Hatsukokoro | SKU: HT-GINGAATS34-ST180

Hatsukokoro Ginga ATS34 Damascus Santoku 180mm

$9,178.00 $10,784.00

St Peters (Online/Showroom) —
2 Bishop St Unit 2 St Peters NSW 2044
+61 2 8234 8818
Crows Nest (Storefront) —
107 West St, Crows Nest NSW 2065
Pickup only

Detailed Specifications

Line	Hatsukokoro By Yoshihiro Yauji Ginga ATS-34 Mirror Damascus
Profile	Santoku / Santoku
Bevel Type	Double Bevel
Weight	170 g \| 6.0 oz
Edge Length	184 mm \| 7 1/4″
Heel Height	51 mm \| 2 1/64″
Width @ Heel	3.2 mm \| 1/8″
Width @ Mid	2.1 mm \| 5/64″
Width @ 1cm from Tip	1.0 mm \| 3/64″
Steel	ATS34 \| Stainless
Blade Construction	Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad
Hardness (HRC)	60 - 61
Surface Finish	Mirror Polish
Handle	Octagonal Black Chacate
Region	Takefu
Best for	Pro chefs Enthusiasts

Free shipping for knives over AU$200 Australia wide.
World-wide shipping via DHL Express, 3 to 5 days.

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).

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.

Although this line has a mirror polish finish, the stickness found on typical mirror polished blade seems to be absent when cutting into a potato. It seems to us Yoshihiro Yauji put on a convex grind on the bevel, wich reduces the drag when the blade is contacting the food. Paring that with a rather thin grind, it glide effortlessly even when spliting a potato right through the middle.

One noteworthy freature about Yauji's knifes is that the Santoku he forges takes a rather unique profile, similar to a Sanjo Gyuto. These Santoku are thin and wide, offering them excellent stability when cutting vegetables. Their tips curves up significantly, resulting a round head compare with the flat belly of a typical Santoku. This geometry means that rocking motion is much easier to do on Yauji's Santoku, making them even better at handling vegetables of all kind, which is a perfect fit for Santoku's purpose.

This ATS34 line not only look good, but also cuts well, if you are fancying a shiny damascus knife, these blades can be a choice that pack some good performances.

Pros	Cons
Great artistic Thin behind the edge	Mirror polish can be hard to maintain

Care Instruction

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

Yoshihiro Yauji

Yoshihiro Yauji — Echizen's Rising Independent

Yauji Yoshihiro(弥氏良寬), born in Echizen, Fukui Perfecture in 1983. At age of 20 in 2003, he entered Kitaoka Knives to apprentice under Kitaoka Hideo(北岡英雄), the third generation bladesmith of Kitaoka Knives. In 2019, he acquired the Traditional Craftsman Certification, which is quite remarkable, considering by average it take 25 years for a bladesmith to accomplish this goal.

In April of 2021, Yoshihiro Yauji left Kitaoka Knives and set up his own independent knife workshop Kutsurogi(寬), which shares a same Kanji with part of his name. Kutsurogi along with Yoshihiro Yauji is now a part of the Takefu Knife Village, which is an association that consists 14 knife companies and more than 40 bladesmiths, all located in Echizen area. With big names like Yu Kurosaki, Shiro Kamo and Yoshimi Kato, the Takefu Knife Village has a total of 17 Certified Traditional Craftsman, working and communicating with each others, they make the association a remarkable force in the industry.

Yoshihiro Yauji's knives are often found in damascus, with a color that is usually brighter than what you find on other makers. These blades seems to be grinded with a convex bevel, wich helps prevently food sticking greatly, especially when paired with a more"sticky" finish like a mirror polish. With this skillfull grinding and great fit and finish, Yoshihiro quickly gained fame and reputation as a relatively young bladesmith in Takefu Knife Village.

“Echizen's youngest traditional craftsman — 15 years under Kitaoka, now forging solo at Takefu.”

Est. 2021 | 令和3年

Known for Solo one-man operation, certified traditional craftsman at unusually young age

Website yoshihiro.com Instagram @yoshihiro_yaichi Read more about Yoshihiro Yauji

Profile

Santoku

The Santoku(三徳) knife, embodying the meaning "three uses," is a cornerstone in Japanese kitchens, adept at slicing, dicing, and mincing. Esteemed for its versatility, it features a blade length typically between 15cm and 20cm (6 to 8 inches), catering to a wide array of culinary tasks. Distinguished by its less pointy tip compared to the Gyuto, the Santoku boasts a unique profile that contributes to its functionality and popularity. Its design is more controllable in chopping and slicing, and the profile is less aggressive, for those reasons, it has bacame a preferred choice for home cooks.

