Bunka • 170 mm • Blue #2 • hammered nashiji finish • Japanese octave walnut handle • for both left and right handed use
Elwin de Veld about his Blue #2 series
Our Rooij Blue #2 series is made by our knifesmith in Nagasaki prefecture, Tanaka san, 4th generation of this family business. In his small forge near his home, he makes several series, including our Blue #2 series. Two layers of stainless steel on the outside, with a core of Blue #2. Tanaka san gives his knives a raw look and no knives are the same. His style: "Beauty through imperfection and always looking to improve the process", a style that is embraced by many blacksmiths in Japan. Resulting in a perfect knife, which proves itself in practice.
A completely handmade knife, with a raw appearance. Tanaka san has a slightly higher blade than we are used to from our other knives, resulting in a knife with a bit more weight than you are used to from a classic Japanese knife with a WA handle. More feeling, more stability and a nice contact surface against the product during cutting. The blade is thinly sharpened by hand on the water stone, so that the knife is nicely refined behind the cutting edge, resulting in little resistance during cutting. This combined with a razor-sharp cutting edge provide a "wow" effect when cutting.
Blue steel, also known as Aogami/Aoki steel
This traditional steel is not named after its colour, but named after the colour of its paper wrapping, in which it is stored in the Hitachi steel factory in Japan. There are three different grades: super, #1 en #2. Blue steels use a high grade of carbon, chrome and vanadium added in their alloy. Aogami super even added extra tungsten. Aogami super is here " Best of both worlds" Blue #1 is for sharpness, Blue #2 for toughness. Blue steels are mostly seen in deba or usuba knives, white steels often in yanagibas. Aogami super is regarded as one of the best traditional steels by Japanese knifemakers, but difficult to work with. Blue steels are difficult to sharpen on a whetstone, but they remain sharp for a longer period, compared to white steels.
Elwin de Veld about the Rooij knives
A Rangelrooij knife must be a Rangelrooij knife. No Ryusen, no MAC, no Takayuki, but its own identity. Now, it's 2021, I've been sharpening chef's knives for 27 years, day in and day out. I think I've had all the models in my hands by now. No, I'm not going to reinvent the blade, no, I'm not going to forge it myself. My friends (business relationship sounds strange after so many years) in Japan can do this so much better. I can indicate how I want the knife, which steel types, which model handles and what the geometry and finish should be. And believe me, I have used all my knowledge to make ROOIJ knives an absolute success.
