Masakage Kumo knives are made by Ikeda san, a veteran blacksmith who built his reputation over many years working under Anryu san before striking out to make knives under his own name as well as for the Masakage brand. This 210mm gyuto is a perennial favorite at CKTG, balancing great looks, first rate materials, and fine fit and finish for both home and professional cooks.
The core is VG-10 stainless steel, prized for excellent edge taking and edge holding characteristics, with a high carbon content alongside trace amounts of chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, cobalt, and manganese. The core is clad in multiple layers of a softer stainless steel which, once ground and etched, reveals a Damascus pattern that reminded the blacksmiths of clouds, giving the line its name, since kumo means cloud in Japanese. The blade is mated to an octagonal rosewood handle with a black pakka wood ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying:One reviewer bought this gyuto as a gift for an avid home cook and reports it has been a hit, praised for both its quality and its everyday usefulness. Another reviewer, a working chef, calls the craftsmanship and sharpness excellent, but flags that the edge can be brittle around hard contact, having chipped it after nicking a bone while slicing, a fair reminder that this VG-10 edge is happiest kept away from bone and other hard surfaces.
Care Instructions:VG-10 is a low maintenance stainless steel, so hand wash and dry the blade after use rather than running it through a dishwasher. Avoid cutting through bones or frozen foods, since the edge can chip on hard contact despite being stainless, and sharpen on quality water stones when it needs attention.
The core is VG-10 stainless steel, prized for excellent edge taking and edge holding characteristics, with a high carbon content alongside trace amounts of chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, cobalt, and manganese. The core is clad in multiple layers of a softer stainless steel which, once ground and etched, reveals a Damascus pattern that reminded the blacksmiths of clouds, giving the line its name, since kumo means cloud in Japanese. The blade is mated to an octagonal rosewood handle with a black pakka wood ferrule.
What Customers Are Saying:One reviewer bought this gyuto as a gift for an avid home cook and reports it has been a hit, praised for both its quality and its everyday usefulness. Another reviewer, a working chef, calls the craftsmanship and sharpness excellent, but flags that the edge can be brittle around hard contact, having chipped it after nicking a bone while slicing, a fair reminder that this VG-10 edge is happiest kept away from bone and other hard surfaces.
Care Instructions:VG-10 is a low maintenance stainless steel, so hand wash and dry the blade after use rather than running it through a dishwasher. Avoid cutting through bones or frozen foods, since the edge can chip on hard contact despite being stainless, and sharpen on quality water stones when it needs attention.
- Brand: Masakage
- Line: Kumo
- Blacksmith: Ikeda San
- Region: Echizen, Japan
- Construction: San Mai
- Edge Steel: VG-10
- Cladding: Stainless Damascus
- HRC: 61-62
- Engraving: Hand Engraved
- Handle: Rosewood Octagonal
- Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
- Weight: 5.7 oz (162 g)
- Blade Length: 218 mm
- Total Length: 360 mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 4 mm
- Blade Height: 47 mm
2 review(s) 
Excellent knives
great knife but be careful around any kind of bone
