Kikuichi has been making knives in Sakai for generations, and the Swedish Warikomi Damascus line is among the most technically refined work in their catalog. The construction is warikomi - a forging method where the hard steel core is inserted into a softer outer steel rather than clad on top - producing a blade that is exceptionally thin and rigid. The core is AEB-L, a Swedish stainless steel with extremely fine carbide structure that allows it to take a very acute edge and hold it well. The 45-layer Damascus cladding alternates AEB-L with nickel, creating the flowing pattern that is then mirror-polished to a high finish. At HRC 60, the steel sharpens readily and holds its edge well through sustained kitchen use.
At 246mm blade length and 50mm height this gyuto - Japan all-purpose chef knife - is the lightest 240mm available at this level by the consistent account of multiple professional cooks who have put it to work. The 2mm spine runs to a fine distal taper toward the tip, which is where the thinness is most felt - precise and responsive in a way that thicker knives cannot match. The mirror-polished Damascus surface polishes back easily on fine-grit paper if it dulls with use. Rosewood octagonal handle. 5.1 oz.
What Customers Are Saying: Seven reviewers, all experienced knife users, with a consistent verdict: this is the thinnest and lightest 240mm they have used, it cuts like a laser through vegetables and boneless proteins, and the Damascus pattern is stunning. Professional line cooks have run it through demanding prep days without issue. The AEB-L sharpens easily with minimal burr formation. The honest note repeated across multiple reviews: the fine tip requires care. It has chipped and needed re-tipping under professional kitchen abuse - that is the honest tradeoff for a blade this thin, and everyone who accepts it reports long-term satisfaction and would replace it without hesitation.
Care Instructions: AEB-L is a stainless steel - hand wash and dry after use. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials that could chip the fine tip. Use wood or rubber boards only. Sharpen on quality water stones.
At 246mm blade length and 50mm height this gyuto - Japan all-purpose chef knife - is the lightest 240mm available at this level by the consistent account of multiple professional cooks who have put it to work. The 2mm spine runs to a fine distal taper toward the tip, which is where the thinness is most felt - precise and responsive in a way that thicker knives cannot match. The mirror-polished Damascus surface polishes back easily on fine-grit paper if it dulls with use. Rosewood octagonal handle. 5.1 oz.
What Customers Are Saying: Seven reviewers, all experienced knife users, with a consistent verdict: this is the thinnest and lightest 240mm they have used, it cuts like a laser through vegetables and boneless proteins, and the Damascus pattern is stunning. Professional line cooks have run it through demanding prep days without issue. The AEB-L sharpens easily with minimal burr formation. The honest note repeated across multiple reviews: the fine tip requires care. It has chipped and needed re-tipping under professional kitchen abuse - that is the honest tradeoff for a blade this thin, and everyone who accepts it reports long-term satisfaction and would replace it without hesitation.
Care Instructions: AEB-L is a stainless steel - hand wash and dry after use. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard materials that could chip the fine tip. Use wood or rubber boards only. Sharpen on quality water stones.
- Brand: Kikuichi
- Location: Sakai, Japan
- Construction: Warikomi
- Edge Steel: AEB-L Swedish Stainless
- Cladding: 45-Layer Nickel Damascus
- Finish: Mirror Polish
- HRC: 60
- Handle: Rosewood Octagonal
- Weight: 5.1 oz (146 g)
- Blade Length: 246mm
- Total Length: 390mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 2mm
- Blade Height: 50mm
Reviews
7 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval)
She's a beaut Posted By: Evan Seymour-Skinner - verified customer
4 people found this review helpful
Firstly she's beautiful, 240mm x 51mm, mirror polished damascus, handle is a nice dark wood and the blade is light, she sharpens as well as most stainless knives, very similar to vg10 in that regard, the blade reminds me of my damascus takamura which is good, the only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is the tip on mine seems thick compared to most other Japanese gyutos(this may mean I wont break it at work though) I am contemplating thinning the tip but really don't want to destroy the stunning mirror finish. Other than that, shes a great blade and would really shine in an executive chefs hands.
4 people found this review helpful
Firstly she's beautiful, 240mm x 51mm, mirror polished damascus, handle is a nice dark wood and the blade is light, she sharpens as well as most stainless knives, very similar to vg10 in that regard, the blade reminds me of my damascus takamura which is good, the only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is the tip on mine seems thick compared to most other Japanese gyutos(this may mean I wont break it at work though) I am contemplating thinning the tip but really don't want to destroy the stunning mirror finish. Other than that, shes a great blade and would really shine in an executive chefs hands.
