Moritaka Aogami-Super – santoku knife, 13 cm

Moritaka santoku 13 cm – the compact all-rounder

Santoku means “three virtues” – meat, fish and vegetables – and at 13 cm it is the most compact all-round knife in the series. The flat cutting line places the entire edge against the board, and the high blade acts as a shovel afterwards. Moritaka in Kumamoto is one of the world’s oldest knifesmiths with a history dating back to the 13th century. The knives are still forged by hand, and the dark kurouchi surface is allowed to remain on the blade. This makes each knife easily recognizable – and slightly different from the next.

Short santoku rather than a herb knife?

Yes, when the work is done on the board and not in the hand. Is your cutting board small, or is 17 cm too much knife, 13 cm hits the mark precisely – still with full santoku geometry.

Patination is part of the charm

Aogami Super is not stainless. The blade reacts to acid and moisture, and it develops a patina from day one. Rinse and dry it immediately after use, and the patina will be even and dark, and rust will never take hold. In return, you get a steel that can be sharpened sharper and holds its edge longer than most stainless alloys.

Specifications

• Blade length: 13 cm
• Type: santoku
• Core steel: Aogami Super (blue steel), 63–65 HRC
• Construction: san mai – hard core between softer side layers
• Surface: hand-forged kurouchi
• Handle: octagonal wa-handle in walnut with black ferrule
• Hand-forged in Kumamoto, Japan
• Reactive steel: rinse and dry immediately after use – never dishwasher, never bones or frozen items