Less Expensive Yoshimi Kato AS Kurouchi Nakiri

First Impressions

Excellent sharpness out of the box and an impressively even thin and even grind along the length of the blade as you’d expect from a blacksmith of Yoshimi Kato’s skill and experience. This is a high performance knife by any measure.

Beauty

Available in either nashiji or kurouchi finishes and with a variety of handles these are some of our favourites – subtle and classy knives made to an excellent standard.

In Hand

Nice and light with a traditional wa handle and a good balance point, fit and finish around the heel of the knife it’s easy to use, nimble and comfortable in hand.

Perhaps a little unusually, the wa handled versions of this blade are of a thicker profile than the full tang yo handle so if you prefer a thinner and lighter knife, the full tang pakka wood handle is the one to choose.

Durability

The aogami super blue core has been hardened to around 63-64HRC and is comparable to many carbon steels for sharpness andedge retention and will keep an impressive edge sharpness.

Ease of Care

Normal carbon steel care instructions apply as always – rinse and dry after use and no dishwashers but other than that you’ve got a nice low maintenance stainless knife thanks to the AS core and stainless cladding.

We recommend a carbon steel care kit for long term maintenance and keeping it in the best condition!

Our Verdict

The AS is a super daily knife and one we’d absolutely be reaching for to do a wide range of jobs. The grind and edge consistency are excellent.

It combines great out of the box performance, looks and durability so it’s definitely one we’re happy to recommend and we’re big fans of Kato san.