Yoshikane X Isasmedjan SKD Kiritsuke 240mm Custom Handle
This special edition Yoshikane X Isasmedjan Kiritsuke is a collaboration we setup with Jonas Johnsson aka Isasmedjan in Sweden. Typically making the complete package, and those who know his work will attest to the quality of his blades, we asked Jonas if he would be willing to make some custom handles for some beautiful SKD Nashiji series blades from Yoshikane Hamono. What you see here is the result and it’s a stunning combination of Elm burl with Boxelder burl for the spacer. Each piece is unique, but they all contain a beautiful array eyes and lovely grain patterns. Yellow, brown, and black hues pair beautifully with the light kurouchi and plished steel. Only 4 pieces of this custom Yoshikane SKD Kiritsuke 240mm have been made and when they are gone, they are gone.
With SKD steel at the core these blades from Yoshikane Hamono are some of the most durable, high-performance knives around. The SKD steel is hard, it’s very hard, we are talking 64HRC-65HRC meaning that these knives will take a very acute and razor-sharp edge and they will hold it for a long time. While SKD is not classed as a stainless steel, with its high chromium content, it does have very decent stain resistance and superior wear resistance and toughness than is found in most stainless steels. With a protective stainless cladding these blades offer a very nice combination of characteristics that both fans of stainless and reactive steel knives will appreciate.
The geometry on these blades is up there with some of the best you can hope to find in Japanese knives. Leaning in the direction of a workhorse geometry, at least as far as Japanese knives are concerned, the blade has a tapered spine that is 3.6mm above the heel of the blade and quickly thins out to around 2.5mm as it heads towards the tip. The profile is fairly flat and has a persistent shallow curve beginning about 30mm from the heel. The blade is thin behind the edge (0.5mm) resulting in a very sharp blade with a delightful cutting experience.
Product Specification
Blade Type: Kiritsuke
Overall length:
Edge Length: 240mm
Spine Heel: 3.56mm
Spine Mid: 2.24mm
Spine Tip (20mm before): 1.7mm
Blade Height: 54.5mm
Weight: 204g
Cutting Edge Steel: SKD
Stainless: No
HRC: 64+
Blade Construction: 3 Layer (San Mai)
Blade Finish: Textured
Grind: Flat
Handle Construction: Hidden Tang
Handle Materials: Elm Burl with Boxelder Burl Spacer
Handedness: Ambidextrous
Saya, Hand Crafted Storage or Display Included: No
Shipping & Returns
Shipping
We process orders 5 days a week (Monday - Friday) and ship from our shop in Berlin, Germany. We ship with FedEx, UPS and Deutsche Post.
We are happy to offer free international shipping on a variety of orders depending on location and order value. You can check to see where things sit for you here.
Returns
At Modern Cooking we want our customers to be inspired and delighted by the products they purchase through our shop.
However, we understand that you may need to return products occasionally. If you are not entirely happy, you can return your purchase in its original condition within 14 days for a refund. Please email if you wish to return any goods.
In the unlikely event that you receive faulty goods or your order is damaged in transit, please contact us for instructions on how to return the goods as in this case we will meet the cost of return postage, though only if this is arranged through our authorised carriers. Any claim for refund or exchange resulting from faulty goods or goods damaged in transit must be raised within 5 business days.
All Modern Cooking logistics partners provide insurance in case of damage, but the coverage is only valid if we are notified within 5 business days. Please make sure to inspect your order immediately upon receipt to ensure that there is no damage.
Once we have the goods back, we will issue a full refund or send replacements where possible, as you prefer.
Product Care:
Cleaning: Clean by hand with warm water. Avoid wetting the handle when possible.
Sharpening: We advise using whetstones to sharpen your knives and a honing rod or steel to maintain the burr between sharpening sessions.
Reactive Steels: Reactive steels like Aogami Super, Apex Ultra or one of the many premium reactive German and Swedish steels are susceptible to rust if not properly cared for. In this case we advise that you keep the knife dry between uses and when storing the knife for longer periods wiping the knife blade with Tsubaki oil or another food safe oil is a wise choice. This will not stop a patina forming on the blade, but it will stop rust. A patina can be a beautiful personal feature on your knife and helps to stop rust forming. So, dry your knife regularly between uses, store in a dry place and apply some Tsubaki oil from time to time when storing for long periods.
A reference guide to steel types
Handle Care: If you have a knife with a non-stabilised wooden handle, you can apply Tsubaki oil or another food safe oil to your handle from time to time. Food safe wax can be applied to both stabilised and no-stabilised wooden handles. Never apply hot wax or oil as you risk warping or damaging the handle.
