Hitachi Blue #2 is one of the most respected steels in the kitchen knife world, made from the same iron stock as the White steels but with added chromium and tungsten for extra edge life. Most sharpeners consider Blue #2 the toughest of the Blue family, less prone to chipping than Blue #1 or Blue Super, and this 240mm gyuto from Yoshimitsu puts that toughness to work at a true professional length.
The core is wrapped in a stainless steel outer layer for protection and strength, giving the knife an ease of maintenance that carbon steel knives do not always offer. The fit and finish are well executed for a knife at this price point, and the blade is ground to an even 50/50 edge. The profile stays flat for about two thirds of its length before tapering to a finely made, thin tip, making it equally good as a rocker or a push cutter. The handle is octagonal walnut with a black pakka wood ferrule. CKTG was the first US retailer to carry this five brother shop out of Nagasaki.
What Customers Are Saying:One professional chef reported using the gyuto at work within weeks of arrival and described coworkers stopping to ask about it after seeing it out of the box, calling the overall look and performance impressive for the price. Another reviewer praised the fit and finish directly, noting the handle and ferrule felt smooth and the spine and neck were polished cleanly, with the blade height and hand forged feel standing out as highlights.
Care Instructions:The Blue #2 core is reactive, so wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use rather than letting it sit wet. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for long stretches, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer term storage. Hand wash only, and keep the edge away from bones and frozen foods.
The core is wrapped in a stainless steel outer layer for protection and strength, giving the knife an ease of maintenance that carbon steel knives do not always offer. The fit and finish are well executed for a knife at this price point, and the blade is ground to an even 50/50 edge. The profile stays flat for about two thirds of its length before tapering to a finely made, thin tip, making it equally good as a rocker or a push cutter. The handle is octagonal walnut with a black pakka wood ferrule. CKTG was the first US retailer to carry this five brother shop out of Nagasaki.
What Customers Are Saying:One professional chef reported using the gyuto at work within weeks of arrival and described coworkers stopping to ask about it after seeing it out of the box, calling the overall look and performance impressive for the price. Another reviewer praised the fit and finish directly, noting the handle and ferrule felt smooth and the spine and neck were polished cleanly, with the blade height and hand forged feel standing out as highlights.
Care Instructions:The Blue #2 core is reactive, so wipe and dry the blade immediately after each use rather than letting it sit wet. Avoid leaving acidic foods against the blade for long stretches, and apply a light coat of camellia oil for longer term storage. Hand wash only, and keep the edge away from bones and frozen foods.
- Brand: Yoshimitsu
- Blacksmith: Yoshimitsu Brothers
- Location: Nagasaki, Japan
- Construction: Hammer Forged San Mai
- Edge Steel: Blue #2 (Aogami #2)
- Cladding: Stainless Steel
- HRC: 62
- Engraving: Hand Engraved
- Handle: Walnut Octagonal
- Ferrule: Black Pakka Wood
- Weight: 6.6 oz (187 g)
- Blade Length: 247 mm
- Total Length: 388 mm
- Spine Thickness at Base: 2 mm
- Blade Height: 50 mm
Reviews
2 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) ONE BIG BAD BOYPosted By: Luc - verified customer
28 people found this review helpful
Okay so I bought this baby 4 weeks ago in order to have a proper tool to smash my tasks as I am a professional chef, and I m very happy with it. My only other reference for japanese knives is a shun meat slicer from Kai, damas 62. A nice piece of work but too specialized. Delivery in 5 days. Out of the box the knife is very good looking, I opened it at work in front of my collgues, they all stopped and starred at me asking where they could get one and how much. This blade is impressive really. High heel, nice rocking, nice patina design is simple and straightforwards: it's only purpose is to go slice stuff with no resistance for hours. Handle was no issue to me and fit immediately. And so so light. Although it measures more or less, I d say less for mine, 24 cms it is not too big, even for professionals chef who can struggle with space. Bigger would get problematic. Now on the sharpening side : out of the box decently sharp and irregular but from what I can tell very far away from its potential, was able to cut through my chopping board though. I am still struggling to master the sharpening because of the size of the blade and the lack of proper stones ( only have an American ceramic whetstone) but hell its sharp. Sharper than my damas. And the edge keeps for so long. My only issue with it is the blade was not regular out of the box, I would give 4 stars for that but Its fills every thing else so let's say 5. not a big deal as a few sharpening sessions fixed it but I expect it to be when I pay something this value. Overall I am really pleased with and would recommend it to anyone. A nice piece of work which brings me joy whenever I have to slice some chives or any kind of veg, carrots or potatoes. Definitively worth it's price.
28 people found this review helpful
Okay so I bought this baby 4 weeks ago in order to have a proper tool to smash my tasks as I am a professional chef, and I m very happy with it. My only other reference for japanese knives is a shun meat slicer from Kai, damas 62. A nice piece of work but too specialized. Delivery in 5 days. Out of the box the knife is very good looking, I opened it at work in front of my collgues, they all stopped and starred at me asking where they could get one and how much. This blade is impressive really. High heel, nice rocking, nice patina design is simple and straightforwards: it's only purpose is to go slice stuff with no resistance for hours. Handle was no issue to me and fit immediately. And so so light. Although it measures more or less, I d say less for mine, 24 cms it is not too big, even for professionals chef who can struggle with space. Bigger would get problematic. Now on the sharpening side : out of the box decently sharp and irregular but from what I can tell very far away from its potential, was able to cut through my chopping board though. I am still struggling to master the sharpening because of the size of the blade and the lack of proper stones ( only have an American ceramic whetstone) but hell its sharp. Sharper than my damas. And the edge keeps for so long. My only issue with it is the blade was not regular out of the box, I would give 4 stars for that but Its fills every thing else so let's say 5. not a big deal as a few sharpening sessions fixed it but I expect it to be when I pay something this value. Overall I am really pleased with and would recommend it to anyone. A nice piece of work which brings me joy whenever I have to slice some chives or any kind of veg, carrots or potatoes. Definitively worth it's price.
Great KnifePosted By: Frank - verified customer
33 people found this review helpful
Received in 2 days as usual-Thanks Guys! Fit and finish are excellent. Handle /errule is smooth as silk and the spine and neck are polished VERY nicely. I love the blade heighth and the feel of this hand-forged 240- quite a steal for $199.00 for stainless-cladded Blue 2-Awesome! Thanks again!
33 people found this review helpful
Received in 2 days as usual-Thanks Guys! Fit and finish are excellent. Handle /errule is smooth as silk and the spine and neck are polished VERY nicely. I love the blade heighth and the feel of this hand-forged 240- quite a steal for $199.00 for stainless-cladded Blue 2-Awesome! Thanks again!
