Santoku • 170 mm • rosewood • AS+ • Japanese octave handle • for both left and right-handed use

Features of these Kotetsu knives

The first design of Shibata Kotetsu is the Battleship gyuto. An idiosyncratic design as well as construction of blade and shape. The thin blade is made of 2 layers of stainless steel, with a core of SG2 powder steel. The cutting edge is very thin with a very sharp point. You can clearly see that the Japanese fighting boat was an inspiration by making this knife.

The rosewood handle gives a good natural grip. Thanks to the thin blade and the octave handle, it is a light knife in terms of weight. This classic Japanese build feels very different from a classic Japanese gyuto with a forged bolster. Thanks to its length, the knife is an ideal all-rounder for work in the kitchen.

Elwin de Veld about the knives of Kotetsu

In 2017 we visited the Shibata Kotetsu workshop of Shiba in Fukuyama, adjacent to his home. The blades are forged in a northern part of Japan, in Takefu, but the sharpening and finishing is done in his workshop in Fukuyama.

I found the number of steps in the process from semi-finished to going to be finished characteristic: actually only 4 steps. The power of simplicity lies not only in the design, but also in the production process. After forging and hardening the blade in Takefu (Fukui), the semi-finished products arrive at Shiba. In his workshop, the semi-finished product is thinned out on the large water stone (Kaiten Toishi), then roughly polished, the handle is made and the cutting surface is finished (sharpened). The cutting edge is sharpened on a #3000 stone, resulting in a sharpness that, in combination with the thin blade, is excellent.

Pay attention:
These extremely light and thin knives are sharpened very thinly and are ideal for cutting vegetables, raw fish and for slicing meat. This is not an entry-level knife for the novice cook, but a knife for an advanced hobbyist or professional, who knows exactly how to handle this special precise cutting edge. Experience shows that these knives come into their own when they are used correctly. Absolutely no chopping!