Muneishi Custom Ao Santoku 170mm
SPECIFICATIONS
Knife Style: Santoku
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Blade Material: Aogami Blue #2
Blade Finish: Kurouchi
Blade Hardness: 62HRC (+/-1)
Bevel: Double
Handle: Stabilized wood / Brass ring
Blade Size: 170mm
Heel Height: 48mm
Spine Thickness: 3.20mm
Weight: 169g
Assembled at Kakushin's knife shop onto a stabilized wood handle with a classic brass ring separating the handle and ferrule. The blade, crafted by Hirotaka Muneishi, a second-generation blacksmith, specializes in tools for woodcutting, such as the ax knife. His son, Kosuke Muneishi, a third-generation craftsman, focuses on forging kitchen knives. Together, they skillfully carry out each step by hand, from tempering and forging to hammering and sharpening.
Tosa, a city in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, is renowned for its knife-making heritage. The region's mild climate and abundant rainfall fostered the growth of high-quality wood, fueling the production of knives for forestry workers as well as for the military commanders, or busho, of the Sengoku period. Records from 1590 indicate that Tosa was home to as many as 399 blacksmiths.
While some aspects of knife production have become mechanized over time, traditional handcrafting techniques are still widely used.
