Morihei Hisamoto Hagane Santoku 185mm Pakka Handle

Morihei is a knife and whetstone supplier located in Asakusabashi, Tokyo. They have been a part of the industry for over 100 years, including the predecessor of Morihei “Oguro-Morihei-Shouten“. At one point in time, more than 20 groups of blacksmiths and sharpeners were working exclusively under Morihei. They are one of the only companies in Japan with a long-standing history of relationships with blacksmiths and whetstone and natural stone makers that still exists today. The president, Mr. Akimitsu Oguro is highly regarded and extremely well educated on the “Kanto” knife style. He acts like a gatekeeper for this specific style. Educating craftsmen on the old techniques used to keep not only double but also single bevel knives from the Tokyo region alive.
Morihei is one of the most reputable natural stones dealers and next to some of our favorite knives and stones they supply a wide range of woodworking- and gardening-tools.

An equally all-round knife as the gyuto but more orientated to homestyle cooking. Incredibly versatile on its own, easy to use, nimble and suitable for a wide variety of cutting tasks. The bunka is a version of the santoku but with a Kiritsuke tip. This style tip will excel in more delicate work while it still retains the all-purpose functionality of the santoku. 

This is a carbon steel knife. That means this knife is made of non-stainless steel. There is no or an insufficient amount of chromium and/or nickel to protect this steel against oxidation. Steel such as this will react to moisture and oxygen. That on itself is not a bad thing, you might even argue it’s a great thing. The knife will form a wonderful patina, it will sharpen easily and the edge life will not disappoint.

The care for a carbon steel knife such as this is not very elaborate, and very comparable to any other knife. Always store your knife clean and dry, no dishwasher, don’t let it air-dry and avoid extremely hard products like frozen foods or bones. With carbon steel you want to dry your knife also during cooking, never leave it moist or wet for too long. Often a quick wipe a dry cloth or towel is more than enough. A carbon steel knife can rust if not taken care of properly. Rust can removed but it is of course something we want to avoid.

Please note that there are many different carbon steels, just like stainless steels, each with its own properties and characteristics. Each should be judged individually.