Hiromoto HC 270mm gyuto

My current go to chef’s knife, made of solid SK-4 high carbon (tool?) steel with a stainless steel bolster and riveted with pakkawood scales.

The HC series has been discontinued from production by Hiromoto, and I will miss this series’ ability to offer a great; easy to sharpen to a fine, clean edge; for a bargain price and acceptably high levels of fit and finish.

I paid USD$49.05 for it from JCK and is more or less that one would pay for in a Victorinox Fibrox locally, what an excellent deal. And they like to make them thin…. goooooood!

Photos of the knife new in the box and oiled up.

I had force patina on this knife by slicing lemons, then wrapping the blade in lemon juice soaked paper towel and cling film for an hour, which resulted in a ‘tiger stripe’ pattern patina development.

After 3/4 of a year’s use; patina set, spine and choil rounded, name and other markings engraved, rebeveled and sharpened to my liking.

Rehandling ideas: Exhibition Grade Desert Ironwood scales, 3x SS corby screws with Mosaic Pin inlaid over, Nickel Silver bolster brazed on, Black Canvas Micarta spacer and DIY pinless saya.

This grand old girl’s replacement will some distant day be a 270mm Fujiwara Kanefusa FKH gyuto also western pattern and a nice, bigger handle and the same SK-4 steel; itself to be rescaled with Lignum Vitae scales, Mosaic pins and brazed on tang extensions.

But superseded by a custom Moritaka Hamono Blue #2 300mm wa-gyuto next year, damascus cladding is a maybe since it will drive the price up from JYN13,500 to JYN26,000 from the kurouchi version… still a bargain for what you’re getting.

Original post:24SEP08, Updated:20OCT08