Hatsukokoro Ginga ATS34 Damascus Santoku 180mm

Introducting the Hatsukokoro Ginga(銀河) ATS-34 line: an excellent steel forged by a highly talented young smith.

Hatsukorko, teamed up with Yoshihiro Yauji, one of the youngest Dentokogeshi (Traditional Craftsmen) in Takefu Knife Village, to create this beautiful line of knives that are extremely nimble yet tough enough to deal with every occasion in the kitchen. The high level of fit and finish is evident from the rounded and polished spine and choil, as well as the profile that tapers from heel to tip. The clean and uniform mirror polish across the entire blade not only displays the attention to detail, but also makes the damascus pop and shine, living up to its name Ginga(Milky Way).

ATS34 Steel

The ATS-34 steel, manufacturerd by Hitachi Special Steel, is the Japanese equivalent of the 154CM, famous for its toughness, corrosion-resistance and "high-speed" properties. Bob Loveless brought the ATS-34 into fame in the 70s.

In recent years, the creation of the ATS-34 sanmai billets enabled the ATS-34 steel to appear in kitchen knife making. Notably introduced by RyuSen around 2015-2016.

Pros:

• Great artistic
• Thin behind the edge

Cons:

• Mirror polish can be hard to maintain

Care Instruction

1. Don't cut hard things! Japanese knives are brittle so bone hacking is a NO NO!
2. Wash with netural detergent after use, and wipe dry;
3. Please don't wash knife with dishwasher, it will damage the wood handle;
4. Be careful not to leave the knife close to a heat source for a long time;
5. It is a lot more dangerous to cut with a blunt knife than a sharp knife!
6. It is best to sharpen a Japanese knife regularly on a waterstone.