Kouhei-Shinmatsu ZDP-189 Nakiri Silver 170mm (6.7")
ZDP-189 steel knives are extremely rare and are made by Suncraft specifically for SharpEdge. It is a special powder steel, the production of which is extremely expensive and complex, so availability is extremely limited.
Due to our continued and successful collaboration with Suncraft, we decided to honor the founders of the smithy by naming this line of knives after them: Kouhei (耕平) Kawashima, who started Suncraft more than 70 years ago, and his father, Shinmatsu (新松)
ZDP-189 steel has stood the test of time as the ultimate kitchen knife steel and remains a favorite among professional chefs, as well as aspiring home cooks. Therefore, we felt it was appropriate that this nakiri was forged out of the most hard-core (literally) steel! Coming in at 65-67 HRC on the Rockwell scale, these knives are easily one of the hardest knives on offer, so their edge retention is second to none.
In combination with the subtle hammered finish (tsuchime) adorning the blade and the beautiful octagon rosewood handle, these qualities make this nakiri a sure winner!
Materials
Materials
BLADE: ZDP-189 powder steel (65-66 HRC): Carbon 3.00 %, Chromium 20.00 %, Molybdenum 1.3 %, Vanadium 0.10 %
HANDLE: Traditional rosewood Japanese (Wa) handle with a black pakka wood ferrule. Its octagonal shape makes it especially ergonomic and comfortable to use, both for right- and left-handed users.
Specifications
Specifications
Blade shape: Nakiri
Steel type: ZDP-189
Hardness (HRC scale): 65-66
Overall length: 315mm (12.4")
Blade length: 170mm (6.7")
Blade height: 58mm (2.3")
Spine thickness: 1.8mm (0.07")
Weight: 180g (6.3 oz)
Handle length: 127mm (5")
Handle type / wood: Japanese / Rosewood
Use & Care
Use & Care
→ Handwash in warm water and towel dry.
→ Use a sharpening stone (not a honing steel!) to sharpen your knife.
→ Do not cut frozen foods and meat bones.
→ Do not put the knife in a dishwasher.
→ Read our guide on proper Maintenance of Kitchen Knives.
Nakiri is a traditional Japanese knife with a square, thin blade and a deep, flat belly. Since the entire flat edge of the knife touches the cutting board at once, in one clean, vertical movement, there is no need for a horizontal pull or push. This also means that you won’t be turning the vegetable into an “accordion” of pieces still clinging together by a thread. Due to its characteristics, it’s mostly intended to be used for chopping veg, but you can still use it as a good all-rounder in the kitchen.
This knife was forged out of ZDP-189 steel, which falls into the powder steel category. The ZDP-189 steel has gained a reputation as one of the most technologically advanced steels in Japanese knife making, due to its unique characteristics. The carbon (C) content is around 3%, meaning it can be treated to extreme hardness (65-66 HRC), which results in extended sharpness retention. ZDP-189 steel is also highly corrosion resistant due to its high chromium (Cr) content of 20%. Because of its composition, though, it can be hard to treat and forge, so it can only be trusted to the most experienced blacksmiths.
The upper part of the blade was treated with hammer blows, which resulted in an intricate tsuchime (hammered) finish. The lower half is polished down to the hairline, which is the curvy line marking the border between the laminated part of the blade (jigane) and its core (hagane). The kanji on the blade reads “Kouhei-Shinmatsu” 耕平新松, paying homage to the founders of the Suncraft smithy.
The technique used to laminate this blade is called san-mai. The core of the blade, which is made of harder (and subsequently more fragile) steel, is sandwiched between two layers of softer steel. This results in a blade that is more flexible, and therefore less prone to breakage and other outside factors.
The Pursuit of Perfection in Traditional Crafts
Forged by Japanese knifemaker Suncraft in the famous knife city Seki in Gifu prefecture, which has more than 800 years of tradition in blade making and is the center of blacksmithing in the region.
-
Order
Become a resellerIf you own a brick&mortar or an e-commerce retail shop and would like to become a dealer/reseller by adding a selection of our knives, please email us.
-
Maintenance
Sharpening & knife care tipsWith proper maintenance, Japanese kitchen knives will last a lifetime!