Hatsukokoro Shinkiro

Sanmai - Soft Iron Damascus Clad Kurouchi Blue Super / Aogami Super / Carbon Hyogo, Japan

Shinkiro(蜃気楼) in Japanese means "Mirage", it is made with an Aogami Super steel core, with a beautiful Damascus iron cladding on the bevel and Kurouchi finish on top. This series of knives delivers a combination of great Kireaji(切れ味, the "Cutting Taste"), good edge retention and artistic look.

For most damascus knives, makers will polish them with various methods to reveal their beauty across the blade, therefore it is uncommon to see a combination of unpolished Kurouchi finish put on top of a damascus cladding, the end result however, is rather stunning. Holding the knife spine down, the Kurouchi finish becomes this rough and earthy ground, where the organic damascus pattern in the cladding boils and tumbles above it, then dissipate into the sky represented by the highly polished core steel. I believe this is the perfect recreation of the Mirage under the blazing sun, a highly artistic utilization and combination of forging techniques and a materiality.

The creator of these beautiful Knives Takahiro Nihei is a young smith trained under Sanjo's famous Yoshikane Hamono. Just like Yoshikane, his pays a lot of attention to the details of his work. The Shinkiro has a typical thick Sanjo heel, a very fast taper to the tip and super thin behind the edge. It is a great cutter that doesn't carry the price tag of its more premium "Hyomon" siblings. Although the carbon core steel and soft iron damascus cladding may be prone to rust, the Kurouchi finish can protect the blade partially from that issue.

Pros

Great artistic
Excellent performance
Highly collectable

Cons

Prone to rust
High budget

Best For

Collectors
Enthusiasts

Construction

Sanmai - Soft Iron Damascus Clad

Surface Finish

Kurouchi

Steel

Blue Super / Aogami Super / Carbon

Origin

Hyogo, Japan

Frequently asked questions

Is the Hatsukokoro Shinkiro stainless clad?

No. H&K lists the Shinkiro (蜃気楼) as iron clad over an Aogami Super core, and in our own line entry we list it as soft iron clad rather than stainless clad.

So we suggest wiping and drying the whole blade after washing, not just the edge.

Published by K&S Education Desk; staff review pending

What does the name Hatsukokoro mean?

The name comes from the Japanese proverb 初心忘るべからず, which means don't forget your original intention. The company read it gently as hatsukokoro rather than shoshin.

H&K created the brand in 2019, six years after the company was founded, and chose the name for its knife line.

Published by K&S Education Desk; staff review pending

Is Hatsukokoro a maker or a brand, and who makes the knives?

Hatsukokoro (初心) is a brand, not a forge. H&K, a company founded in 2013 and based in Amagasaki, Hyogo, created it in 2019.

H&K names the producer for some lines, for example Shinkiro by Takahiro Nihei in Fukushima, Ginyou by Yoshihiro Yauji in Echizen and Kurosagi by Motokyuichi Hamono in Nagasaki, and keeps others confidential. Some knives we stock carry the maker in the title, such as Hatsukokoro x Yoshikane SKD Nashiji.

Published by K&S Education Desk; staff review pending

What is Aogami Super (Blue Super) steel?

Aogami Super, also called Blue Super, is a knife steel made by Proterial. Proterial describes it as an alloy steel with tungsten, chromium and vanadium, to improve heat-treatment properties and wear resistance. In its Japanese materials, Proterial calls its Aogami (青紙) steels high-carbon steel (高炭素鋼). Its own figures put carbon at 1.40 to 1.50%, tungsten at 2.00 to 2.50%, vanadium at 0.30 to 0.50% and chromium at 0.30 to 0.50%.

Proterial gives it a hardening hardness of 60 HRC or more. The uses it lists for the grade are high quality planes, other tipped tools, kitchen knives and sickles. Proterial's hardening note calls for quenching in water, with oil as the alternative.

With chromium well under the 10.5% the Japan Stainless Steel Association sets for stainless, it is not a stainless steel. Wipe it dry after use, do not leave it wet or in the sink, and do not leave acidic food on it.

Reviewed by K&S Staff · Last updated 22 July 2026

What is the difference between Aogami Super and Blue 2?

The difference is in Proterial's own figures: Aogami Super has 1.40 to 1.50% carbon, 2.00 to 2.50% tungsten, 0.30 to 0.50% chromium and 0.30 to 0.50% vanadium, against Aogami 2 (Blue 2) at 1.05 to 1.15% carbon, 1.00 to 1.50% tungsten and 0.20 to 0.50% chromium.

Proterial describes both as alloy steels with tungsten and chromium to improve heat-treatment properties and wear resistance, and also names vanadium for Aogami Super. In its Japanese materials, Proterial calls its Aogami (青紙) steels high-carbon steel (高炭素鋼). Both pages list hardening hardness over 60 HRC, and Proterial lists Aogami Super for high-quality planes, other tipped tools, kitchen knives and sickles.

Published by K&S Education Desk; staff review pending