Japanese Chef Knife Nigara VG XEOS Santoku 170mm

Nigara Hamono, with its origins as a swordsmith appointed by the Tsugaru Domain, boasts a history spanning over 350 years. As one of the few noble swordsmith families in Japan, it has continuously preserved its traditional techniques. During the Showa period, the works of Nigara Kunitoshi, a master swordsmith, were frequently acclaimed.

Since 1965, the production of Japanese swords has been discontinued as a business, but techniques such as welding and forging have been carried forward in the making of Honuchi kitchen knives. These designs and techniques require intuition and skills honed over decades of experience. In December 2007, Nigara Forging’s products were officially certified as Aomori Prefecture Traditional Crafts.

Today, the 8th-generation swordsmith, Tsuyoshi Yoshizawa, stands in the workshop alongside his younger brother and young craftsmen, driven by a passion to create the finest knives for the world. Leveraging deep expertise in steelwork, he has introduced a variety of highly innovative knives to the global market.

A double Edge, blade length 170mm  for professional use.

VG XEOS (V Gold XEOS) is a next-generation steel material developed by Takefu Special Steel Co., Ltd. specifically for knives. This steel achieves a high level of both corrosion resistance and hardness, which were previously difficult to balance.

Through a special smelting process, it possesses a fine microstructure that enhances wear resistance, strength, and hardenability. VG XEOS combines rust resistance and toughness, meeting the high performance demands of knives in response to changing hygiene standards and diverse dietary habits.

Additionally, knives made from three-layer steel using VG XEOS as the core material are characterized by their sharp and smooth cutting performance as well as durability.