Aogami No 2 edges outlast the celebrated Shirogami whilst being less prone to staining and equally easy to re-hone. The limited supply due to the various delicate and specialist processes required to produce it (along with high demand) has to lead to this very special material being reserved for only the most skilled Nokaji and thus it is rarely applied to the creation of accessible culinary blades. For these reasons, blades made from Aogami No 2 are amongst the most prized and this is usually reflected in the price demanded of these ‘Uber’ knives.
Aogami (aogami literally translates as blue steel, just as ‘shirogami’ means white steel this refers to an old paper wrapping classification system, not the colour of steel) with its very high Carbon content requires the addition of toughening elements to counteract brittleness and slow oxidisation – Tungsten and Chromium are 2 such elements. Taking into account their positive and negative influences – the exact amount of each is used to create a material that is hard, tough and slow to oxidise. In order to make resharpening easier this very hard & tough steel is sandwiched between two layers of soft steel that both protect and aid easy grinding. The result is an edge capable of enduring razor sharpness which is easy to maintain.
It should be noted that these are totally handmade knives using Bubinga wood for the sleek, seamless handles and as such the colour and tone does vary from piece to piece.
The classic slicer. Long and thin, this is the best shape for the preparation of any flesh (meat or fish – cooked or raw) without bones. The slim profile presents a smaller are of contact with the flesh and thus reduces the strength of the vacuum between the blade and the food resulting in a smoother and easier cut.
Function – Slicing and carving of meat and fish without bones.
Normal length – 240mm to 300mm (a few smaller 180mm and longer 330mm are available)
Tip: Whilst the 240mm or the 270mm lengths are the most popular select the longest length you are comfortable with. The longer the blade, the lesser the pressure required to cut the food and thus increase the ability to cut thinner slices. As this is one knife that is often taken to the table for carving in front of the diners, apart from the functionality, aesthetics should be an important consideration.
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