Moritaka Hamono 盛高刃物

Marks on the blade

About

Kumamoto family forge selling direct in English; Aogami Super kurouchi knives with a straight, wide profile. Mark 盛高 chiselled, sometimes with the smith's name.

Steels

• Aogami Super — Longest edge life of the Hitachi carbon steels. Kiryu Kogyo tempers it to HRC 64–65 inside stainless cladding.
• Aogami #2 (Blue #2) — White #2 plus chromium and tungsten: better wear resistance, a touch harder to sharpen.

Facts

Knife types made

• Gyuto (chef's knife) 牛刀 · Western-style chef's knife: meat, large vegetables, rocking cuts.
• Santoku 三徳 · All-round home knife: vegetables, fish, meat. The first knife to buy.
• Nakiri 菜切 · Vegetables only: straight up-and-down cuts, thin slices, cabbage, daikon.
• Petty ペティ · Small jobs in hand: peeling, trimming, garnish, fruit.
• Kiritsuke (double-bevel) 切付 · Gyuto with a straight edge and angled tip; slicing and push cuts.
• Bunka 文化 · Santoku with a reverse-tanto tip: precision tip work plus vegetables.
• Sujihiki 筋引 · Long slicer for roasts, brisket, portioning fish without bones.
• Deba 出刃 · Breaking down whole fish: heads, bones, filleting. Thick spine.
• Yanagiba 柳刃 · Slicing sashimi and sushi toppings in one pull stroke.
• Nata (hatchet / camp blade) 鉈 · Splitting kindling, clearing brush, camp work. Sanjo's other speciality.

Care for these steels

Carbon steel (Shirogami / Aogami / SK)

• Rinse and wipe dry immediately after each use — never leave it wet or in the sink.
• Do not put in the dishwasher. Do not cut acidic foods and walk away (lemon, tomato, onion will stain within minutes).
• A grey-blue patina is normal and protective; orange rust is not. Remove orange rust with a rust eraser or #1000 stone slurry.
• Before storing for more than a day, wipe with camellia oil (椿油) or any food-safe oil.
• Store dry, in a saya or on a rack — not loose in a drawer.

Where to buy

Maker websiteeBay (new & used) affiliateAmazon US affiliateAmazon JP affiliate