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If you are thinking about a good entry-level Japanese knife, at a good price, this is a screaming deal. The Tojiro Shirogami ITK 240mm Wa-Gyuto is one of the best value knives on the website, and one of our most popular to boot. This is a carbon steel Shirogami core and Shirogami clad blade, which has a beautiful aesthetic simplicity with a matte kuruochi finish. The knife is fully reactive - so it will change color over time, and could rust if you are not careful. This gyuto has a versatile shape for just about any cutting style, from rocking to slicing to chopping. It has a classic arc, with a generous flat spot toward the heel of the knife and a gentle curve toward the tip. For the gyuto style this knife is typically thin at around 3.92mm at the heel, with this particular knife boasting a decent distal taper toward the tip. The thin and pointed tips of gyutos make for impressive precision cuts and detail work. The blade height of this gyuto is medium height and the knife has a basic standard-sized D-shape ho wood handle with a plastic ferrule, making this knife a good choice for most hand sizes. The weight is further forward than many knives, letting the blade weight do more of the work of chopping. The blade also has a nice grind. This 240mm size of this knife is great for home cooks used to a larger knife and who have cutting real estate, and for pros who typically use 240mm or higher. Overall, this is an excellent, low-priced entry into carbon reactive Japanese knives!
Steel: Shirogami (white #2)
Finish: Kurouchi
Height at heel: 53.25
Edge: 50/50
Handle:D Shape, ho wood
Weight: 7oz.
Product Reviews
Great Knife, May 17, 2018Posted By: Tylor - verified customer
It sometimes takes a while before I finally acclimate to a new blade, so I'm going to just comment on the piece itself, rather than on my ability to use it.
1. The steel sharpens quickly and to an absurdly sharp edge. This is good. It's been easy to keep sharp with a strop and has required little maintenance - also, no rust after 2 months, but a nice patina has formed on the exposed edge.
2. The handle is irrelevant but sufficient. I'm used to western handles and balance, so I'm still getting used to the blade-heaviness of the ITK.
3. It can make precise cuts, but it's huge, so I use it more for general veggie prep. For me, the tip is less useful than the belly - though again, this is likely a stylistic thing that will change as I use it more.
All said, it's a really nice knife and I'm happy I have it. It's possible I'd have preferred the 210mm version, but it replicated a number of other knives I had in that range, so I decided to go bigger. I'm sure I'll appreciate it fully once I get used to it. I do enjoy the practice with this thing.
It sometimes takes a while before I finally acclimate to a new blade, so I'm going to just comment on the piece itself, rather than on my ability to use it.
1. The steel sharpens quickly and to an absurdly sharp edge. This is good. It's been easy to keep sharp with a strop and has required little maintenance - also, no rust after 2 months, but a nice patina has formed on the exposed edge.
2. The handle is irrelevant but sufficient. I'm used to western handles and balance, so I'm still getting used to the blade-heaviness of the ITK.
3. It can make precise cuts, but it's huge, so I use it more for general veggie prep. For me, the tip is less useful than the belly - though again, this is likely a stylistic thing that will change as I use it more.
All said, it's a really nice knife and I'm happy I have it. It's possible I'd have preferred the 210mm version, but it replicated a number of other knives I had in that range, so I decided to go bigger. I'm sure I'll appreciate it fully once I get used to it. I do enjoy the practice with this thing.
Excellent value, March 3, 2017Posted By: Jbart65 - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
Really a 4 1/2 star knife. The ITK gets extremely sharp very easily. Profile is excellent, with blade forward weight great for chopping. I bought to be my sharpening knife, but it made it's way into my rotation.Now F&F is just okay. Some are better than others. I sanded off the D bump in the handle, doused in mineral oil and polished up the kurouchi. The ITK is highly reactive, too.I recommend one for everyone with more than a few knives who needs a good one to sharpen that is also functional. Cuts way better at half the price than any German knife.
1 people found this review helpful
Really a 4 1/2 star knife. The ITK gets extremely sharp very easily. Profile is excellent, with blade forward weight great for chopping. I bought to be my sharpening knife, but it made it's way into my rotation.Now F&F is just okay. Some are better than others. I sanded off the D bump in the handle, doused in mineral oil and polished up the kurouchi. The ITK is highly reactive, too.I recommend one for everyone with more than a few knives who needs a good one to sharpen that is also functional. Cuts way better at half the price than any German knife.
Affordable Shirogami, July 9, 2016Posted By: Kevin Draper - verified customer
Just like any shirogami you can get this thing scary sharp on a good wet stone. The steel is great but the handle is cheap. I made a new handle for it and sanded and polished the blade. It really looks great and develops a lovely patina. The steel will rust quickly so it will get you in the habit of always wiping your blade. It is easy to sharpen and will just crush prep work. The spine is kinda thick but thins out toward the edge. If you are looking for affordable Japanese steel you found it. A great knife for the price. A good intro knife.
