All-purpose knife with a 142 mm blade and extra tall blade. The handle is made from spalted maple in an octagonal shape.

Steel: Stainless mono steel, Gingami #3 (HRC 61)
Blade length: 142 mm
Blade height: 39 mm
Weight: 63 grams

Master Futoshi Nagao has now retired after a lifetime of knife-making, ending his era with Hiromoto knives.

This particular knife has an interesting backstory. It was one of the first knives we purchased from Japan back in 2008. Among the shipment was a 180 mm gyuto knife with a cracked joint between the handle and blade (European-style handle). The knife was set aside for 16 years until November 2024, when we rediscovered it in storage.
The European bolster was reshaped to fit a Japanese handle. A new tang was crafted from the rear section of the blade, and the new, shorter blade was paired with a lightweight handle made from aged maple.

This knife is thin, lightweight, and feels excellent in hand. The blade steel, Gingami #3, is a stainless single steel hardened to 61 HRC. This makes it an exceptionally hard steel that retains its edge well while still being easy to sharpen. Thanks to the very thin blade, this knife offers excellent cutting performance, while the soft contours make it comfortable to work with.