Now here is an interesting
gyuto in almost every way: looks, shape, and materials.
We have a lot of respect for the Takayuki way of making knives. They have successfully straddled the line between mass-produced and pure handmade with great skill. Their offerings go from budget-conscious to bordering on the exotic. This unusual example is a lovely-looking item, with its sweeping curved spine, flowing into the well-executed bolster and onto the stunning western-style hidden tang handle. Speaking of which, we have five different shades available, each as stunning and unusual as the next. The one-sided dimples are an uncommon visual aspect of the blade.
The blade is made with top-quality AEB-L stainless steel that Takayuki sources from the Swedish Uddeholm factory. The high quality iron used to make AEB-L is excavated from the Uddeholm company mines and contains an extremely low amount of phosphorus and sulfur, resulting in a steel that is regarded to be one of the finest in the world. Takayuki hardens the steel to about 60 HRC.
Of note is that the blade is a mono steel construction, so there is no cladding of other steels. This means you have a knife with superior stainless properties, which translates to a real ease of maintenance. We know many chefs appreciate that!
The knife comes with a fetching custom handle made with what they call a jewel pattern. Each one is unique with a mix of colors.
Maker: Takayuki
Location: Sakai, Japan
Construction: Mono Steel
Steel: Swedish Stainless Steel
HRC: 60-61
Edge Grind: Even
Weight: 5.8 oz (166g)
Blade Length: 209 mm
Overall Length: 331 mm
Spine Thickness at Heel: 2.3 mm
Blade Height at Heel: 44.4 mm
Handle coloring may vary slightly from picture