Petty knife, Aogami Super carbon steel, Kurouchi and Tsuchime finish - Saji

After 5 years of running this business we have finally got this masters knives in. He is one of the great makers of Japan and has been awarded the distinction of living treasure. He is also one of the makers who set up Takefu knife village.

SHAPE: Petty. Generally the smallest knife in a cook's arsenal but don't be put off by the size. These knives are insanely useful for both in-hand and on-board tasks.

STEEL: Aogami (blue paper) super steel. This is very similar to white paper steel but with tungsten and chromium added to it which helps with edge retention and slows down rusting. The super part indicates the highest amount of carbon steel - at up to 1.5% - out of the blue series steels. This has then been hardened to 63-64 rockwell making it very hard and capable of retaining an edge for a very long time. The blue steel core has then been wrapped in stainless steel making maintenance easy.

FINISH: Kurouchi. This is a traditional, rustic finish achieved by leaving the furnace scale from the forging process on the blade rather than polishing it off. It has the advantage of reducing the reactivity of the surface of the knife and gives the blade a stylish, matt black finish.

Tsuchime. This is a hand hammered finish that is not only beautiful but also functional. The small depressions stop food sticking to the knife. This finish comes in many different forms from the traditional round hammer marks to more modern patterns.

HANDLE: Desert Ironwood Western Handle

LENGTH: 135 and 150mm in length.

MAKER: Saji - Takefu, Japan

BEST FOR: Owning something that not many other people do.

SAUNDERS SAYS: "Crikey, those handles."

These knives are hand-forged so there may be slight variations in measurements and finishes.