Hatsukokoro | SKU: HS-YSK-SKDNASHSLC-KGY240EB

Hatsukokoro x Yoshikane SKD Nashiji K-tip Gyuto 240mm Ebony Handle

$649.95

St Peters, NSW —
2 Bishop St, Unit 2, St Peters NSW 2044
+61 2 8234 8818
Crows Nest, NSW —
107 West St, Shop 1, Crows Nest NSW 2065
+61 2 8234 8848
Pickup only
Prahran, VIC —
180 Commercial Road, Shop 1, Prahran VIC 3181
+61 3 8199 9948
Pickup only

Detailed Specifications

Line	Hatsukokoro By Yoshikane SKD Nashiji
Profile	K-tip Gyuto / Chefs Knife
Bevel Type	Double Bevel
Weight	264 g \| 9.3 oz
Edge Length	242 mm \| 9 17/32″
Heel Height	57 mm \| 2 1/4″
Width @ Heel	4.0 mm \| 5/32″
Width @ Mid	2.4 mm \| 3/32″
Width @ 1cm from Tip	0.9 mm \| 1/32″
Steel	SKD \| Semi-stainless
Blade Construction	Sanmai - Stainless Clad
Hardness (HRC)	62 - 64
Surface Finish	Nashiji
Handle	Octagonal Ebony
Region	Sanjo
Best for	Pro chefs Students Enthusiasts

Free shipping for knives over AU$200 Australia wide.
World-wide shipping via DHL Express, 3 to 5 days.

The Yoshikane SKD Nashji line is probably one of the best cutting offerings from the entire K&S offerings. I often use this knife in the store to demonstrate "how a knife should cut". The primary bevels are done in a convex grind which splits food and reduces sticking, and the low chromium content of the SKD steel provides the ability to get an extremely fine and bitey edge, these two features works together with the tapered Sanjo profile results the ultimate Kireaji-the "Cutting Taste" of this line. Landing the edge on the skin of a potato and use two fingers to pull the handle backwards, these blades won't hesitate much when dropping through the entire potato.

For those not familiar with SKD, it is SKD12 also known as A2 tool steel, with about 1% of Carbon content, and only 4.5% of Chromium. Heat treated perfectly by Yoshikane to HRC 63, the SKD very much behaves like carbon steel in terms of taking a very keen edge, the food release and also super easy to sharpen; yet without the need of high maintenance.

With a rustic Nashiji finish coupled with a highly praised Sanjo region F&F, this knife has a very nice profile, large sweet spot, and feels very nimble in hand. SKD Semi-stainless core with stainless cladding ensure the highest cutting performance yet the stainless cladding means you will have little worry about the rust.

Pros	Cons
Excellent performance Thin behind the edge Great OOTB	Semi-stainless can rust

Care Instruction

Don't cut hard things! Japanese knives are brittle so bone hacking is a NO NO!
Wash with neutral detergent after use, and wipe dry;
Please don't wash knife with dishwasher, it will damage the wood handle;
Be careful not to leave the knife close to a heat source for a long time;
It is a lot more dangerous to cut with a blunt knife than a sharp knife!
It is best to sharpen a Japanese knife regularly on a waterstone.
Semi-stainless steel won't rust easily but may still patina

Yoshikane Hamono

Traditional Sanjo Knife Maker.

Yoshikane is a boutique knife maker based in Sanjo, Niigata. Founded in 1919 (大正8年)，it is one of the most established top quality kitchen knife manufacturers in the region. Many new generation blacksmith in Sanjo took has apprenticeship experience at this knife workshop.

Headmaster Yamamoto-san believes, “while many things change rapidly nowadays, there are ideas and believes that never change. Everyday I make sure the meaning of these words are forged into knife making”. And indeed because of this firm believe, this workshop produces some of the highest quality kitchen knives with superb fit and finish. The workshop is also very famous for its heat treatment of White 2 and the use of semi-stainless SKD steel.

“Top performance Japanese kitchen knives from Sanjo, Niigata, renowned for exceptional grind quality and masterful heat treatment of White #2 and SKD semi-stainless steels.”

Est. 1919 | 大正8年

Known for Ultra thin Sanjo grinds, master of Sanjo blacksmith.

Website yoshikanehamono.com Read more about Yoshikane Hamono

Profile

K-tip Gyuto

Chefs Knife

The K-tip Gyuto — known in Japanese as kiritsuke gyuto (切付牛刀) — is a double-bevelled chef's knife that pairs the all-purpose body of a standard gyuto with a kiritsuke-style tip: an angled, clipped "k-tip" point in place of the gyuto's curved belly. Combined with a flatter edge profile, this gives two advantages. The sharply defined tip excels at precise work — scoring, detailing and picking — while the flatter edge is optimised for clean push-cutting and long slicing strokes. It remains a versatile general-purpose knife, but rewards a chef who works with deliberate, tip-led precision.

A note on naming: the K-tip (or "Kiritsuke") Gyuto is a double-bevelled knife and should not be confused with the traditional Kiritsuke (切付け) — a single-bevelled knife that is a genuinely different tool. Many retailers list the two interchangeably; at Knives and Stones we keep them distinct so you know exactly what you're buying.

