Less Expensive Tsunehisa AUS10 Tsuchime Petty 80mm

First Impressions

This is an impressively thin knife and out of the box the sharpness is already great, there’s easily scope to take it further if you wanted to but it’s a wonderful start.

Beauty

There’s no question that when you open the box and take the knife out of the protective wrap of Japanese newspaper it’s a great looking piece of work.

The single piece octagonal enju wood from the Japanese pagoda tree is a simple but stylish one and the polished hammer finish tapering down to the damascus layering and AUS10 are again quite understated but offer plenty of visual interest for those who want both performance and looks.

In Hand

The octagonal wa handle is light and comfortable and the spine and heel area of the blade has been nicely finished and rounded to be more comfortable if you’re using a pinch grip and the balance point does vary according to the size and style of the blade but again feels well placed and nimble whenin use.

Durability

The stainless cladding and AUS10 core are robust, take and hold an edge well and so it’s ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to spend time maintaining a carbon steel knife.

AUS10 is widely used because it strikes a nice balance of flexibility to avoid chipping easily but hard enough to retain a good edge.

Ease of Care

This is a no-fuss, easy to care for knife. Just follow our care instructions and use your ceramic honing rod regularly and sharpen with a whetstone when required.

Our Verdict

The AUS10 Tsuchime is great value for money.

An impressively thin and consistent edge from Tsunehisa combined with a easy to care for stainless steel and stunning looks. It’s definitely a firm favourite!