The Yoshimi Kato Suminagashi SG2 is a line up that have became a signature of Kato san and the Kintaro brand. It bears unique Damascus pattern that swirls and flows like liquid while have a top notch sharpening that gives it solid performance. A combination of function and beauty lead to a high end blade that characterize the knife making in the TAKEFU Knife Village: top notch material, top notch sharpening and top notch fit and finish.
One thing that will immediately stand out about these blades are the thickness, or rather thinness. These blades have a rather extreme spine thickness running from the tip all the way back to the tang, measured at 1.9mm at the thickest part. This easily put these knives into the laser category, and they do fly through corms and tubers without breaking a sweat. Thanks to the masterful grinding the subtle convex shape of the bevel can prevents food sticking while allows the Damascus pattern to flow from the spine to the edge.
The Suminagashi(墨流し, flowing ink)pattern Damascus is the highlight of the knife, it is mazing that the craftsmen can control and manipulate the shape and distribution of that metal that it flows like liquid. Layers of steel look sometimes like herringbones and sometimes like waves, which is quite unique for knives of this quality and performance. On top of that, a layer of etching is applied to further enhance the contrast between different steels, making them more pronounced.
The SG2 Suminagashi truly is an allrounder, it got excellent steel that maintain edge for an extensive amount of time, the geometry built into the blade allow this sharp edge to flow through pretty much anything you would cut, on top of that, a meticulously designed patter is carefully integrated into the blade, completing the knife with some unique aesthetic that surpass pure function and performance.
By
Yoshimi Kato