Compare with

SKD

—

5.0% 3.8% 2.5% 1.3% 0

C — Carbon Cr — Chromium V — Vanadium Mo — Molybdenum Mn — Manganese Si — Silicon P — Phosphorus S — Sulfur Cu — Copper Ni — Nickel

Manufacturer
- Hitachi Special Steel, Japan
Nature Semi-stainless
Hardness62–64 HRC

SKD short for SKD12 also known as A2 tool steel, with about 1% of Carbon content, and only 4.5% of Chromium. It can be treated to about 63 to 64.

The SKD very much behaves like carbon steel in terms of taking a very keen edge, the food release and also super easy to sharpen; yet without the need of high maintenance. As a result it is very popular amongst professional chefs.

Yoshikane is the noteable compnay that loves the SKD.

Construction

Sanmai - Stainless Clad

Sanmai(Three-Piece) is a common construction for double bevel knives where two pieces of softer cladding steel are forgewelded to each side of a harder core steel. The harder but more brittle core steel will form the hard cutting edge after heat treating, and the softer cladding will support the core to increase the overall strength of the blade.

The soft cladding enables the thinning process to be a lot easier than a honyaki or monosteel construction. And in the case where the cladding steel are stainless in nature, it can offer protection for the carbon or semi-stainless cores against rusting and discoluoring.

Finish

Nashiji

The "nashiji finish" on Japanese kitchen knives refers to a unique, textured surface finish that resembles the skin of an Asian pear, which is known as "nashi" in Japanese. This finish is achieved through a specific hammering and polishing technique, giving the knife blade a distinct, matte appearance with a slightly uneven, tactile surface. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the nashiji finish also provides practical benefits. It helps to reduce food sticking to the blade by creating tiny air pockets between the food and the steel. This finish is commonly found on traditional Japanese knives, such as santokus and nakiris, and is highly valued for both its functional and visual characteristics, enhancing the overall culinary experience.

Handle

Octagonal Ebony

Profile Octagonal WA
Material
- Ebony

This handle, crafted from a single piece of ebony, exemplifies minimalist elegance and functional design. Its unique octagonal shape, featuring a subtle taper, offers a comfortable grip and a visually appealing geometric profile. The ebony wood, known for its deep, rich color and durability, has been meticulously milled from a single block, ensuring a seamless construction that highlights the wood's natural beauty and grain. The handle's surface has been highly polished, achieving a glossy finish that not only enhances the ebony's luxurious dark hue but also provides a smooth, tactile experience for the user. This design choice reflects a minimalist approach, focusing on simplicity, quality, and usability. The combination of the octagonal shape with the taper adds a modern twist to the classic material, making it a standout piece that blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics.

Frequently asked questions

Is a K-tip Gyuto the same as a traditional Kiritsuke?

Not quite - and it is the single most common point of confusion when people shop for a kiritsuke. The two knives share the same striking angled, reverse-tanto tip, but underneath that tip they are very different tools.

A K-tip gyuto is a double-bevel knife: it is ground on both sides like any Western-style chef's knife, so it is ambidextrous, forgiving to use, and sharpened exactly the way you would sharpen a normal gyuto. You get the dramatic kiritsuke look with the everyday usability of an all-purpose chef's knife.

A traditional kiritsuke - including the kiritsuke-yanagiba (slicer) and kiritsuke-gyuto shapes - is a single-bevel knife, ground on one side only. It is historically a master chef's knife: it takes real practice to use well, is set up for right-handed users by default, and needs single-bevel sharpening technique to maintain.

So if you want the kiritsuke silhouette with no learning curve, choose a K-tip gyuto. If you specifically want the traditional single-bevel discipline - and the precision it allows on fish and vegetables - choose a true kiritsuke. At Knives and Stones we stock both, and each product page tells you which construction you are looking at.

What is SKD steel used for in Japanese knives?

SKD steel is a high-carbon, mid-chromium tool steel used in Japanese knives to deliver carbon-steel-like edge sharpness and ease of sharpening without the high maintenance requirements of traditional carbon steel.

This steel contains 1.0% carbon and 5.0% chromium, allowing it to be hardened to an HRC of 62–64 while maintaining a balance between edge retention and corrosion resistance. It is currently available in the K&S catalog through the Hatsukokoro x Yoshikane collaboration, with popular in-stock options including mid-range to upper-mid-range models such as the SKD Nashiji Honesuki 150mm, the SKD Nashiji Gyuto 240mm, and the SKD Nashiji Sujihiki 270mm. These knives are best suited for professional chefs or serious home cooks who want a keen edge and simple sharpening process but prefer not to deal with the rusting issues common to pure carbon steels.

Reviewed by James Zhang · Last updated 18 July 2026

Hatsukokoro x Yoshikane SKD Nashiji K-tip Gyuto 240mm Ebony Handle

Availability

Detailed Specifications

Yoshikane Hamono

K-tip Gyuto

SKD Element Composition

SKD

Sanmai - Stainless Clad

Nashiji

Octagonal Ebony

Frequently asked questions

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Hatsukokoro x Yoshikane SKD Nashiji K-tip Gyuto 240mm Ebony Handle

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