Just like any shirogami you can get this thing scary sharp on a good wet stone. The steel is great but the handle is cheap. I made a new handle for it and sanded and polished the blade. It really looks great and develops a lovely patina. The steel will rust quickly so it will get you in the habit of always wiping your blade. It is easy to sharpen and will just crush prep work. The spine is kinda thick but thins out toward the edge. If you are looking for affordable Japanese steel you found it. A great knife for the price. A good intro knife.
Inexpensive, Great Performer, Design Flawed, November 19, 2015Posted By: Shihao Bao - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
Used for 2 weeks.Pros:1. The price cannot be beat and this compounds it's other strengths and make its weaknesses forgivable.2. Really sharp out of the box. Easy to sharpen, so easy to put on your own bevel angle or micro bevel.3. Convex grind at this price range.4. White steel edge is strong and tough. I used it to prepare a live lobster, bringing the blade point to lobster head, and the blade edge to lobster's legs, and the blade spine to smash open claws. Then I observed under 60x magnifying glass. Absolutely no observable rolling or chipping. Cons:1. The reactive iron cladding used is a lot more reactive than white #2. Will take on orange stain in minutes, which means it will take on orange streaks while I prepare vegetables and I keep wiping that stain off. While White #2 develops a nice grey patina, the reactive iron cladding keeps developing orange stains that wipes off on the food. This is the reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5.2. This inexpensive blade looks inexpensive. The handle although feels sturdy looks very cheap, wood has a rough surface finish. The blade has rough edges all around and needs to be rounded by the end user. Conclusion: I'm using this as a beater knife. I trust it to put up with tough use. Due to its inexpensive look and how it leaves rust stains and it's size, it's the last knife I would use to serve in front of guests.
1 people found this review helpful
Used for 2 weeks.Pros:1. The price cannot be beat and this compounds it's other strengths and make its weaknesses forgivable.2. Really sharp out of the box. Easy to sharpen, so easy to put on your own bevel angle or micro bevel.3. Convex grind at this price range.4. White steel edge is strong and tough. I used it to prepare a live lobster, bringing the blade point to lobster head, and the blade edge to lobster's legs, and the blade spine to smash open claws. Then I observed under 60x magnifying glass. Absolutely no observable rolling or chipping. Cons:1. The reactive iron cladding used is a lot more reactive than white #2. Will take on orange stain in minutes, which means it will take on orange streaks while I prepare vegetables and I keep wiping that stain off. While White #2 develops a nice grey patina, the reactive iron cladding keeps developing orange stains that wipes off on the food. This is the reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5.2. This inexpensive blade looks inexpensive. The handle although feels sturdy looks very cheap, wood has a rough surface finish. The blade has rough edges all around and needs to be rounded by the end user. Conclusion: I'm using this as a beater knife. I trust it to put up with tough use. Due to its inexpensive look and how it leaves rust stains and it's size, it's the last knife I would use to serve in front of guests.
Excellent starter knife!, November 3, 2014Posted By: Chase - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
I bought this knife for myself a few months ago, and I absolutely love it. At the time, I worked in a prep kitchen for a high-volume restaurant, and this knife was able to perform the majority of the tasks that I needed it to. It's a fairly long blade, but it's also small enough to use on the line. (for me at least)Here's some pro's and cons about this knife.Pros:This knife maintains a good edge for a long while, even with heavy use. When it gets dull, a few passes on a wet stone will take it back to how it was when it came out of the box. With it being carbon steel, this knife is great for those who are learning to use a wet stone, as it takes an edge very quickly. The handle is comfortable, and the weight of the knife is very nice, so it's easy to use this when you have lots of prep work to do.Cons:With this being reactive carbon steel, you will get a lot of discoloration on things such as onions, garlic, and lemons until it develops a patina. However, it does develop a patina pretty quickly, so doing a good amount of onion prep helps a ton. The Kurouchi finish does have quite a bit of drag, which was probably my biggest problem with this knife. I personally removed the Kurouchi finish by sanding it down with fine-grit sand paper, and forced a mustard patina on it, followed by chopping a lot of onions. Removing the finish took away the drag problem. There is a small bit of wedging, but it's not a huge deal. Also, this knife MUST be maintained. It would be wise to keep a dry towel by you and wipe the blade dry every so often.If you take care of this knife, this could be one of the best knives in your case. For the price, this is one of the best knives that you can buy, and is a perfect starter knife. I have recommended this knife to a lot of people.
