SOLD Hatsukokoro Kurosagi AS 240 w/ Custom Handle

[tostadas]

Hatsukokoro Kurosagi 241x52mm K-tip Gyuto
Aogami Super (AS) core with stainless* cladding
Custom ebony handle with box elder spacer

*Several websites including Homebutcher and Sugicutlery list this as stainless clad, but I noticed some patina developing on the blade road so I am not entirely sure. See photos for more detail.

I got this knife during a Homebutcher sale and used only twice to play around with, but ultimately it's not for me. It's a hefty feeling blade due to the spine thickness and minimal taper, but features a 50/50 concave grind on both sides up to the shinogi for a thinner than average grind behind the edge. I tested it through several pots worth of dense stuff like carrots, radish, onions, daikon with surprisingly no wedging. The K-tip flies through shallots, onions, and the like. It has a low profile edge with minimal curvature, but smooth cutting along the whole edge. There is no "thud" as you sometimes find with knives that have a long flat spot.

The fit and finish is definitely rustic. The kurouchi is smooth feeling, similar to Wakui's stainless clad KU. The choil is nicely rounded, and the spine is also eased slightly. Balance is definitely forward, right at the middle of the kanji. The custom handle feels nicely done with smooth transitions throughout.

$175 $150 $130 shipped & insured within US (international I can cover the first $15, PM for details)
Comes with original box

Dimensions
Blade length: 241mm
Height at Heel: 52mm
Weight: 248g
Balance: approx 40mm blade forward from the heel

Spine Thickness
Heel: 3.3mm
Midpoint: 3.1mm
1cm from Tip: 0.9mm

Thickness Behind the Edge at Midpoint
@1mm: 0.2mm
@5mm: 0.7mm
@10mm: 1.0mm
@20mm: 1.9mm

 

[madmotts]

These are also rated at a higher hrc 65 than some of the takefu AS options. Nice grind for a thick spine. I have bunka without a handle somewhere as part of a never ending project. Curious how these compare to the b2 version.

 

[tostadas]

These are also rated at a higher hrc 65 than some of the takefu AS options. Nice grind for a thick spine. I have bunka without a handle somewhere as part of a never ending project. Curious how these compare to the b2 version.

I've tried some Takefu knives before, but it's hard to generalize since different makers, even within TKV, have different grinds. This particular Hatsukokoro line is supposedly by Yasuhide Maeda, out of Nagasaki. I'm unsure if there is any relation to Takefu Knife Village.

If I had to offer a somewhat similar comparison of grind, the closest I can think of that I've tried would be the Sakai Kikumori Nashiji (Matsubara). It's got a bit of convexity immediately behind the edge for maybe 2 or 3mm, then transitions to a concave until the shinogi, to a medium-thickness halfway up the blade.

 

[tostadas]

Yesterday was a good day with my new cleaver arriving. Let's do a big price drop to help move this guy.

 

[tostadas]

Weekend bump and price drop

 

[tostadas]

Sale Pending