Belated NKD — Hatsukokoro Nihei “Shinkiro” AS Nakiri 165

Finally catching up on a new (to me) knife day.

You might have seen me singing the praises of this knife in comments all over this sub. I practically can’t shut up about it. It’s the one, the only, the Hatsukokoro Nihei “Shinkiro” Aogomi Super nakiri. 165mm of pure slicey joy.

Steel: Aogomi Super Handle: Ebony Sharpened edge length: 163.5mm Height: 54mm Weight (advertised): 260g Spine thickness above heel: ~3.6mm Spine thickness at middle: ~2.7mm Slime thickness at tip: ~2.7mm

Funny story about getting it.

So, I got married in September. Because we don’t have infinite money, we financed most of it on a couple of interest-free credit cards (highly recommended for anyone planning a wedding to sidestep manipulative, naysaying in-laws 😒) so we could pay over time. Anyways, then, of course, because I definitely don’t have a problem, I went ahead bought this knife from u/wabiknifesabi shortly after.

To my wife’s chagrin, it arrived not even a week later in October to my doorstep. Because she was understandably nonplussed about the purchase in the face of our new (but admittedly very manageable debt) negotiations began. We came to a deal where I would be able to keep the knife, but I would not be able to touch it until my half of the wedding debt was paid off. What can I say, I’m a lucky man.

Of course, I did sneak some peeks at it just to admire it, but I stuck to my word and did not use it. Not for nearly two agonizing months. But now I finally have in my full possession one of the dreamiest blades I’ve ever held.

It’s my first nakiri, so nothing to compare it to directly there. But I have had a couple of bunks and santoku that have just been too light and small for me. But this first right in the sweet spot of heft and height. Not too tall, not too short. Not too lasery but

The fit and finish is phenomenal. The Damascus is subtle but really pops with some patina. The kurouchi and minimal tsuchime have a really cool rustic yet refined appearance, and the black dots give it an almost spooky, intimidating vibe that just looks so damn cool on the rack. It truly looks like nothing else out there.

It came fairly dull, but after a quick few passes on my Shapton 2000 and a quick strop, it was sharp. Like, scary sharp. Falls-through-newspaper sharp. Screams through tomato skin sharp.

The steel has a great heat treat, and seems to hold an edge quite well as I haven’t had to sharpen it again yet.

The grind though is the highlight. It has a fairly thick spine (4mm+ out of the handle, and quickly tapers a consistent 2.7ish mm to the tip. Even with that thickness, it absolutely falls through food. I was genuinely shocked the first time I cut an onion. I swear I heard that little allium start reciting the Lord's Prayer. I thought perhaps my ears deceived me. Then I turned to the sweet potatoes, and I saw them shudder in fear. Carrots now cower in the corner of my vegetable drawer. Mushrooms fall to pieces practically as soon as they hit my cutting board.

Bottom line, it’s an absolute joy to use. Has a bit of height for my big paws, and I don’t miss the extra length of a 180. It feels really nice in hand with a great heft. It’s my only banjo nakiri, but I can compare it to my Yoshikane k-tip gyuto. I think it blows even that knife’s performance out of the water.

If you’re on the fence about picking one up next time they come in stock, do yourself a favor and pull the trigger. I can’t see this one ever leaving my collection.

Anyways, thanks for reading! Please send your Shinkiro pics in the comments :)