ZDP-189 Silver Set [Petty + Slicer]

ZDP-189 Silver Set comes as the culmination of a decade’s worth of expertise gained through selling and working with knives on our part, and the knowledge and mastery of Japanese knife forging, passed on through generations within the Suncraft smithy.

The set includes 2 knives:

• ZDP-189 Burja - Prosciutto Knife 300mm (11.8")
• Kouhei-Shinmatsu ZDP-189 Petty Silver 135mm (5.3")

ZDP-189 steel has stood the test of time as the ultimate kitchen knife steel and remains a favorite among professional chefs, as well as aspiring home cooks. Therefore, we felt it was appropriate that a hardcore duo—such as this Slicer and Petty—was forged out of the most hard-core (literally) steel! Coming in at 65-67 HRC on the Rockwell scale, these knives are easily one of the hardest knives we offer, so edge retention will be second to none.

Put this in an equation together with subtle hammer marks (tsuchime) adorning the blade and a beautiful octagon rosewood handle, and you got yourself a winning duo.

BLADE SHAPE:
→ Kouhei-Shinmatsu ZDP-189 Petty Silver 135mm (5.3")
This knife is basically a smaller version of the Kouhei-Shinmatsu ZDP-189 Bunka. Petty knives are intended for all those smaller tasks where larger knives are deemed unwieldy, on and off the cutting board. A must-have knife in every kitchen, it can be used for peeling, mincing, paring and decorating food.

→ ZDP-189 Burja Slicer 300mm (11.8")
The shape of this slicer is unique, it has an extremely thin spine of the blade at 1.9mm. The blade is 300mm (11.8") long and finishes with a thin, pointy tip, revealing its origins and traditions of blacksmiths that were once forging katanas.

Because of its harder, but still flexible blade, it can be used for cutting different kinds of meat, and due to its thin and long blade profile, it will perform well as a slicer for larger pieces of fish. The long blade allows the slice to be cut with as few strokes as possible, avoiding sawing marks on the surface of the food.

ZDP-189 Burja is also a perfect knife for dry-aged prosciutto / ham. The knife has all the characteristics it needs for a perfectly cut prosciutto slices: enough flexibility to allow the cutter to position the arm at the right angle, a slightly concave blade that glides smoothly through the meat, a wider spine which prevents the prosciutto from sticking to the blade.

The knife comes in a beautiful wooden storage box.

STEEL:
This knife set was forged out of ZDP-189 steel, which falls into the powder steel category. The ZDP-189 steel has gained a reputation as one of the most technologically advanced steels in Japanese knife making, due to its unique characteristics. The carbon (C) content is around 3%, meaning it can be treated to extreme hardness (65-67 HRC), which results in extended sharpness retention. ZDP-189 steel is also highly corrosion resistant due to its high chromium (Cr) content of 20%. Because of its composition, though, it can be hard to treat and forge, so it can only be trusted to the most experienced blacksmiths.

LAMINATION:
The technique used to laminate  these blades is called san-mai. The core of the blade, which is made of harder (and subsequently more fragile) steel, is sandwiched between two layers of softer steel. This results in a blade that is more flexible, and therefore less prone to breakage and other outside factors.

GEOMETRY:
Both knives have a double bevel (symmetrical) blade. 
The profile of the Burja Slicer is not completely straight. The slight curvature of the sharp edge reduces the point of contact, which greatly eases the cutting. V-edge grind edge helps the knife to glide smoothly when making longer cuts.

BLADE FINISH:
The upper part of the blade was treated with hammer blows, which resulted in an intricate tsuchime (hammered) finish. The lower half is polished down to the hairline, which is the curvy line marking the border between the laminated part of the blade (jigane) and its core (hagane). The kanji on the blade reads “Kouhei-Shinmatsu” 耕平新松, paying homage to the founders of the Suncraft smithy.

HANDLE:
Traditional rosewood Japanese (Wa) handle with a black pakka wood ferrule. Its octagonal shape makes it especially ergonomic and comfortable to use. 

ABOUT THE BLACKSMITH:
Suncraft is a family company spanning four generations and specializing in the production of kitchen tools. The smithy was founded in 1948 and is located in a thriving manufacturing area of Seki in Gifu prefecture, where steelwork dates back to the times of the Samurai warriors.