Hatsukokoro's Saihyo(細氷, fine ice) is a line that I would consider as the "performance looker" these knives would have a stunning finish but not relying on it as the only selling point, the steel, the grind and the profile will still be performance oriented.
This Saihyo line is equipped with Suminagashi style stainless damascus cladding, finished with a mirror polish, it is a very densely packed, high contrast and defined damascus, which combines with the mirror polish would give the blade a dazzling look. The grind of these knives do not fall short behind, with the 210mm gyuto's spine thickness measures 1.9mm above the heel, the Saihyo line is a collection of lasers. Paired with the TAKEFU SG2 powder metallurgy steel, you could easily put on a wicked edge and expect it to hold very well.
If we consider the highly polished core steel as clear water and the dense damascus pattern as cluster of fine ice, the name would match perfectly with the imagery created by the blade. The entire blade is like the face of an arctic river, with fine ice flowing down from the spine to the edge can bring. That, is a very poetic scene that appears in front of my eyes when I pick up these knives.
By
Hatsukokoro
