Hatsukokoro Ginsou Ginsan Santoku 170mm

The Hatsukokoro Ginsou(銀霜) is a line that focusing on affordability while having few features that make it stand out in its price range. As the name Ginsou or "Silver Frost" implies, it uses Hitachi Metal Ginsan/Silver 3 steel as its core steel, with a Migaki finished stainless cladding.

The direction of the Migaki finish is parallel to the spine, which is arguably harder to do than the typical perpendicular-to-spine Migaki finish seen on the entry level knives. What is more unique is the look of the cladding, instead of having a uniform look, the area above the cladding line have a layer of haze-like finish. This layer combines with the cladding line and polished core steel, gives a looks of thin fog floating above water, a technique that was only seen on higher end brand like Miyabi.

What is most exciting is that, with the combination of Ginsan steel, decent finish and unique look, the whole package comes in a very acceptable price. It is actually amongst the most affordable knives with Ginsan cores steel. For those who are curious about this steel but on a tight budget, this is not only a good way to access this steel type, but offers few additional features.

Hardness: 60-62 HRC

Pros:

• Budget friendly
• Ideal for the household
• Easy to look after

Cons:

• More sharpening needed

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.