Most of the Sukenari knives we carry lean on ZDP189 and dramatic Damascus cladding, so this 270mm gyuto stands out as the plainer, harder working sibling in the lineup. It trades the Damascus pattern for HAP40, a powdered high speed steel that ranks among the hardest used in kitchen cutlery, and the extra length makes it a serious choice for cooks who need real reach on the board.
The blacksmiths at Sukenari, working out of their shop in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, hold to the same exacting standards whether they are building an ornate Damascus piece or a no-frills workhorse like this one. The semi stainless HAP40 core is clad in a softer stainless steel and finished with a fine hairline polish, then set into a rosewood octagonal handle with a traditional buffalo horn ferrule. HAP40 holds an edge better than nearly anything else we sell, which matters even more at this length, where a long session at the board can otherwise mean stopping partway through to touch up the edge.
Care Instructions: HAP40 is semi stainless, so it does not demand the same babying as a true carbon steel, but its hardness means it can chip if it meets something it should not. Stick to wood or rubber cutting boards and keep it away from bones and frozen foods. Hand wash and dry the blade rather than letting it sit, and give it a few passes on a strop between sharpenings to keep the edge in top shape.
The blacksmiths at Sukenari, working out of their shop in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, hold to the same exacting standards whether they are building an ornate Damascus piece or a no-frills workhorse like this one. The semi stainless HAP40 core is clad in a softer stainless steel and finished with a fine hairline polish, then set into a rosewood octagonal handle with a traditional buffalo horn ferrule. HAP40 holds an edge better than nearly anything else we sell, which matters even more at this length, where a long session at the board can otherwise mean stopping partway through to touch up the edge.
Care Instructions: HAP40 is semi stainless, so it does not demand the same babying as a true carbon steel, but its hardness means it can chip if it meets something it should not. Stick to wood or rubber cutting boards and keep it away from bones and frozen foods. Hand wash and dry the blade rather than letting it sit, and give it a few passes on a strop between sharpenings to keep the edge in top shape.
- Maker: Sukenari
- Blacksmith: Hanaki-san, Second Generation
- Location: Toyama Prefecture, Japan
- Edge Steel: HAP40 (Semi Stainless Powdered Steel)
- Cladding: Stainless
- HRC: 68
- Finish: Hairline
- Edge Grind: Even
- Handle: Rosewood Octagonal
- Ferrule: Buffalo Horn
- Weight: 6.8 oz (194 g)
- Blade Length: 260 mm
- Total Length: 418 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 51 mm
