The KnS Tsuchime Sanmai is the first model that Knives and Stones carries with our own branding 岩刃(Stone/Blade). Bearing this name means we are putting our reputation on these knives, and you can expect that we only gonna pick the items that can hold up to our standards and stand out in their categories.
These VG10 blades are produced in Seki, which is known for operating large machineries in factory blade manufacturing. What's unique about this VG10 line is the exceptional cutting performance. I had an impression that the machine manufactured blades tend to have less optimised geometry that results wedging and sticking, creating resistance and lead to worst cutting performance(Kireaji), however, the smooth cut offered by these blades proved me wrong. They have a very low thickness behind the edge that leads to excellent food penetration, and a well-polished bevel that release food off at Shinogi line halfway across the blade.
This kind of smooth cut is not rare in a store that specialise in high performance Japanese kitchen knives, but what excites me is that we can now see this level of performance on a factory manufactured knife, with a price tag that matches a typical European counterpart of same size. As much as I enjoy viewing or owning the collector pieces and the "Unicorn Knives", an affordable knife that cut well is what benefits most users at the end of the day.
The first line that bears the KnS name is not a statement piece, but rather a entry level item. Its the excellent performance is a combination of optimised design and manufacturing procedure with a low maintenance, solid performing steel. And they are a series of knives that I can comfortably recommend to anyone that seek the amazing experience that Japanese cutlery can offer.
By
Knives and Stones (K&S)
