Hand-forged Shimabara Kitchen Knife, Refurbished Used Item

Shimabara Kitchen Knife, Shigemitsu, Refurbished Used Item

■ Blade Maintenance
This was originally a kuro-uchi (blacksmith finish) knife, but due to red rust, the rust removal process has almost completely removed the kuro-uchi finish.

We could not find a corresponding product on the website of Shigemitsu, the manufacturer. The inscription and font also differ from current models, suggesting it is an older generation knife. However, it appears to be a warikomi (laminated construction) knife, similar to their current nakiri knives.

The steel type was not indicated on the website.

When removing rust, we soaked it in citric acid. The steel did not turn black, and it took time to sharpen the edge to a fine point, leading us to believe it is a blue steel type, similar to Yasuki Steel's blue steel.

Conversely, the iron core turned black during this process, but we suspect it may also be made of a decent carbon steel to prevent carbon transfer.

There was a chip, so we started sharpening with a 120-grit whetstone and progressed to 400, 1000, 3000, and 8000 grit.

The steel is hard, and even with PA220, it felt slightly slippery during sharpening. The edge achieved was sharper than we had imagined.

■ Handle Replacement
The original handle had cracks, so it has been replaced with a new one. We used a Kai knife handle. As the material seemed prone to absorbing water for its price, we applied Washi's food-grade compliant varnish for waterproofing.

We determined that using the method of heating the tang and inserting it would leave gaps, so we secured it with an epoxy adhesive. This is a right-handed, kuri-gata (chestnut-shaped) handle.

■ Other
This sharpening is a hobby, so it is not perfect. There are traces of rust, and as the steel is prone to rusting, rust may appear during transport. Please be aware of this in advance.

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