Laser laser laserPosted By: Nicholas - verified customer
5 people found this review helpful
As a professional chef I have certainly put this knife to the test and have been very pleased over all. This knife is the definition of a laser. It is the lightest 240mm that I have come across as well as the thinnest. The mirror finish didn't last long for me but I recently used a 5,000 grit paper on it and it polished back to new in about 5 minutes. I absolutely love butchering meat with no bones such as 0/1's with this blade and cutting veg is a pleasure. The one thing that I have to say is that this knife as a whole isn't capable of taking the beating that a thicker heartier knife is capable of taking. I have had to re-tip this knife at least 5 times and if abused this knife will chip terribly but only if you put it in that position. I definitely handle this knife a bit gentler then some of my other knifes but it's well worth the extra care. I also find this knife very easy to sharpen and upon sharpening has very little burr formation which is great. If lost or stolen I would replace
5 people found this review helpful
As a professional chef I have certainly put this knife to the test and have been very pleased over all. This knife is the definition of a laser. It is the lightest 240mm that I have come across as well as the thinnest. The mirror finish didn't last long for me but I recently used a 5,000 grit paper on it and it polished back to new in about 5 minutes. I absolutely love butchering meat with no bones such as 0/1's with this blade and cutting veg is a pleasure. The one thing that I have to say is that this knife as a whole isn't capable of taking the beating that a thicker heartier knife is capable of taking. I have had to re-tip this knife at least 5 times and if abused this knife will chip terribly but only if you put it in that position. I definitely handle this knife a bit gentler then some of my other knifes but it's well worth the extra care. I also find this knife very easy to sharpen and upon sharpening has very little burr formation which is great. If lost or stolen I would replace
Great knifePosted By: Holly - verified customer
5 people found this review helpful
I love this knife. It's a beautiful piece of art that also happens to cut amazingly well. It's incredibly comfortable in the hand and is the perfect weight. Mine is almost exactly 240mm. The only problems I faced with this knife were some fit and finish issues. The distal area (spine) of the knife is not perfectly straight, for one. It isn't really noticeable but shouldn't be this way on a $300 knife. If Kikuichi would just take more time on these to make them flawless they'd have an out of this world knife on their hands.
5 people found this review helpful
I love this knife. It's a beautiful piece of art that also happens to cut amazingly well. It's incredibly comfortable in the hand and is the perfect weight. Mine is almost exactly 240mm. The only problems I faced with this knife were some fit and finish issues. The distal area (spine) of the knife is not perfectly straight, for one. It isn't really noticeable but shouldn't be this way on a $300 knife. If Kikuichi would just take more time on these to make them flawless they'd have an out of this world knife on their hands.
great all arounderPosted By: jared - verified customer
4 people found this review helpful
I got this knife to kind of replace my takamura r2 as my all around knife for everything at work. the takamura was great only downfall was it wasn't quite long enough for certain task as cutting sum melons or cabbage and others that need length. if your looking for great performance and need a knife to get thru long busy prep days were you don't have time to go in the bag and switch out knives this is it. to add this knife sharpens extremely easy and still holds its edge well
4 people found this review helpful
I got this knife to kind of replace my takamura r2 as my all around knife for everything at work. the takamura was great only downfall was it wasn't quite long enough for certain task as cutting sum melons or cabbage and others that need length. if your looking for great performance and need a knife to get thru long busy prep days were you don't have time to go in the bag and switch out knives this is it. to add this knife sharpens extremely easy and still holds its edge well
Great KnifePosted By: Ed Huyer - verified customer
6 people found this review helpful
I bought this to be my one really nice kitchen knife and I'm very happy with it. It's very thin, very light, and is very sharp right out of the box. Despite its thinness, it's nicely stiff and easy to handle. It's a beautiful knife, but the materials and manufacture still make it very much a working knife.If I were to do it over again, I might go for the 210mm version, but that's a matter of personal preference and not any fault of the knife. I'd very much recommend this knife to anyone looking for an attractive and very functional general purpose chef's knife.
6 people found this review helpful
I bought this to be my one really nice kitchen knife and I'm very happy with it. It's very thin, very light, and is very sharp right out of the box. Despite its thinness, it's nicely stiff and easy to handle. It's a beautiful knife, but the materials and manufacture still make it very much a working knife.If I were to do it over again, I might go for the 210mm version, but that's a matter of personal preference and not any fault of the knife. I'd very much recommend this knife to anyone looking for an attractive and very functional general purpose chef's knife.
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