Bread knife with a serrated, high polished tsuchime blade in VG-10 stainless steel.

Steel: Stainless VG-10 with 2 layers of stainless cladding (HRC: 60–62)
Edge length: 208 mm
Blade height: 31 mm
Spine thickness: 1.6 mm
Weight: 133 grams
Edge grind: Serrated
Blade finish: Mirror-polished tsuchime (hammered) with a hazy transition to the polished core steel
Handle: Mono ebony

This knife series is the result of a close collaboration between Hatsukokoro and one of the largest and most respected knife makers in Seki City, Japan. We are extremely impressed with this series, which offers both a beautiful finish and very thin, fine edges with consistent quality. We highly recommend this knife!

The blade is made of high-performance VG-10 stainless steel. Surrounding the core steel are two layers of softer steel that have been hammered (tsuchime) and polished to a mirror finish. The glossy finish transitions into a hazy kireha that meets the polished core steel, creating a pleasant contrast. The handle is octagonal and made of ebony.

Note: The edge is hard and very thin. Be careful not to subject the edge to stress, especially lateral force. When using a Japanese knife with a thin blade, the edge should always be in motion while cutting. Under no circumstances should you press the blade straight down through a material without movement. Nor should you twist or wiggle the blade to pry something apart. Pressing, twisting, or forcing the blade creates lateral stress on the thin edge.

A blade can typically handle significant force when cutting straight down while also moving forward or backward. This is because the entire blade above the edge supports and distributes the stress. In lateral force situations, only the paper-thin edge bears the load, with little material to absorb the impact. The hard edge will flex as much as it can, but if the stress is too great, a chip can break off the edge or the tip may snap. We often see this type of damage when cutting hard cheeses, avocado pits, frozen fillets, bones, butternut squash, etc.