The Gyuto is the most essential knife in any kitchen, making it a must-have for both professional chefs and home cooks. It will be your most frequently used knife, so choosing the right size and weight to suit your needs is crucial. This versatile blade handles a wide range of kitchen tasks, from chopping vegetables to slicing meat, making it the backbone of any knife collection.

Compared to traditional Japanese knives, the Gyuto tends to have a slightly heavier blade and a thicker spine, providing durability and stability for cutting through tougher ingredients. The curved edge is designed for the traditional rocking motion commonly used in Western chopping techniques, where the tip of the knife remains on the board while the blade moves back and forth. However, as Japanese and Chinese knives have gained popularity, many Western chefs have begun to favour wider blades that allow for a more up-and-down chopping motion, blending the best of both styles.

With the right Gyuto in hand, you’ll have a precise, versatile, and highly efficient tool that makes every kitchen task easier and more enjoyable.

The Takeda Hamono NAS Aogami Super range is forged from Aogami Super Blue Super carbon steel, one of the highest performing traditional Japanese knife steels, manufactured using advanced alloying with high levels of carbon, tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, and vanadium. The high carbon content allows the blades to achieve exceptional hardness, typically around 62–64 HRC, delivering outstanding edge retention and the ability to take an extremely fine, razor sharp edge. Tungsten and vanadium contribute to the formation of hard carbides, improving wear resistance and cutting longevity, while molybdenum enhances toughness and stability during heat treatment.

Each blade is traditionally hand-forged by Shosui Takeda using san mai construction, with a hard Aogami Super core protected by softer cladding layers to balance cutting performance, durability, and strength. The NAS range is renowned among professional chefs for its exceptional sharpness, unique forged finish, and the combination of advanced metallurgy with centuries old Japanese blacksmithing techniques.

Weight: 167g

Handle Material: Wa handle - Magnolia wood, Buffalo horn ferrule

Handle Length: 135mm (5.3")

Blade Length: 243mm (9.5")

Blade Depth: 67mm

Thickness at spine: 2.0mm

Thickness at tip: 0.5mm

Cutting Edge: Double 50/50

Blade Material: Aogami Super (Blue Super) (Carbon steel)

Hardness (Rockwell scale): 63 - 64