# What kind of knife is this?



## haole (Jul 9, 2011)

Aloha,

We recently did a deep clean of our kitchen, and I found this knife wedged between a tilt skillet and the wall. All in all, it's not I'm bad shape. I have a strong feeling it belonged to one of out chefs who passed away, but it has a serial number on the other side. If possible, I'd like to try to see if it's registered, but Im not sure what brand it is.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/MirkoSC/7b1e104b.jpg

That's a picture of the etchings on the blade that isn't the serial number. From what I'm told it translates to Moribuden katakana, bit I can't find anything under that on google.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Much mahalos.


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## capsaicin (Jan 16, 2011)

That's Japanese for molybdenum, so it's molybdenum stainless steel.

Don't know about the brand though -- molybdenum stainless is not that uncommon a steel in Japanese kitchen knives.

Maybe posting photos of the whole thing would help?


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## haole (Jul 9, 2011)

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/MirkoSC/853fddf1.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/MirkoSC/09ffa905.jpg


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## capsaicin (Jan 16, 2011)

Here ya go:

http://www.toginon.com/items/you/22b/index.html

The knifemaker is "Ichikaku." Current prices for Western chefs run from ~6600-12000 yen. It's not a special edition or collector's item, nor an especially valuable knife.


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## capsaicin (Jan 16, 2011)

Sorry a correction.

"Ichikaku" is the brand under which that knife is sold. The actual company is named "Shimizu Hamono." They also make industrial machine blades and such, and so are not the kind of specialist artisan families or companies that knife nuts usually talk about,

http://www.hotfrog.jp/企業/清水刃物工業所

Just an ordinary mass produced, serviceable kitchen knife in the Japanese Western chef "gyuto" pattern. Let us know how it performs.


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## haole (Jul 9, 2011)

It's not bad a bad knife, but I feel it's a little pricy. It feels really solid, and the handle is comfortable. The blade is a little bit thin for my liking, but that's my personal preference. I'll use it for a little while to how it keeps it's edge.


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## capsaicin (Jan 16, 2011)

Thinner is better for most knives.

It is a Seki City company so it is probably a decent knife.  Just not a super high end one.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Aloha Haole,

I take it that this knife is the kitchen that you own, where?

In any case, that is a handsome looking knife.


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