The word santoku translates as "three virtues", which refers to the cutting of meat, fish and vegetables or the following three types of cutting: chopping, slicing and dicing. Very versatile, the santoku is one of the types of knives we recommend as the first or main knife in the kitchen.
Go Yoshizawa is a creative craftsman who is making the family business shine. He is the head-chef of the Nigara's forge, one of the most renowned forges in Japan and worldwide, and famous for damascus work. Yoshizawa-san builds on the solid foundation of steelworking that he has developed over the years to discover and explore new processes. Nigara's forge and its craftsmen continue to amaze us with knives that are as beautiful as they are performing.
Aogami literally translates to "blue steel", so "super blue steel" is the translation for Aogami Super. Manufactured by Hitachi Metals Ltd, this carbon steel grade has one of the highest hardness levels and is one of the most renowned in Japan. In addition to containing more carbon, chromium and tungsten than Aogami #1, it also contains molybdenum. The high carbon content allows for greater hardness, but on the other hand, reduces the corrosion resistance and makes the steel more brittle. Chromium and molybdenum counterbalance the effect of the high carbon content by improving corrosion resistance. Tungsten greatly increases the wear resistance of the steel, making it less brittle. The combination of all these characteristics makes Aogami Super a practically superior carbon steel compared to other steels in this category.