The Nakagawa Blue 1 Wide Bevel Damascus line brings a series of more artistic blades to the already populated wide bevel family that is known for their solid performance and distinctive look. Althought there is no performance gained, having that beautiful damascus pattern flowing down the knife is definatly a experience many would enjoy while cutting through food effortlessly.
The wide bevel in the name refers to the grind that these blades takes on. Usually Japanese double bevel knives will have a flat grind, where the secondary bevel starts all the way at the spine, in cases where the secondary bevels start halfway, they tend to blends into the flat zone slightly. This line however, have a very distinct boundary at the begining of its secondary bevel,creating a very sharp and geometrycall look, especially on the Kiritsuke Gyuto, which distinct the entire line from other plain Migaki finish knives.
Performance of the kinfe on the chopping board is great, as the bevel takes a concave grind, it is of a good sharpness even the thickness of the spine is not as thin as some "laser" knives, though there is a slight tendency for the food to stick due to this grind. This combination allows the edge to be thin, while having more material behind the bevel to provide toughtness in a professional setting.
The beauty of this knife is enhanced by the excellent fit and finish. On the flat area, the fine Migaki polish doesn't hamper the damascus pattern's beauty, and on the bevel, a soft Kasumi finish further enhances the softness of the texture, endowsthe pattern with a liquid-like flow. The spine and choil also recieves a mirror polish, boasting their shininess on the rounded edges. Overall the arts and crafts level of these knives are superb, especially at their price range.
This is another marsterpiece created by Satoshi Nakagawa, who got more than 20 years of experiences in forging under the training of the legendary bladesmith Kenichi Shiraki. For that reason, I would expect the Blue 1 steel he heat treats to hold edge very well. One concern that remains is, the damascus cladding is made of soft iron, thus making the entire blade prone to rust, there will be some attention and care required to maintain the beauty of these knives, and if you want the similar performance and shape without the hassle of the carbon steel, you can look at the Nakagawa Ginsan Wide Bevel line.
By
Satoshi Nakagawa