Gyuto knife, VG1 stainless steel, Tsuchime finish, Blue handle - Masutani

Master Kunio Masutani makes some excellent knives with exceptional bang for your buck. He is another one of the group of makers from Takefu and has also been awarded the title of Master of Traditional Crafts. SHAPE: Gyuto. Japan's answer to the chef's knife with a thinner profile. Gyuto translates to cow sword. STEEL: VG1. A high performance Japanese made stainless steel in the same family as VG10 but with less carbon content and less alloy elements. This makes for a blade that is super easy to sharpen but with slightly less edge retention than VG10. FINISH: Tsuchime. This is a hand hammered finish that is not only beautiful but also functional. The small depressions stop food sticking to the knife. This finishes comes in many different forms from the traditional round hammer marks to more modern patterns. HANDLE: Western style pakkawood handle dyed blue BLADE LENGTH: 180mm. MAKER: Masutani - Echizen, Japan SAUNDERS SAYS: "This is a lot of knife for your money - it not only has a beautiful finish but the quality of the blade is also there." Also take a look at the VG10 Santoku and the VG10 Gyuto also from Masutani.