NORA #1776 - 7.5 Inch Americana Kiritsuke - Red
$ 325.00
This NORA knife is our take on the traditional Japanese Kiritsuke knife.
A Kiritsuke knife is one of the very few Japanese knives that is considered multi-purpose. It is a hybrid between a Yanagi (fish slicer) and a Usuba (vegetable knife.). A Kiritsuke knife works well for slicing and breaking down protein but it also excels at vegetable prep. and general purpose tasks. In Japanese kitchens, the Kiritsuke knife is reserved only for the executive Chef as a sign of respect and also due to the skill needed to efficiently use these knives.
Our Kiritsuke design does not have as flat of a belly as the more traditional Japanese style knives. We have done this to allow just the slightest amount of rock in the cut. We feel it adds a bit more versatility to the knife.
Every one of our knives is numbered and unique. This NORA knife, number #1776, is a special edition knife (1 of 3) made in honor of our upcoming Independence Day here in the US. Our products are proudly American Made and even though our country has its fair share of problems, we still feel incredibly honored to have the privilege of being born in the US where freedom and opportunity are a way of life. (Merica!!) In that spirit, these knives feature custom engraving with the American Eagle, our flag and the American motto: "E Pluribus Unum" which translates from Latin as: "Out of many, One."
Each of these special edition knives was made with Shokwood which is a wood/resin hybrid. The wood is stabilized Big Leaf Maple complemented by urethane resins in rich hues of (you guessed it) either red, white or blue depending on the knife you purchase.
The wood on this handle has been stabilized for durability.Wood stabilization is an added feature that we offer with our knives. Wood that is stabilized has been injected with a clear acrylic resin under a vacuum process. Stabilization helps to minimize, if not eliminate, any cracking, warping, shrinkage and/or expanding of the material. Stabilized wood will not absorb water and is generally impervious to oils. The process helps to ensure your knife has a long lifespan in the kitchen.
This knife blade is composed of AEB-L stainless steel which is a high quality Swedish metal, originally developed for razor blades. Recently, steel suppliers have made this steel available in thicker sheets and it has proven to be an excellent adaptation for the cutlery industry.
AEB-L has a beautiful balance of carbon and chromium and, with proper heat treatment, this steel produces both a very fine edge as well as excellent toughness and edge stability. The fine grain structure also makes this steel very easy to sharpen. We believe it is one of the finest stainless steels available on the market today for use with kitchen knives.
As a side note, there are three things we like to mention about this steel:
1.) This steel responds beautifully to honing and if the knife is honed regularly it should need infrequent sharpening.
2.) AEB-L is a stainless steel but just barely. The higher carbon content in this stainless is what allows it to get a fine edge and higher hardness than other stainless steels but it also has a tendency to sometimes form very fine rust spots on the blade. If this happens, these are easily removed with a green scotch brite pad and usually the rough end of a kitchen sponge will also do the trick.
3.) We grind our knives very thin at the edge which allows them to be great cutters but it also makes them somewhat delicate. We do not suggest using these knives with any bones, frozen foods or excessively hard objects.
{ Knife Details }
Metal:AEB-L Stainless Steel
Blade Length: 7.5 inches
Total Length: 12.5 inches
Handle Material(s): Micarta Pins, Black G10, Big Leaf Maple Wood (Stabilized), Urethane Based Resins
Rockwell Hardness: 62
Grind Type: Full Flat