Overview & First Impressions
The kiritsuke profile, that long, almost-flat blade with the reversed tanto tip, is the traditional status knife of Japanese kitchens, and the XC117 brings the profile to a workable price. Xin Cutlery forges 193mm of 67-layer VG10-core damascus with an acid etch wash finish, then caps the full tang with rosewood and buffalo horn jointed in nickel silver.
Materials & Construction
VG10 at 61 HRC gives the long edge its stamina, and the damascus jacket spreads stress so the blade survives the sideways nudges a single-knife kitchen inevitably delivers. The acid etch wash sits between polished and heavy-etched finishes, showing the layers clearly while shrugging off fingerprints and board scratches.
Design & Details
What makes the kiritsuke special is the tip geometry: reverse the usual curve, put the point high, and suddenly detail cuts, scoring skin, and lifting slices off the board all get easier. The straight bevel handle keeps orientation obvious, which matters when one knife does every job. The full tang means zero flex at the heel under two-hand pressure.
Real-World Use
As the only knife in the drawer, the XC117 genuinely works: it slices sashimi-grade tuna acceptably, brunoises an onion without stalling, and portions a roast chicken with the tip lift that chef knives cannot match. The flat-ish edge profile teaches better technique, too; you stop rocking and start pushing, which is how longer blades are meant to work.
Ownership Notes
Care follows the standard damascus rules: hand wash, dry at once, strop weekly, stone monthly at fifteen degrees. Keep it out of the dishwasher forever. Owners of fixed blade field knives already live by this code, and the kitchen deserves the same discipline. The XC117's Damascus steel is forged rather than etched on, so the pattern deepens with polishing instead of wearing away. Kiritsuke technique rewards push cutting, and the near-flat edge profile enforces good habits without a mentor in the room. The reversed tanto-style tip lifts sliced portions off the board cleanly, a job chef knives handle clumsily. Rosewood and buffalo horn finishing matches the rest of the damascus line if you are building a set. For intermediate home cooks, this is the knife that most visibly improves technique per practice session. The 193mm length sits between the santokus and the 225mm XC120, which makes it the compromise-free center of the range. That is a rare thing to say about any knife, and it is the main reason the XC117 keeps selling out in handmade batches.
Who Is This For?
Minimalists who want one excellent knife instead of a block, kiritsuke curious cooks who do not want to spend three hundred dollars finding out whether the profile suits them, and collectors whose EDC knives deserve a kitchen counterpart. Intermediate home cooks get the most out of the tip-forward geometry.
Final Verdict
The XC117 is the smartest entry into kiritsuke ownership we have seen, with real damascus and a steel that sharpens predictably. It solves the one-knife kitchen honestly. See it on EdcMall while the handmade batches last.
