Nakiri translates to "leaf cutter". The specialty of this type of knife is vegetable cutting. Its straight profile and blade height encourage a "push-cut" motion, lifting the blade between each cutting motion. The Nakiri is perfect for slicing cabbage, julienning vegetables or rough-cutting vegetables for soups.
Manaka Hamono Tanrenjo was founded in 1872 in the town of Kasukabe, Saitama prefecture. Kisuke Manaka (real name: Shunsuke Manaka), represents the 5th generation of Manaka blacksmiths, although he is not a direct descendant of the Manaka line, since he became interested in blacksmithing when he married into the Manaka family.
His father-in-law (4th generation) had not mastered the art of forging and was a knife merchant who relied on the reputation of the Manaka forge to sell blades not forged by himself. As his father-in-law was unable to teach him the art of forging, Kisuke Manaka taught himself using the tools and forge books left behind by his 3rd-generation step-grandfather. He learned to master all aspects of forging, and is best known for his mastery of the Warikomi method, which he even extended to stainless steels such as ats-34 and zdp-189.
Shirogami #2 translates to: Shiro (white) and Gami (Steel) and thus; white steel #2. It is named after the color of the package it was wrapped in at Hitachi Metals. The composition of this steel is very pure and contains almost only iron and carbon (1.05%-1.2%). It is in the hands of very experienced blacksmiths that one realizes the enormous potential of Shirogami #2. The quality of the heat treatment and a lower temperature forging are key elements that can allow Shirogami #2 to compete with and even surpass many modern steels. Try a Shiro #2 blade forged by Tanaka-san, Kisuke Manaka-san or Yoshikane Forge and you will see!
The kiritsuke nakiri knife merges two iconic Japanese profiles into one: the angular, pointed tip of the kiritsuke with the broad, flat geometry of the nakiri. This japanese nakiri kiritsuke hybrid excels beyond standard vegetable prep — the pointed tip allows for scoring, fine tip-work, and detail cuts that a traditional nakiri cannot perform. Forged here as a carbon steel kiritsuke nakiri in Shirogami #2, the blade rewards skilled cooks who maintain their edge with whetstones.
