Shigehiro Kasahara 180mm Usuba White-2

18 cm Usuba from Shigehiro Kasahara with core of white#2

Among the perhaps less well-known knife makers in Sakai we find Shigehiro Kasahara, whose knives we fell head over heels for the first time we got one in our hands. These are some absolutely well-made and slightly understated knives, where all the details are right in the cupboard.

The knives are forged by Yoshikazu Ikeda and have a core of shirogami-2 - what we also call white steel. White steel is a so-called carbon steel, so it will rust if you do not take care of the knife correctly. In practice, it applies to wipe your knife immediately after use, and to lubricate the knife blade in oil - e.g. camellia oil as it will also protect against oxidation. The advantage of the white steel, on the other hand, is that it can be ground very fine, and finer than blue steel and stainless alloys.

An Usuba is a traditional Japanese vegetable knife used to cut vegetables and fruit. The distinctive egg on the right side means that the very fine egg slides right through the raw materials and can cut extremely thinly. The grinding also makes the egg quite delicate, and should not be used for harder vegetables such as butternut squash, pumpkin, etc.

Foodgear always advises against cutting all kinds of bones and frozen goods. Knives must not be washed in a dishwasher, as this removes sharpness and provokes rust - even in stainless alloys!