Tsurugi Kenshin 剣謙心株式会社

Marks on the blade

About

Premium brand built on Sanjo's stainless black-dyeing (黒染) — the cladding itself is chemically blackened, then hammered. Lines: 槌目黒染 with White #2, Blue #2 or SLD cores; handles in mountain cherry (山桜) or striped ebony (縞黒檀). The ¥132,000 nakiri we photographed is SMN-B165YS-S2 (White #2, cherry).

Steels

• Shirogami #2 (White #2) — Hitachi/Proterial Yasuki carbon steel. Easiest to sharpen, takes the finest edge, rusts fast.
• Aogami #2 (Blue #2) — White #2 plus chromium and tungsten: better wear resistance, a touch harder to sharpen.
• SLD — Hitachi's SKD11-type cold-work steel. Tadafusa's stainless-clad home line and Kenshin's hammered line use it.
• SK carbon steel — JIS general carbon tool steel. Cheaper than Yasuki paper steels; Kenshin lists it alongside White steel.
• VG10 — Takefu Special Steel's stainless with cobalt. The default steel of Tojiro's DP/PRO lines; also in damascus lines.

Facts

Knife types made

• Nakiri 菜切 · Vegetables only: straight up-and-down cuts, thin slices, cabbage, daikon.
• Santoku 三徳 · All-round home knife: vegetables, fish, meat. The first knife to buy.
• Gyuto (chef's knife) 牛刀 · Western-style chef's knife: meat, large vegetables, rocking cuts.
• Deba 出刃 · Breaking down whole fish: heads, bones, filleting. Thick spine.
• Yanagiba 柳刃 · Slicing sashimi and sushi toppings in one pull stroke.
• Ajikiri 鯵切 · Small deba for horse mackerel and other small fish.
• Petty ペティ · Small jobs in hand: peeling, trimming, garnish, fruit.
• Chinese cleaver 中華包丁 · Rectangular blade for vegetables and boneless meat; the flat is a scoop.

Care for these steels

Carbon steel (Shirogami / Aogami / SK)

• Rinse and wipe dry immediately after each use — never leave it wet or in the sink.
• Do not put in the dishwasher. Do not cut acidic foods and walk away (lemon, tomato, onion will stain within minutes).
• A grey-blue patina is normal and protective; orange rust is not. Remove orange rust with a rust eraser or #1000 stone slurry.
• Before storing for more than a day, wipe with camellia oil (椿油) or any food-safe oil.
• Store dry, in a saya or on a rack — not loose in a drawer.

Semi-stainless (SKD / SLD)

• Stains slowly rather than rusting fast, but still wipe dry after use.
• No dishwasher. Oil is optional for long storage.
• Holds an edge longer than Shirogami; sharpen on #1000 → #3000 and expect a little more time on the stone.

Stainless (VG10 / AUS10 / molybdenum / CROMOVA / SG2)

• Wipe dry after use. Dishwasher still not recommended — the heat and detergent dull the edge and loosen handles.
• Powder steels (SG2) chip rather than roll: avoid bones, frozen food and twisting cuts.
• Sharpen on #1000; finish on #3000–5000 if you like a polished edge.

Where to buy

Buy direct from Sanjo (through us)Maker websiteAmazon US affiliateAmazon JP affiliate