Fujiwara Santoku Shirogami #1 165mm is a multi-purpose Japanese kitchen knife. It’s a beautiful expression of Japanese craftsmanship and the philosophy of wabi-sabi that blacksmith Teruyasu Fujiwara conveys through each of his pieces. Its blade is incredibly light, thin and razor-sharp, enabled by the Shirogami steel core, and its surface bears visible traces of the forging process.

Calling this piece a santoku admittedly does not tell the whole story. Its tip is more pronounced than the rounded tips usually found on santoku knives, and its cutting edge is very flat with minimal curvature at the belly. Measuring at 53 mm at the heel, its blade is also taller than most Japanese multi-purpose knives.

Therefore, this particular piece by Fujiwara-san lands somewhere between a santoku, a nakiri and a bunka in its functionality, as its sharp tip allows for precision work and its flat, tall blade is excellent for chopping vegetables.

STEEL:

Shirogami #1 is a traditional high-carbon steel. Due to its high carbon content, it can reach hardness levels up to 65 HRC, which means that blades forged from it will have excellent edge retention. It is renowned for its exceptionally fine sharpness, durability, and ability to hold a keen edge. Just keep in mind that this blade is a bit more delicate. So, make sure to follow some basic care and maintenance tips for Japanese knives when you're using it. Taking good care of it will keep it in top shape for a long time. → Read more about how to take care of high carbon knives and patina in our Knife maintenance blog post.

LAMINATION:

The blade was laminated with stainless steel. The outer layers are of softer, stainless steel, giving the knife extra rust protection.

GEOMETRY:

The knife features a symmetrical 50/50 (double bevel) edge with a traditional convex grind. This geometry provides excellent cutting performance while maintaining strength and smooth food release.

BLADE FINISH:

The blade finish adorning the knife’s blade is called Nashiji, the literal translation of the word being "the skin of an (Asian) pear." It refers to the slightly matted surface of the upper part of the blade, which is the result of the forging process. Besides the visual appeal, this finish also has practical value since the uneven surface reduces the sticking of the food to the blade when slicing.

HANDLE:

Blacksmiths decided to fit a traditional Japanese (Wa) wooden handle on this beautiful knife. It is made of magnolia wood with a black ferrule and D-shaped for improved ergonomics, but therefore slightly more suited for right-handed cooks.

BLACKSMITH:

The family-run Fujiwara smithy was established 140 years ago and produced mainly Japanese traditional swords. The biggest change came after World War II when the company and the successors had to shift focus from the forbidden craft of manufacturing katanas to hand forged kitchen knives.

The objective is the same nowadays as it was at the beginning - tradition and excellence. The fourth-generation blacksmith Teruyasu Fujiwara is intent on introducing the “soul of the katana” (and its sharpness) to today’s everyday tool, the knife. He forges the knives from start to finish on his own and was the pioneer of making blades with a carbon steel core and laminating them with stainless steel for better corrosion resistance.