-1116H – 6 Inch, 150mm Nakiri Vegetable Knife

Outfit your kitchen with this top-flight, exceptionally sharp Tamahagane San 6-inch Usuba knife, recognizable by its square blade it is for peeling, slicing, and dicing vegetables. The blade allows for straighter slices and helps to keep vegetables from breaking during food preparation and garnishing, and even hard vegetables like Japanese Daikon radishes can be easily cut into thin sheets (it’s not suitable for chopping bones). It offers excellent edge retention thanks to the very thin VG5 steel core, which has a Rockwell Hardness of 58-70.

Manufactured by Kataoka and Company in Niigata, Japan, Tamahagane knives are produced using modern techniques yet adhere to traditional Japanese principles of knifemaking–its name translates to “precious steel” and has been long associated with the steel used in Samurai swords. Coupled with the Japanese symbol “San,” which means brilliant and radiant in English, Tamahagane will shine brightly in your kitchen for years to come.

Offering a 3-ply stainless steel clad construction, the Tamahagane San knives sandwich a middle V-G No.5 layer with two SUS410 stainless steel layers. The hard VG5 steel layer acts as the cutting edge while the outside SUS410 layers are softer and provide more stain resistance. Tamahagane San knives have a minute, beveled edge with an angle between 14 and 15 degrees for a perfect balance of sharpness and strength.

The knife is balanced with a stainless steel weight that attaches to the tang and is visible at the heel of the handle. The distinctive yet classically designed handle is made of a rich, dark laminated wood, giving you the tradition and warmth of wood without an exposed metal tang that can sometimes cause discomfort.

It’s recommended that this knife not be used to cut on marble, stone, tile or glass surfaces. Hand wash only using a mild dishwashing soap; rinse with water and dry thoroughly with a towel. Backed by a limited lifetime warranty.