01.07.09
Knife has arrived
The Hiromoto Tenmi-Jyuraku Aogami Super Series knife that I ordered has arrived. It’s the TJ-25AS Gyuto 210mm (8.25″) blade on the page at the link.
The blades are made of Hitachi Aogami Super (AS Carbon steel), an ultimate Hagane refined from Yasugi sand-rons. High carbon steel (1.40 – 1.50) with Chromium (0.30 – 0.50) and Tungsten (2.00 – 2.50) added for extra durability and longer edge retention. This core carbon steel is clad with 405 stainless steel to prevent from rusting. Full tang black Staminawood handle securely fastened with three stainless steel rivets and bolster.
Unlike German knives, which use a multi-bevel (strong edge), the Japanese knife uses a flat bevel (sharp edge). A multi-bevel will have the primary bevel at (say) 18º, then a 20º bevel on that, and finally a 22º bevel. The Japanese flat bevel seems to be 15º. That’s a very thin edge—delicate but also extremely sharp. I am warned not to try cutting bone or hard objects like a butternut squash, for example, or a pineapple. For those, I’ll have to use another knife, but I love the sharpness of the Japanese knife.
I got also Bottorff’s book Sharpening Made Easy, which looks very useful.
BTW, take a look at the Chinese knives (cleaver shaped, but not cleavers) on this page. Lovely, eh?
Sorghum Crow said,
7 January 2009 at 12:17 pm
The cleavers are awesome. I especially like that they are “suitable for chopping chickens, mincing meats and vegetables, and even for scrapping.”
Next time I’m in a scrap, I’ll reach for a cleaver.
LeisureGuy said,
7 January 2009 at 12:30 pm
Yeah, I don’t think I’d use one of those to chop directly through bone, though I’d certainly use it to disjoint the chicken (as with a knife). Beautiful things, though. And sharp as a gee whiz, I bet.