Craftsman: Kanjo Tsukahara
Location: Seki City
Type: Petty Knife (Double Bevel)
Blade Material: ZDP189 Clad Stainless Steel
Core: ZDP189
Blade Length: 150 mm
Total Length: 269 mm
Weight: approx 112 g (3.95 oz)
Blade Width: 29 mm
Thickness of Spine: approx max 2.8 mm
Handle: Micarta
HRC: 64+-1
Made in Seki City, which boasts a 700-year tradition, kanjo Tsukahara offers kitchen knives of various steel types and design. For example, ZDP189, HAP40, SG2, White steel, Blue steel, Blue Super Damascus and so on. In Japan, only a few makers can offer ZDP189, HAP40 Japanese kitchen knives. As for ZDP189 Western kitchen knives, there are even fewer, maybe only two or three makers in Japan.
The shape of blade is called "HAMAGURI-BA" in Japanese. HAMAGURI means clam, BA means blade or edge. It smoothly cuts into ingredients and is an ideal shape has strength.
ZDP189 is Powder Metallurgical Stainless Steel made by HITACHI Metals,ltd. Hatta Co., Ltd wanted to develop a material that makes knife lovers growl, and in collaboration with Hitachi Metals, Hatta Co.,Ltd have researched and developed blade steel "ZDP189". It has an incredibly high carbon content of 3%, that is triple the carbon content in most popular steels used in cutlery. The feature is super hard, abrasion resistance is outstanding, corrosion resistance is also good, new generation material. It has a uniform fine micro-structure and does not contain coarse carbide, so it is not so hard to sharpen edge. The sharpness and the edge retention is excellent.... perhaps ZDP189 has the ultimate properties.
Note:
Japanese knives are made by craftsmen and machines, there might be scratch. Almost Japanese knives are thin blade for sharpness. Don't hit and cut frozen ingredients or bones, the edge is chipped or broken.
