This knife arrived from the manufacturer with grind marks on the blade, which are visible in the pictures. This should not affect the performance of the knife.
Like its larger sibling, this 210mm
gyuto is made from the popular Hitachi Blue #2 steel which has been hardened to 62-63 Rockwell. The core steel is then covered in a layer of SUS 405 stainless steel. This imparts strength and lightness to the blade. It also makes maintenance easier than with a full carbon knife. The edge steel is still exposed so care is required to keep it from rusting. The cladding receives a very attractive nashiji or pear skin finish.
The primary grind of the blade starts high up on the face and imparts a great contrast to the nashiji portion. It is extremely well executed. The choil area has a very nice radius to it and together with the spine is polished to a high finish. The profile is nicely formed with a fairly flat main section giving way to a gentle curve towards the tip.
Fit and finish are of equally fine quality and this attribute is emphasized with the addition of a lovely octagonal handle with a buffalo horn ferrule. With a 50/50 grind, it is a good choice for both left- and right-handed users. The profile is quite curved for a gyuto and this makes it an especially good blade for rocking cutters. We really like this maker and their knives.
Maker: Hosokawa-san
Brand: Gihei
Edge Steel: Blue #2 Carbon Steel
Cladding: SUS 405 Stainless Steel
HRC: 62-63
Edge Grind: 50/50
Weight: 6.6 0z (188 g)
Edge Length: 214 mm
Total Length: 360 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 3.7 mm
Blade Height: 47.7 mm
Handle: Magnolia Octagonal
Ferrule: Buffalo Horn