Watarase Gyuto 240mm

To create Watarase (???, meaning ‘a shallow river that can be crossed on foot,’ bladesmith and damascus artist Shoichi Hashimoto employs 17 distinct steelalloys to complete this exquisite, one-of-a-kind blade. The core material which forms a razor-thin, zero edge, is a 90-layer damascus pattern forged from four high-carbons steels: White Paper No.1, White Paper No.2, Blue Paper No.1, and Blue Paper No.2. Above these 90 layers which form the cutting edge are 102 layers of folded steel at the core reaching to the blade’s spine. Finally, on either side of the core materials are 1,648 layers of Watarase damascus which Shoichi has created at his shop in Hiroshima, Japan using 15 separate metals that combine to produce a strikingly intricate and detailed visual affect. Carefully constructed in stages, then forged to shape by hand, the final blade profile is destined for exemplary performance at the chef’s cutting board. Shoichi’s damascus artistry is rivaled only by his ability to produce functional balance and geometry at the highest level. Backing the zero edge (i.e. no secondary bevel is present) are primary bevels with superb convex geometry, the final edge geometry meticulously honed through a progression of natural whetstones. The blade’s spine, faceted along the left and right edges to soften its feel when used in the pinch grip, tapers progressively from tang to tip, slimming from 3.1mm above the heel, to 1.95mm at the midpoint, to 1.2mm an inch from the tip, and further still until a needle-like end point is reached. Like the spine, the coil is contoured so as to be soft to the touch. Ready for handle installation, the blade’s tang is engraved with a number of details including the damascus billet number, the date of the blade’s quench, its serial number (240728_05), and on the opposite side, the first polishing completion date. Blade only. Custom handle services can be provided.