ZDP-189 Kiritsuke Black 240mm (9.5″) – BLADE

The ZDP-189 Kiritsuke blade is available without a handle. This is your chance to make your own handle or order it separately so you can put together a one-of-a-kind knife that is perfectly suited to your taste and needs. The knife is also available with an octagonal handle in walnut wood.

Kiritsuke is a multi-purpose, Japanese kitchen knife with blade shape that is a hybrid of the Yanagiba (slicer knife, mostly used for sushi) and the Usuba (a specialized knife for cutting vegetables). It is intended for chefs who have prior experience with Japanese knives. You can use it for various tasks but it performs best when you cut meat or chop larger amounts of vegetables. The colour of the blade is dark which is the reason why this look is also called Kuro-uchi finish – the word “kuro” means black. This look is traditional and robust, with an unprocessed top part of the blade that has already developed a dark patina. The hand-forged blade bears visible signs of being pounded with a hammer. This doesn’t only give it a beautiful, rustic finish but also prevents food sticking to its surface.

The heart of the knife is made of ZDP-189 steel, which we selected because systematic testing has proven its superior qualities and long-lasting sharpness.

The steel contains as much as 3% Carbon (C), which is one of the main elements contributing strength and typically found in amounts of up to only 1% in other types of solid steel, while the Chromium (Cr) content, which prevents corrosion, amounts to nearly 20%. It also features 0.60% Tungsten (W), which considerably increases the abrasion resistance of steel, 1.4% Molybdenum (Mo), which helps to preserve the strength and power of steel under variable temperatures, and 0.10% Vanadium (V), the key element in increasing steel strength.
ZDP-189 composition: C 3.00 % | Cr 20.00 % | W 0.60 % | Mo 1.40 % | V 0.10 % | Mn 0.50 % | Si 0.40 %

Steel is laminated, which entails that the core is made of very strong steel covered with an external layer of softer stainless steel. Such a blade remains sharp for a very long time; its softer external layer makes it easier to sharpen, and it also protects the core steel from external factors.

ZDP-189 Kiritsuke is the pick of the bunch as regards what one desires in a kitchen knife and is made of steel with a hardness of 65-67 HRC that will ensure fine, long-lasting sharpness even by Japanese standards! 

ABOUT THE BLACKSMITH:
The Kiritsuke blade knife is manufactured at the smithy of Yoshida Hamono in Japan, a family company with an age-long tradition in manufacturing state-of-the-art tools and Japanese swords, i.e. katanas, by hand. Yoshida Hamono has a great deal of experience forging ZDP-189 steel in the traditional manner.