Compare with

ATS34

—

13.5% 10.1% 6.8% 3.4% 0

1.0%

13.5%

0.4%

4.0%

0.4%

0.5%

0.03%

C — Carbon Cr — Chromium V — Vanadium Mo — Molybdenum Mn — Manganese Si — Silicon P — Phosphorus S — Sulfur

Hardness 60–61 HRC

555759616365+

Steel

ATS34

Manufacturer
- Hitachi Special Steel, Japan
Nature Stainless
Hardness60–61 HRC

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.

The 154CM was originally designed for jet engine turbine use, however it found its fame in the knife world after legendary knife maker Bob Loveless started using them for his hunters. In the years after that, the 154CM / ATS34 was considered as the top of the line steel by many makers and is still considered so. The high-manganese alloys provides a favorable combination and balance of properties like ductility, formability, strain hardening, and strength.

Construction

Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad

Sanmai(Three-Piece) is a common construction for double bevel knives where two pieces of softer cladding steel are forgewelded to each side of a harder core steel. The harder but more brittle core steel will form the hard cutting edge after heat treating, and the softer cladding will support the core to increase the overall strength of the blade.

Damascus Sanmai utilize damascus steel as the cladding material for the Sanmai construction, which adds aesthetic feature to the blade. On the Kitchen knives with stainless core steel, the damascus cladding will be stainless, this means they will also protect the carbon/semi-stainless core from rusting/discolouration.

The soft cladding enables the thinning process to be a lot easier than a honyaki or monosteel construction. However, when the cladding is made of damascus, whether etched, polished or mirror polished, the thinning process will take a toll on the cladding, meaning the damascus won't look the same as when it was taken out of the box.

Finish

Mirror Polish

Mirror Polish is a simplistic yet hightly demanding process, where the roughness of the metal surface is gradually removed with higher and higher grit abrasives, leading to a extremly smooth surface with only specular reflection, just like a mirror.

The Mirror Polish can be applied to various constructions, ranging from Damascus to Honyaki. It can reveal the beautiful Hamon on the Honyaki blade, and form textural contrast on damascus. The perfect surface is highly appreciated, but it also means a lot of care must be give to avoid it being scratched.

Handle

Octagonal Black Chacate

Profile Octagonal WA
Material
- Black Chacate

Black Chacate is a highly valued timber known for its deep, rich brown to almost black coloration, fine texture, and exceptional durability. It polishes well, offering an exquisite finish that highlights its subtle, elegant grain patterns. This wood is often used in fine woodworking projects, including luxury furniture, decorative items, and high-end knife handles.

An octagonal wa handle made from Black Chacate wood would exhibit a sleek, geometric shape that fits comfortably in the hand, enhancing the user's grip and control. The deep hues and natural luster of Black Chacate add a touch of sophistication and unparalleled beauty to the handle, making it not only a functional component of a kitchen knife but also a piece of art. The durability and stability of Black Chacate ensure that the handle withstands the rigors of kitchen use while maintaining its aesthetic appeal over time.

Frequently asked questions

Gyuto or santoku - which should I choose?

Both are all-purpose Japanese knives, and for most home cooks either will handle the bulk of daily prep. The choice comes down to length, blade shape, and how you like to cut.

A gyuto is the Japanese chef's knife - typically 210 to 240mm with a gently curved edge that lets you rock and slide through cuts as well as chop. The extra length and pointed tip give you reach and versatility, from proteins to large produce.

A santoku is shorter, usually 165 to 180mm, with a flatter profile and a rounded sheep's-foot tip. It rewards a straight up-and-down push cut, feels nimble in smaller hands or tight kitchens, and is the classic Japanese household knife.

Rule of thumb: choose a gyuto if you want one do-everything knife with more reach, or a santoku if you prefer a compact, easy-to-control blade. Plenty of our customers end up owning both.

✓ Verified by Knives and Stones · James Zhang · Reviewed 29 May 2026

	mm
Weight	157 g
Tip to Heel Length	180 mm
Blade Height at Heel	50 mm
Width of Spine Above Heel	3.0 mm
Width of Spine at Middle of Blade	2.4 mm
Width of Spine at about 1 cm from tip	0.9 mm

Hatsukokoro Ginga ATS34 Damascus Santoku 180mm

Availability

Detailed Specifications

Yoshihiro Yauji

Santoku

ATS34 Element Composition

ATS34

Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad

Mirror Polish

Octagonal Black Chacate

Frequently asked questions

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Hatsukokoro Ginga ATS34 Damascus Santoku 180mm

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