Shibata | SKU: MASA_KSAS_GY210_HIRW

Masakage Koishi AS Gyuto 210mm Aogami Super Kurouchi Tsuchime K&S Hearted-shaped Ironwood Handle

Name: Masakage Koishi AS Gyuto 210mm Aogami Super Kurouchi Tsuchime K&S Hearted-shaped Ironwood Handle
Brand: Shibata
SKU: MASA_KSAS_GY210_HIRW
Price: 11230.0 TWD
Availability: OutOfStock

$11,230.00

IMPORTANT: Carbon steel knives can rust or patina quickly if not cared for properly. They require regular cleaning, drying, and oiling. If you are unfamiliar with carbon steel maintenance, we recommend choosing a stainless steel option instead.

Add a saya or K&S Knife Roll to receive $20 bundle discount!

Detailed Specifications

Line	Masakage Koishi AS Kurouchi Tsuchime
Profile	Gyuto / Chefs Knife
Bevel Type	Double Bevel
Weight	179 g 6.31 oz
Edge Length	219 mm .8.62 inch
Heel Height	47 mm .1.85 inch
Width @ Spine	3.5 mm 0.14 inch
Width @ Mid	2.0 mm 0.08 inch
Width @ 1cm from Tip	0.8 mm 0.03 inch
Steel	Blue Super / Aogami Super \| Carbon
Blade Construction	Sanmai - Stainless Clad
Hardness (HRC)	62 - 65
Surface Finish	Kurouchi Tsuchime
Handle	Heart-shaped Ironwood Handle with Blonde Ferrule
Region	Fukuyama
Best for	Pro chefs Enthusiasts

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

Koishi(小石, Pebbles)is a line that have been loved by knife enthusiasts for a long time since its creation. Forged and sharpening by Yoshimi Kato, this line still holds up to its reputation as some of the best knife produced at TAKEFU Knife Village, as well as Fukui.

The Koishi Features a beautifully done Kurouchi Tsuchime finish as well as a noticeable taper. These organic appearance not only boasts the hand forging these knives gone through in their creation, but also leads to a beautiful handling experience. The tapered spine provides the blade with rigidity, and the minimised bending can giving the user strong confidence even when cutting dense food. The extra material also shift the centre of mass into the palm, which adds some weight to the blade without making the entire knife front heavy. The subtle surface texture left from forging and heat treatment works along with the polished spine to give the user a firm grip, while the rounded corners all over the knife prevent most of the hot spots from forming.

The material choice of Koishi is Blue Super(Aogami Super) with stainless cladding, it's truly a winning formula for a good reason. The Blue Super as a carbon steel is capable of incredible sharpness, and the additional alloy element added to it also let it stands out in wear resistance compare to other typical carbon steels. With a stainless jacket cladded onto it, the attention it required is lowered without sacrificing sharpness, the super thin edge, high performance edge and polishing put on by Kato san would orchestrate the steel into an edge that flow smoothly through most of the food put in front of it.

Koishi is a signature line offered by Masakage, and it have continuously been so for many years. For anyone who is on a search for a carbon steel knife with great handling and cutting performance, the Koishi would be one of the strong contender. Very often, its beautiful finish and polished detail would help it win the heart of seasoned chef and knife lovers.

Pros	Cons
Excellent performance Thin behind the edge Excellent fit and finish	Prone to rust A little bit brittle

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.
Oil the (carbon) knife if storing for an extended period of time to prevent rust.

Masakage

Masakage is the first original brand created by Takayuki Shibata, aimed to create knives that are all rounders with high performance, fit and finish, beauty and authentic beauty originated from the craftsmanship of masterful bladesmiths.

The name of the Masakage Brand originated from a Warring States Samurai General Masakage Yamagata, and this name carries the hope of Shibata san of creating a versatile brand that excels in all aspects, just like how Masakage Yamagata excels in battle, strategy, diplomacy, public order, and domestic affairs.

The knives from the Masakage Brand are all collaborations between members of the TAKEFU Knife Village and Shibata san, where the forging and heat treating are done by various big names from Echizen like Yu Kurosaki, Shiro Kamo, Yoshimi Kato or Takeshi Saji. These blades are then hand sharpened at Shibata’s workshop, where they achieve exceptional sharpness and beautiful finish.

