Nakiri 16,5 cm Kei Kobayashi SG2

Vegetables, herbs and the rest of the broadly understood "greens" are an extremely important element of any diet, providing our bodies with vitamins and microelements that are lacking in all kinds of meat. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that a specialized knife shape was created for cutting vegetables. In this case, it is nakiri. "Nakiri bocho" in Japanese means exactly a knife for cutting vegetables, and its history dates back to the 17th century, where, next to a deba (one-sided sharpened fish-processing knife), it found its place in practically every household.

Nakiri is characterized by a rectangular, wide blade (but not as wide as a Chinese knife) with a very slight curvature of the cutting edge known as the "belly". It has no tip, the cutting edge at the knife's forehead rises in a small arc. The standard height of the blade for this shape is about 5 centimeters, but there are exceptions to this rule - for example, nakiri made by master Yoshimi Kato under the Masakage manufactory, the Koishi series is a whole centimeter wider. Perhaps it does not look impressive on paper (unless we go to the surface of the blade - the standard 16 cm nakiri is about 80 cm2, and the Nakiri Koishi - over 100 cm2), but the difference in work is immediately visible. The width of the nakiri is important for functionality. The shape of the blade allows for easy handling of the sliced ​​ingredients, which facilitates the work in the kitchen.

R2 and SG2 steels are basically the same steels, sold under different names. R2 steel is distributed by one of the leaders in Japanese steel production, namely Kobelco Steel Company. This steel is also purchased byTakefu Steel Companywhich labels it asSG2(according to Koki Iwahara of JapaneseChefsKnife.Com).

This steel is powder-coated, high-speed steel. Thanks to the unique production process, this steel has a very high degree of purity, precisely selected chemical composition and an intricately designed structure. It has anoutstanding sharpness at the level of 64 HRC, it is harder than most powder steels, thanks to the significant share ofmolybdenum and vanadiumforming carbides. A significant amount of vanadium, in addition to improving the hardness and abrasion resistance of steel, does not reduce plastic properties, and even improves impact strength and elasticity. The very high content of molybdenum, improving the strength properties, together with chromium also affects the corrosion resistance of this steel. R2 / SG2 keeps sharpness for a very long time. In addition, it is maintenance-free,with excellent blades, even better than the iconic ZDP-189. This steel is ideal for professionals who have the highest demands on their tools.

The basic principle of maintaining stainless steel knives is to wipe them dry. Leaving a wet knife to dry on its own will result inthe appearance of small spots of rust. It is completelyunacceptable to wash the knives in a dishwasher, chemicals and high temperature will negatively affect the handle and the blade, it can also lead to permanent damage to the knife. The knife is used only for cutting soft, boned and non-frozen products. If the blade comes into contact with the bone, it can chip.When cutting, do not twist the knife from side to side, as it may break the tip if the knife is jammed in the product. The wood and plastic boards recommended by us, cutting on glass or stone boards is prohibited, it will lead to an accelerated process of blunting the knife and possible nicks. The knife shouldonly be used as a cutting tool, the thin, sharp design perfectly cuts the products, but when you try to open the jars, the blade may chip.