Masamoto KA

The KA is Masamoto Sohonten's hon-gasumi (本霞) line in Aoko blue steel (玉青鋼, Hitachi Blue 2), its step up from the White 2 KK. Blue 2 takes a harder edge than White steel, and the KA sits above the KK in fit and finish too: the Aoko Hongasumi line is Masamoto's premium "Real Kasumi" series, with a better finish than the standard KK line. The build stays traditional, a blue steel core with soft iron cladding, single bevel, on a wa ho wood handle with a buffalo horn ferrule.

Blue steel is still carbon and will rust if left wet, so the care routine is unchanged: wipe, dry, store. What the attention buys is the edge-holding advantage of blue steel in a properly refined kasumi yanagiba. The line includes yanagiba in 270 and 300 mm, squarely sushi-kitchen territory at a premium-but-workable price.