The Terasu Yamagoya (mountain-hut) knife by Otsuka Hamono is an excellent Japanese knife for outdoor uses that require more durability. The blade steel used, aogami #1, is known to have long edge retention, yet still maintain exceptional hardness when hand-forged and heat treated by a skilled smith.
Otsuka-San is a 4th generation bladesmith. The waiting list for his knives is 1-2 years long, only accepting orders from a limited customer base of clientele he respects and knows will understand his work, namely a few restaurants in Tokyo, Paris, and Milan—and our pals at Terasu.
Description
Aogami #1 blade steel has excellent edge retention, yet still shows exceptional hardness when made using skilled hand-forging and heat treatments. Keep them nice and dry when not in use to avoid rust, which can be cleaned off with a light abrasive or some lemon. Blade steel (knife edge) will patina black over time.