The way that Masakage knives are done are pretty much as handcrafted as you can get while being reasonably affordable, and they do display characteristics that are unique for handcrafted knives. Commonly seen on these blades are the forge-tapered spine, elegant, organic surface finish and complex bevel geometry that offer the smoothest cut. And I have to say I really like the names that Shibata san came up with, Kiri(fog), Yuki(snow), Shimo(frost), Mizu(water), Kumo(cloud)... Each lineup gets a poetic name that triggers your imagery about nature, where that image is reflected on the appearance of the knife through a carefully designed fabrication process. As far as product design goes, Masakage is top notch in my opinion.

So Masakage is indeed doing what Shibata san want the brand to do: providing knives that are truly excellent in all aspects. They got great balance and handling, excellent sharpness and edge retention, great look and on top of that, a beautiful name to complete them as integral packages.

Profile: Gyuto

Chefs Knife
A Japanese chef's knife is known as a gyuto (牛刀ぎゅうとう） gyūtō?), literally meaning 'beef knife'. Its blade resembles a flatter version of a French chef's knife. Japanese cutlery is known for sharpness due to its acute blade geometry, and the hardness of the steel used, sometimes exceeding 60 HRC on the Rockwell Scale A typical western chef's knife may be sharpened to an edge angle of 20-22°, while a Japanese gyuto generally has a sharper edge angle of 15-18° (or even lower), which requires a harder, more brittle grade of steel. In recent years Japanese gyuto have gained in popularity with western chefs.

A modern chef's knife is a multi-purpose knife designed to perform well at many differing kitchen tasks, rather than excelling at any one in particular. It can be used for mincing, slicing, and chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and disjointing large cuts.
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Steel: Blue Super / Aogami Super
Aogami Super steel, also known as Blue Super Steel, is highly esteemed among Japanese carbon steels for its exceptional qualities. Produced by Hitachi Metals Ltd., this steel surpasses Blue Steel No.1 in its composition, featuring higher amounts of carbon, chromium, and tungsten, with the addition of molybdenum. Aogami Super is celebrated for its remarkable edge sharpness and superior edge retention capabilities. It can achieve high levels of hardness without becoming brittle, a characteristic that sets it apart and endears it to knife enthusiasts worldwide. The steel's enhanced carbon content enables it to maintain sharpness for extended periods, while the added chromium aids in rust resistance. A touch of vanadium increases its toughness, making it less prone to chipping. These attributes make Aogami Super one of the most revered high carbon steels globally, often described as a knife nerd's dream for its balance of hardness, durability, and maintenance ease.
Manufacturer:
- Hitachi Special Steel, Japan
Nature: Carbon
Hardness: 62- 65
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Construction: Sanmai - Stainless 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.
The soft cladding enables the thinning process to be a lot easier than a honyaki or monosteel construction. And in the case where the cladding steel are stainless in nature, it can offer protection for the carbon or semi-stainless cores against rusting and discoluoring.
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Finish: Kurouchi Tsuchime

The Kurouch Tsuchime is a combination of the raw, organic black finish and the characterful hammered Tsuchime finish. It is commonly seen as the Kurouchi finish will keep the original black scale of the billet unpolished after forging, the texture from the forging process will be also kept, allowing all kinds of patterns and indentations to be introduced to the blade. As a combination of Kurouchi and Tsuchime, this finish also inherents their benifits: reduce drag, help with food release and protect the steel from rusting. Over all Kurouchi Tsuchime is a practical and esthetically unique finish.
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Handle Specs
Profile: Heart Shape WA
Material:
- Desert Ironwood
The heart-shaped desert ironwood handle on Japanese kitchen knives offers ergonomic advantages, providing a comfortable grip that reduces fatigue during prolonged use. Its design conforms naturally to the hand, enhancing control and maneuverability for precise cutting tasks. This handle shape also promotes balanced weight distribution between the blade and handle, improving overall control and reducing strain on the wrist and arm.
Beyond functionality, the Desert Ironwood's luxurious appearance adds aesthetic appeal to the knife, elevating its visual appeal in the kitchen. Whether it's a versatile Santoku knife, a multipurpose Gyuto, a specialized Deba for fish, or a precise Yanagiba for sashimi, the heart-shaped Desert Ironwood handle enhances both the performance and the beauty of Japanese kitchen knives, making them indispensable tools for culinary enthusiasts and professionals alike.
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