1 people found this review helpful
I bought this knife for myself a few months ago, and I absolutely love it. At the time, I worked in a prep kitchen for a high-volume restaurant, and this knife was able to perform the majority of the tasks that I needed it to. It's a fairly long blade, but it's also small enough to use on the line. (for me at least)Here's some pro's and cons about this knife.Pros:This knife maintains a good edge for a long while, even with heavy use. When it gets dull, a few passes on a wet stone will take it back to how it was when it came out of the box. With it being carbon steel, this knife is great for those who are learning to use a wet stone, as it takes an edge very quickly. The handle is comfortable, and the weight of the knife is very nice, so it's easy to use this when you have lots of prep work to do.Cons:With this being reactive carbon steel, you will get a lot of discoloration on things such as onions, garlic, and lemons until it develops a patina. However, it does develop a patina pretty quickly, so doing a good amount of onion prep helps a ton. The Kurouchi finish does have quite a bit of drag, which was probably my biggest problem with this knife. I personally removed the Kurouchi finish by sanding it down with fine-grit sand paper, and forced a mustard patina on it, followed by chopping a lot of onions. Removing the finish took away the drag problem. There is a small bit of wedging, but it's not a huge deal. Also, this knife MUST be maintained. It would be wise to keep a dry towel by you and wipe the blade dry every so often.If you take care of this knife, this could be one of the best knives in your case. For the price, this is one of the best knives that you can buy, and is a perfect starter knife. I have recommended this knife to a lot of people.
Product Review, May 12, 2014Posted By: Bill Hartig - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
Nice steel, takes a wicked edge. Edge retention is what you would expect from white #2, but I am an ok sharpener and it only takes a few passes on my king 1000 to bring it right back. A little thick and rough kurouchi, but I like projects. I have thinned it a little and it responded quite well, very little wedging. This is my first gyuto as I am a cleaver user, trained in Chinese cuisine. Shipping and customer service I would give 6 stars if possible. Great job Mark.
1 people found this review helpful
Nice steel, takes a wicked edge. Edge retention is what you would expect from white #2, but I am an ok sharpener and it only takes a few passes on my king 1000 to bring it right back. A little thick and rough kurouchi, but I like projects. I have thinned it a little and it responded quite well, very little wedging. This is my first gyuto as I am a cleaver user, trained in Chinese cuisine. Shipping and customer service I would give 6 stars if possible. Great job Mark.
Product Review, April 1, 2014Posted By: Coty - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
Loved this knife right out of the box. Great weight, nice edge and the price was such a deal. The black part of the blade was a little rougher at first than i xpected, but over the past couple of weeks it has smoothed down considerably. I would definitely recommend this knife.
1 people found this review helpful
Loved this knife right out of the box. Great weight, nice edge and the price was such a deal. The black part of the blade was a little rougher at first than i xpected, but over the past couple of weeks it has smoothed down considerably. I would definitely recommend this knife.
Product Review, March 26, 2014Posted By: Brendan - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
I've had this knife for about a year now, so its about time I went about writing a review. The good, the steel is amazing. It takes a wickedly sharp edge, sharpens extremely easily and will hold and edge for quite some time. The grind is great, it breezes through produce, and it feels great in my hand, at least.The bad, the cladding steel is reactive as anything i have ever seen. I honestly cant get it to stop rusting. Ive tried forcing a patina and I wipe it down religiously, yet it still turns orange/brown. It occasionally discolors onions and the like. Also, the fit and finish leave a bit to be desired. Overall, Its a great deal for the price, but I would probably save up and spend 20 dollars more on one of the other shirogami knives on this site.I also should mention that this site is amazing. the selection, pricing, forum, and customer service are phenomenal. I can't imagine buying another knife anywhere.
1 people found this review helpful
I've had this knife for about a year now, so its about time I went about writing a review. The good, the steel is amazing. It takes a wickedly sharp edge, sharpens extremely easily and will hold and edge for quite some time. The grind is great, it breezes through produce, and it feels great in my hand, at least.The bad, the cladding steel is reactive as anything i have ever seen. I honestly cant get it to stop rusting. Ive tried forcing a patina and I wipe it down religiously, yet it still turns orange/brown. It occasionally discolors onions and the like. Also, the fit and finish leave a bit to be desired. Overall, Its a great deal for the price, but I would probably save up and spend 20 dollars more on one of the other shirogami knives on this site.I also should mention that this site is amazing. the selection, pricing, forum, and customer service are phenomenal. I can't imagine buying another knife anywhere.
Product Review, February 20, 2014 Product Review, November 5, 2013Posted By: Sandy Y. - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
I love this knife! It keeps it's edge extremely well! I honestly haven't sharpened it since I got it back in 2012. I've processed at least 60lbs of black cod with it, a quick hone with the steel and you're good to go. Very good beginners knife but, watch your fingers! The only downside about the knife I got is that it's bent a bit, so the blade isn't fully straight. I don't really have a problem with it though.
