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Gihei knives are made in Sanjo City by Atsushi Hosokawa and his son.
Gihei was established in 1928 specializing in the production of nakiri-type (three-laminate knives) kitchen knives—either as santoku, kakugata or kengata (also gyuto or gyutu). These knives were manufactured in the traditional way, and Gihei built a very a good reputation based on these principles.
Current owner Atsushi Hosokawa, together with his son, has made his goal to preserve the outstanding characteristics of Japanese knives, like high sharpness, hardness, and ease of sharpening, but to work on some of the admitted disadvantages, such as the relatively brittle edge and susceptibility to rust. The Blue #2 line of knives featured here are a result of that endeavor. The blade has excellent grinds. Heat treatment of the blue #2 steel is really well executed, resulting in a HRC of 62-63. Edge retention and ease of sharpening are very much a feature of these blades. The stainless cladding has a very nice nashiji finish which adds to the strength and overall stability of the knife. They are also easy to maintain.
This is a well-proportioned knife with a generous height and lovely profile. The oak octagonal handle with buffalo horn ferrule are finished to a high standard and complement the beautiful nashiji cladding perfectly. We do not have a saya that fits this knife.Maker: Hosokawa-san
Brand: Gihei
Edge Steel: Blue #2 Carbon Steel
Cladding: SUS 405 Stainless Steel
HRC: 62-63
Edge Grind: 50/50
Weight: 8.6 ounces
Blade Length: 239 mm
Spine Thickness at Base: 3.7 mm
Blade Height: 52.1 mm
Handle: Oak Octagonal
Ferrule: Buffalo Horn
Gihei was established in 1928 specializing in the production of nakiri-type (three-laminate knives) kitchen knives—either as santoku, kakugata or kengata (also gyuto or gyutu). These knives were manufactured in the traditional way, and Gihei built a very a good reputation based on these principles.
Current owner Atsushi Hosokawa, together with his son, has made his goal to preserve the outstanding characteristics of Japanese knives, like high sharpness, hardness, and ease of sharpening, but to work on some of the admitted disadvantages, such as the relatively brittle edge and susceptibility to rust. The Blue #2 line of knives featured here are a result of that endeavor. The blade has excellent grinds. Heat treatment of the blue #2 steel is really well executed, resulting in a HRC of 62-63. Edge retention and ease of sharpening are very much a feature of these blades. The stainless cladding has a very nice nashiji finish which adds to the strength and overall stability of the knife. They are also easy to maintain.
This is a well-proportioned knife with a generous height and lovely profile. The oak octagonal handle with buffalo horn ferrule are finished to a high standard and complement the beautiful nashiji cladding perfectly. We do not have a saya that fits this knife.
Reviews
6 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) 4.5 stars, April 11, 2021Posted By: Johnaldenglover - verified customer
First off- the knife is beautiful and has a nice edge out of the box. The peAr skin finish is subtle but effective and really classy. Could be a sharper, but let's be real- you won't have trouble cutting anything with this right away. Picking it up I noticed the heft- noticeably heavier than my other 240 gyotu. However, it feels elegant and fairly well balanced- though it is a little blade heavy. The knife feels like it's floating when you hold it- a really pleasant sensation. The heft on the blade side means that when chopping the knife does a lot of the work for you. The spine of the knife is super thick, but it is gradually ground down to a thin point at the tip. The blade edge is ground thin as well. This means while large, this knife can handle a lot of precision work such as brunoise shallots, carrots, etc. On the flip side you can basically cut five average sized carrots at a time for stocks. This knife is extremely versatile and a great workhorse. Cladding is completely rust free after many hours in a pro kitchen.
This knife is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a large chefs knife that can handle a multitude of tasks dAy in and day out . The reason I took off a half star is because of the SLIGHT weight imbalance- it falls JUST short of being a true work of art. That being said- I would buy this knife again and again and again. One of the nicest knives I've ever used.
First off- the knife is beautiful and has a nice edge out of the box. The peAr skin finish is subtle but effective and really classy. Could be a sharper, but let's be real- you won't have trouble cutting anything with this right away. Picking it up I noticed the heft- noticeably heavier than my other 240 gyotu. However, it feels elegant and fairly well balanced- though it is a little blade heavy. The knife feels like it's floating when you hold it- a really pleasant sensation. The heft on the blade side means that when chopping the knife does a lot of the work for you. The spine of the knife is super thick, but it is gradually ground down to a thin point at the tip. The blade edge is ground thin as well. This means while large, this knife can handle a lot of precision work such as brunoise shallots, carrots, etc. On the flip side you can basically cut five average sized carrots at a time for stocks. This knife is extremely versatile and a great workhorse. Cladding is completely rust free after many hours in a pro kitchen.
This knife is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a large chefs knife that can handle a multitude of tasks dAy in and day out . The reason I took off a half star is because of the SLIGHT weight imbalance- it falls JUST short of being a true work of art. That being said- I would buy this knife again and again and again. One of the nicest knives I've ever used.
Large beauty , March 25, 2021Posted By: Chris - verified customer
Great some what modern looking classic gyuto that is a tank, awesome grind work, finish on the blade, otb was great 8- out of 10 thick but light , not much finsh work needed to be done a small run on a 8000 grit, and became unstoppable. I got to say it really likes to work and nice rich blue color on the edge that came up is awesome, again service from chef knifes to go is the best!!!
Great some what modern looking classic gyuto that is a tank, awesome grind work, finish on the blade, otb was great 8- out of 10 thick but light , not much finsh work needed to be done a small run on a 8000 grit, and became unstoppable. I got to say it really likes to work and nice rich blue color on the edge that came up is awesome, again service from chef knifes to go is the best!!!
Go-to knife, October 11, 2020 Excellent knife , April 8, 2019 Great work horse of a knife, October 31, 2018Posted By: Ron Hults
Have had this knife for over a year. Time to review it.
It's a great knife with a good heft to it. The heat treatment of blue 2 is outstanding. It take a wicked edge and keeps it for a long time.
As a home cook not pro it does everything I ask it to do. It seams like the more you push it the better it performs.
My only down side is I wish I had gotten the 210 as this thing is big.
Have had this knife for over a year. Time to review it.
It's a great knife with a good heft to it. The heat treatment of blue 2 is outstanding. It take a wicked edge and keeps it for a long time.
As a home cook not pro it does everything I ask it to do. It seams like the more you push it the better it performs.
My only down side is I wish I had gotten the 210 as this thing is big.
