Myojin Riki Seisakusho as a father-and-son workshop is operated by Myojin family, the son Naohito is the sharpener and polisher of the double bevel knives in the workshop and the level of fit and finish achieved is top notch in the industry. Famous work that Naohito works on includes Konosuke Fujiyama FM series, the Tetsujin brand and some of the really rare blades forged by Hashimoto Shoichi. Aside from these collaborations, Naohito also keeps some personal lineups, which include a Ukiba Cobalt Special steel line and this Kasumi SG2 line.
The sharpening approach for these SG2 knives are not nearly as aggressive as the Tetsujin knives, the bevel is a bit thicker, but is still in a very comfortable convex grind that would flow through most foods without much resistance. Although it would wedge more in very dense roots like carrot and sweet potatoes, but in a more succulent food like a fresh white potato, the stronger convex resulted from a thicker blade can encourage food separation, and I feel these SG2 is bit less sticky than the Tetsujin when dealing with these kind of food.
The SG2 doesn’t need much introduction, it is still one of the best kitchen knife steels you can find without going to the steels that are impossible to sharpen. It scores pretty high in edge retention while being fully stainless, which makes a good material for professionals as it requires sharpening less frequently and doesn't need special care.
The fit and finish is phenomenal, but also what you would expect from Naohito Myojin. The super consistent Kasumi finish covers the entire soft steel cladding, which just makes the polished core steel and spine pops out on the edge. Every sharp corner is cleanly chamfered and despite the crisp boundary between each surface, the choil and spine doesn’t feel sharp at all. This silky smooth Kasumi has just the right reaction when cutting food as it is not too rough to create friction and not too smooth to stick.
As the Naohito Myojin is now recognised as the top sharpener of the industry, he is very caught up in all kinds of jobs, and being the only person working on these different projects, any of his knives would be highly sought after. This SG2 is one of those items and it has the best steel(edge retention wise), which makes it very hard to come by. Whether you are a collector, knife enthusiast or pro chef looking for a good tool, this line is something you would want to try out if the opportunities come by.
By
Myojin Riki
