When we first began manufacturing knives in Japan, we knew we were only scratching the surface of what was possible. What began as a small batch, limited-edition Honesuki blade has now grown into a full assortment of Japanese-style knives, each one hand-forged in the legendary knife-making city of Seki, Japan.
And now, we’re adding a new shape to that lineup: the Kamagata. A traditional Japanese vegetable cleaver with our signature details, the Kamagata is a knife we’ve been excited to release for some time. Built with the same high-performance materials and ergonomic features as the rest of our Japanese Knife Collection, this new addition offers both seasoned chefs and passionate home cooks the opportunity to explore a new style of precision prep.
Read on to learn more about this special knife and why we’re so excited to add it to our collection.
What Is a Kamagata?
A Kamagata is a Japanese-style vegetable cleaver designed for clean, controlled cuts—especially when prepping produce. It’s similar in shape and use to the Nakiri, another Japanese vegetable knife, but is even more maneuverable thanks to its slimmer profile. The Kamagata essentially combines the power of a Nakiri blade with the precision of a utility knife.
Unlike knives designed for rocking or slicing, the Kamagata’s flat blade makes full contact with the cutting board. This allows for confident push cuts and straight-down chopping, ideal for everything from garlic to carrots to fine herbs. It’s not a knife for powering through bones or dense squash, but for the kind of exacting vegetable prep that brings finesse to your knife work.
One of the best parts of expanding our Japanese knife collection has been revisiting heritage blade shapes and making them available to our customers—shapes that working chefs have relied on for centuries, but that are still new to many home cooks. The Kamagata is a perfect example: functional, refined, and versatile, it opens the door to a different kind of knife work and a deeper understanding of what a well-designed tool can do.
Form Meets Function: Forged from VG10 Damascus Steel
Like every knife in our Japanese collection, the Kamagata is forged from VG10 Damascus steel—a time-honored technique that involves folding multiple layers of steel over one another. This forging process not only strengthens the blade, but also gives it a one-of-a-kind tiger stripe pattern that’s visible on the surface of every knife.
This folding process ensures no two Kamagatas are exactly alike, meaning your knife is entirely your own. And while the distinctive Damascus pattern is visually striking, it’s the blade’s edge retention and sharpness that really set it apart. Lightweight, nimble, and razor-sharp, the Kamagata is built for performance and precision.
Thoughtfully Designed Handle, Rooted in Tradition
In designing the Kamagata, we wanted to honor its Japanese roots while still ensuring it felt at home within our broader knife collection. The result is a hybrid handle that blends the rounded shape of a traditional Japanese grip with the added comfort and control of a Western-style bolster—an ergonomic upgrade unique to our Kamagata, that makes a difference whether you're prepping for a dinner party or working night after night on the line.
We crafted the handle from moabi wood, a material prized not only for its durability and rot resistance, but also for its natural beauty. The wood’s rich grain subtly mirrors the tiger stripe pattern of the Damascus blade, giving the knife a cohesive, unique, and elevated look that’s as striking as it is functional.
The Kamagata is designed to perform, but it’s also built to last—and to look good doing it.
Ready to Shop?
The Limited-Edition Kamagata is available as part of our Japanese Knife Collection—for as long as it stays in stock, that is. Designed with expert knife makers in Seki, Japan, and built to match the aesthetic and performance standards of our full assortment, it’s a knife worth making room in your knife block for.
Sign up below to be the first to shop when it releases on Wednesday, 7/16.
