Mizu-Honyaki Chef's Knife - Gyuto 240mm (9-1/2 in.)

Product Description for Mizu-Honyaki Chef's Knife - Gyuto 240mm (9-1/2 in.)

Maker: Yoshikazu Ikeda (click to see more by this maker)
Price: $1,419.00
Item num: 96594
Blade length: 9.50 in.
Total length: 15.75 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.90 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.12 in.
Item weight: 8.48 oz.
Shipment weight: 16.4 oz.
Blade: Hand forged mizu-honyaki Shirogami 2 (white #2) carbon steel with a water quench
Bolster: Front and rear buffalo horn with bone spacers
Handle: Macassar ebony
Description: Yoshikazu Ikeda is one of the finest smiths in Sakai, Japan. Ikeda has been making knives and swords for over 40 years, beginning in his early 20s. In 1988, he was recognized as a dentoukougeishi by the Japanese government and since 2001 he has been the chairman of the association of dentoukougeishi. Dentoukougeishi are highly skilled master artisans recognized by the Japanese government for their commitment to protecting traditional arts and techniques.
The gyuto is modeled after the French pattern chef's knife. Longer and slimmer than the santoku, it is suited to preparation of meat and may be used as a general purpose chef's knife. The long blade is needed for the sawing motion required to cut meat and the slim profile keeps the weight low and the balance perfect.
Ikeda's traditional knives are highly sought after by professional chefs and show the tremendous skill of this renowned craftsman. Rather using the san mai (three-layers) technique, his mizu-honyaki knives are forged from a mono-steel and heat treated very much like a Japanese sword. The spine is coated with clay prior to quenching. This insulates the top of the blade and results in a keen, hard cutting edge with a soft, supportive spine. Honyaki takes more skill to forge and shape than other techniques. Of all the Japanese knives, mizu-honyaki knives have the greatest kirenaga (staying sharp the longest), but they are also slightly more fragile than other knives and can chip if used improperly. Quenching the knife in water ensures the very best edge holding possible. A mirror polish provides limited protection from rusting (though oiling with camellia oil is still strongly encouraged.
The blade is forged from Shirogami 2 carbon steel. This exceptional steel is high in carbon and the finer grain structure allows for a keen, long-lasting edge even through heavy use. A clear heat treatment line (called a hamon) travels across the blade. This shows the transition between the keen, long lasting edge and the soft, supportive spine.
The octagonal "Wa" style handle is carved from macassar ebony with front and rear buffalo horn ferrules. White spacers made from bone adds contrast to the dark toned handle. This natural, ambidextrous handle is easy to grip and lasts a lifetime. Like other kitchen knives, this knife should not be put in a dishwasher or soaked in water. We recommend using camellia oil to avoid rust.


Availability: In stock. Usually ships in 1-2 business days