Sujihiki • 240 mm • Aogami super • handle made of hinoki wood • for both left and right handed use

Features of the Beyond series

The Beyond series from Zanmai has a core of the high-quality Aogami super steel with a stainless outer layer. The blade is sharpened very thin and will provide laser-like cutting performance throughout, partly thanks to the mirror polish of the cutting surface. The knife has a unique and new handle made of twisted Hinoki wood. Zanmai's signature finish can be seen throughout this knife, from the beautiful mosaic pin to the smooth polished handle to the finely polished spine of the knife. When you open the box, you immediately smell the natural cypress scent of the handle. As you use the knife, the smell will disappear. At the transition from handle to bolster, an akamaki is placed, or a red ring. All in all, a traditional construction, combined with contemporary looks, just as we are used to Mcusta Zanmai!

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 Zanmai Mcusta