1 people found this review helpful
I love this knife! It keeps it's edge extremely well! I honestly haven't sharpened it since I got it back in 2012. I've processed at least 60lbs of black cod with it, a quick hone with the steel and you're good to go. Very good beginners knife but, watch your fingers! The only downside about the knife I got is that it's bent a bit, so the blade isn't fully straight. I don't really have a problem with it though.
Product Review, May 12, 2013Posted By: Jacob - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
Nice knife for beginners with carbon such as myself I use it on the line at the restaurant daily its pretty reactive so wipe after every task holds an edge for me about 4-5 days. One thing I did notice was that the knife is ground 50 on one side and then beveled slightly less on the other none the less a great knife for everything I use it for lots of veg breaking down beef and chicken only thing I don't like using it for is fish. The only downside is the finish comes off easily and the handle has to be oiled very often not a big deal considering its 80 bucks. Once I am confidant with my sharpening skills on this I'm going for a richmond laser 240mm aogami super gyuto.
1 people found this review helpful
Nice knife for beginners with carbon such as myself I use it on the line at the restaurant daily its pretty reactive so wipe after every task holds an edge for me about 4-5 days. One thing I did notice was that the knife is ground 50 on one side and then beveled slightly less on the other none the less a great knife for everything I use it for lots of veg breaking down beef and chicken only thing I don't like using it for is fish. The only downside is the finish comes off easily and the handle has to be oiled very often not a big deal considering its 80 bucks. Once I am confidant with my sharpening skills on this I'm going for a richmond laser 240mm aogami super gyuto.
Product Review, February 16, 2013 Product Review, February 12, 2013Posted By: John - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
I love my knife! I took off the 'koruichi' with lemon juice and a green scrubby and oiled the snot out of the wood. So much nicer looking. No one knows it is an $80 knife. I couldn't be happier with it. If I didn't have to oil the wood so much it would have been five stars.It truly is a workhorse and I've only had to sharpen it once after three months of use. It see a ceramic rod every other day...
1 people found this review helpful
I love my knife! I took off the 'koruichi' with lemon juice and a green scrubby and oiled the snot out of the wood. So much nicer looking. No one knows it is an $80 knife. I couldn't be happier with it. If I didn't have to oil the wood so much it would have been five stars.It truly is a workhorse and I've only had to sharpen it once after three months of use. It see a ceramic rod every other day...
Product Review, February 6, 2013Posted By: richard - verified customer
this is an excellent knife.I also bought the 120 petty knife.I have three other gyutos, I like this one because of the length and the knuckle clearance.It is a knife that needs to be used by someone who can care for it and sharpen it.A great value!
this is an excellent knife.I also bought the 120 petty knife.I have three other gyutos, I like this one because of the length and the knuckle clearance.It is a knife that needs to be used by someone who can care for it and sharpen it.A great value!
Product Review, February 6, 2013 Product Review, December 29, 2012Posted By: John - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
Once you take off the faux kurichi and oil the wood it looks like a higher value knife. I love mine, it does what I need it to do and it takes a wicked edge. I'll be buying the 210's as presents for a long time.
1 people found this review helpful
Once you take off the faux kurichi and oil the wood it looks like a higher value knife. I love mine, it does what I need it to do and it takes a wicked edge. I'll be buying the 210's as presents for a long time.
Product Review, November 22, 2012 Product Review, September 1, 2012Posted By: Chef Bill - verified customer
1 people found this review helpful
Great high carbon knife and it gets razor sharp on a fine ceramic stone. I have used the Sebatier Au Carbon and the edge is comparable. Be cautious of spotting and I recommend cutting massive amounts of onions to season the knife. The acidity in the onions will give you a natural petina and although it will lose it's shine the knife won't rust as long as you keep it clean and dry. Avoid harsh chemicals and always hand wash. I rate this knife a 5/5 for the price a 4/5 for user friendlieness and a 4/5 in design. It is a perfect knife for someone to learn with high carbon blades. Happy cheffing!???
1 people found this review helpful
Great high carbon knife and it gets razor sharp on a fine ceramic stone. I have used the Sebatier Au Carbon and the edge is comparable. Be cautious of spotting and I recommend cutting massive amounts of onions to season the knife. The acidity in the onions will give you a natural petina and although it will lose it's shine the knife won't rust as long as you keep it clean and dry. Avoid harsh chemicals and always hand wash. I rate this knife a 5/5 for the price a 4/5 for user friendlieness and a 4/5 in design. It is a perfect knife for someone to learn with high carbon blades. Happy cheffing!???
Product Review, August 27, 2012Click here to review this product
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