If I had to choose one Japanese Kogatana knife to use as a dedicated marking knife for fine woodworking, the Kasaya would be it.
The laminated blade is less than 1.5mm thick, ground beautifully flat on the back (no ura) and has just a touch of springiness. The right bevel angle is very shallow so it is much more delicate than a Kiridashi and needs to be treated with a bit of respect, but that is no bad thing, placing a layout line should be a very calm process.
Our Kogatana knives are handmade in Japan by Okeya, a traditional family blacksmithing business that has specialised in Kogatana (of which Kasaya are a sub-type) since 1927. They have lately started producing a range of very good value kitchen knives as well.
We have selected a ground finish, so these knives are slightly thinner than the standard hammer finished version. The bluing that occurs during heat treatment is left on, providing an aesthetically pleasing surface that is both grippy and corrosion resistant.
- Laminated Shirogami white paper steel #2
- Width: 15mm
- Length: 205mm
- Edge length: 46mm
