Most people know TOJIRO for their production lines - reliable, well-made knives that have earned a strong following in professional kitchens worldwide. Fewer know that TOJIRO also runs a traditional blacksmith workshop inside their Sanjo City factory, supervised by Tomo Matsumura and a small skilled crew. The ATELIER CLASSIC series is the result - hand-forged knives that represent a completely different level of craft from anything else carrying the TOJIRO name. The same company, a fundamentally different knife.
This 210mm gyuto - Japan's all-purpose chef knife - is built around a VG-10 stainless steel core in a San Mai construction, clad in 63 layers of suminagashi (flowing water Damascus) that produces a striking layered pattern across the blade road. The blade is hammer-forged by Matsumura and his crew and finished to HRC 61, which gives it genuine edge retention alongside VG-10's well-established stainless convenience. At 4.0 oz it is light for a 210mm gyuto - the hammer-forged construction keeps the geometry efficient without adding unnecessary mass. The octagonal cedar handle with ebony ferrule is a clean, traditional combination - note that the handle shown in the product photos is current and accurate; the video on this page predates the current handle and shows an earlier version.
Care Instructions: VG-10 stainless is low maintenance - hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. The cedar handle should be kept dry and can be conditioned occasionally with food-safe wood wax or oil to maintain the finish. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly between sharpenings. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard surfaces that could chip the edge at this hardness level.
This 210mm gyuto - Japan's all-purpose chef knife - is built around a VG-10 stainless steel core in a San Mai construction, clad in 63 layers of suminagashi (flowing water Damascus) that produces a striking layered pattern across the blade road. The blade is hammer-forged by Matsumura and his crew and finished to HRC 61, which gives it genuine edge retention alongside VG-10's well-established stainless convenience. At 4.0 oz it is light for a 210mm gyuto - the hammer-forged construction keeps the geometry efficient without adding unnecessary mass. The octagonal cedar handle with ebony ferrule is a clean, traditional combination - note that the handle shown in the product photos is current and accurate; the video on this page predates the current handle and shows an earlier version.
- Brand: TOJIRO
- Line: ATELIER CLASSIC
- Blacksmith: Tomo Matsumura
- Location: Sanjo City, Japan
- Construction: San Mai, Hammer Forged
- Edge Steel: VG-10 Stainless
- Cladding: 63-Layer Suminagashi (Damascus)
- HRC: 61
- Edge Grind: 50/50
- Handle: Octagonal Cedar
- Ferrule: Ebony
- Weight: 4.0 oz (114 g)
- Blade Length: 213 mm
- Total Length: 357 mm
- Spine Thickness at Heel: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 46 mm
Care Instructions: VG-10 stainless is low maintenance - hand wash and dry after each use. Avoid the dishwasher. The cedar handle should be kept dry and can be conditioned occasionally with food-safe wood wax or oil to maintain the finish. Sharpen on quality water stones and strop regularly between sharpenings. Avoid bones, frozen foods, and hard surfaces that could chip the edge at this hardness level.
