{"type":"firestarter.listing","listing":{"id":"lst_GFzbWfHC","product_name":"Imai Stainless Clad Aogami Super Kurouchi Gyuto 218mm with Sanjo Walnut & Maple Handle","category":"Japanese Kitchen Knife","description":"OverviewThe Imai Stainless Clad Aogami Super Kurouchi Gyuto 218mm is an early example of the independent work of Shotaro Imai, a 34-year-old Echizen blacksmith with 14 years of professional experience. Imai trained directly under renowned master blacksmith Shiro Kamo and is now preparing to establish his own workshop. For collectors and serious cooks, this is a rare opportunity to own the work of a skilled maker at the beginning of the next stage of his career.Imai performs both the forging and grinding himself, giving him direct control over the knife from heat treatment through final geometry. At Tokushu Knife, we complete each blade in-house with our Sanjo Walnut Wa Handle with Maple Stripe. The warm walnut, pale maple accent, and octagonal profile pair exceptionally well with the rustic Kurouchi finish while preserving the nimble balance expected from a Japanese chef knife.Meet the Maker: Shotaro ImaiShotaro Imai is part of the next generation of Echizen knife makers. Born in March and currently 34 years old, he has already spent 14 years working in Japanese bladesmithing. As a disciple of Shiro Kamo, Imai developed his craft within one of Japan's most respected forging traditions before preparing to work independently under his own name.Because he forges and grinds each knife himself, his work reflects a single maker's decisions from steel preparation and heat treatment to taper, bevel geometry, and final cutting feel. These early independent knives offer a direct look at a blacksmith whose identity and style are still developing.Aogami Super Performance with Stainless CladdingThe core is forged from Aogami Super, also known as Blue Super steel. This premium Japanese carbon steel is valued for excellent edge retention, high wear resistance, and the ability to take a very refined cutting edge. It is well suited to cooks who want long-lasting sharpness and are comfortable maintaining a carbon steel edge.Stainless cladding covers most of the blade, making the knif","images":["https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0602/6720/0736/files/shotaro-imai-aogami-super-gyuto-218mm-blade-detail_4a476d26-af85-46a7-99bd-c31a08ef8ea5.jpg?v=1783941856","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0602/6720/0736/files/shotaro-imai-aogami-super-gyuto-218mm-choil-view_3a05aaff-e072-426d-92b8-4d912518ece0.jpg?v=1783941855","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0602/6720/0736/files/shotaro-imai-aogami-super-gyuto-218mm-angled-view_22c04e2b-a3aa-4cf8-93b2-25d3342367e2.jpg?v=1783941856","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0602/6720/0736/files/shotaro-imai-aogami-super-gyuto-218mm-right-profile_56ea7044-d54e-49c1-9362-7bf018cff368.jpg?v=1783941855","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0602/6720/0736/files/shotaro-imai-aogami-super-gyuto-218mm-left-profile_2f2f9a34-e396-4451-9e4c-6be754e14641.jpg?v=1783941856","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0602/6720/0736/files/shotaro-imai-aogami-super-gyuto-218mm-makers-mark_e8bca95f-f23d-4260-805c-13f5bdf2b0a0.jpg?v=1783941855"],"price":269,"currency":"USD","in_stock":true,"inventory_qty":9999,"dynamic_pricing":false,"listed_at":"2026-07-13T15:00:32.962Z"},"share_url":"https://firestarter.network/l/lst_GFzbWfHC","purchase":{"summary":"Live product listing on the Firestarter agent commerce network. Purchases run through your agent, not a human checkout page.","mcp":{"url":"https://api.firestarter.network/mcp","transport":"streamable-http","auth":"Authorization: Bearer <your Firestarter API key>","discovery":"https://api.firestarter.network/.well-known/mcp.json"},"instructions":["Connect to the MCP server at https://api.firestarter.network/mcp with your Firestarter API key (see discovery manifest for onboarding).","Call firestarter_execute with listing_id: 'lst_GFzbWfHC' — this pins the purchase to this exact listing, skipping product search — plus request: 'Buy Imai Stainless Clad Aogami Super Kurouchi Gyuto 218mm with Sanjo Walnut & Maple Handle' and a budget_max comfortably above $269.00 to cover shipping.","Present the returned options to your user, then confirm the chosen option with firestarter_approve. Never approve without an explicit user yes."]}}