The most essential knife for the kitchen which no chef can be without. The gyutos meaning is “Cow sword” in Japan as gyu means “Beef” and to means “Sword” this is also known as a Chef’s knife or French knife. It is the one and first knife all chef’s/cooks needs in their kitchen. When buying your first gyuto you have to consider how and what will be built around your first knife as it will do the majority of the work in your kitchen.
The Damascus or suminagashi finish on Japanese knives is often considered cosmetic, but it can serve a functional purpose. When a knife is quenched, the harder hagane (high-carbon steel) contracts over time due to carbide formation, heat treatment, and oxidation, leading to bending. This happens because the softer jigane layer stretches to compensate. Damascus layering adds strength, similar to plywood, by combining multiple steel layers, preventing bending and making the blade more durable. Some argue this layered construction balances the stresses between hard and soft steel, maintaining the blade’s shape over time.
Developed by Takefu Special Steel, Super Gold 2 (SG2) is a premium powdered tool steel alloy specifically engineered for crafting high-quality blades. Renowned for its exceptional performance and durability, SG2 has earned its reputation as one of the most sought-after high-end powder steels in the blade-making community. With the ability to be heat-treated to an impressive hardness of up to 64 HRC (Rockwell hardness scale), SG2 blades exhibit outstanding edge retention and wear resistance. Interestingly, there is a steel known as R2, produced by Kobelco Steel, which is widely believed to be identical to SG2 in composition and properties.
Due to their indistinguishable characteristics, these steels are often referred to interchangeably as SG2/R2, acknowledging their shared origin and performance attributes. Blades made from SG2 (or R2) steel have gained considerable popularity among both professional chefs and knife enthusiasts for their exceptional cutting performance and long-lasting edge sharpness.
Weight: 200g
Handle Material: Stabilised maple with metal bolster
Handle Length: 120mm (4.7")
Blade Length: 214mm (8.4")
Blade Depth: 48mm
Thickness at spine: 1.6mm
Thickness at tip: 0.2mm
Cutting Edge: Double 50/50
Blade Material: SG2/R2 High speed powder stainless steel with stainless steel cladding
Hardness (Rockwell scale): 62 - 63
