Moon Over Fuji Mizu-Honyaki Chef's Knife (Gyuto) - 240mm / 9-1/2 in

Product Description for Moon Over Fuji Mizu-Honyaki Chef's Knife (Gyuto) - 240mm / 9-1/2 in

Maker: Yoshikazu Ikeda (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 100892
Blade length: 9.75 in.
Cutting edge length: 9.00 in.
Total length: 15.60 in.
Blade height (at heel): 2.00 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.12 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.08 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.04 in.
Item weight: 7.80 oz.
Shipment weight: 11.4 oz.
Blade: Hand forged, mizu-honyaki shirogami 3 carbon steel
Bolster: Buffalo horn
Handle: Ebony
Description: Yoshikazu Ikeda is one of the finest smiths in Sakai, Japan. Ikeda has been making knives and swords for over 40 years, beginning in his early 20s. In 1988, he was recognized as a dentoukougeishi by the Japanese government and since 2001 he has been the chairman of the association of dentoukougeishi. Dentoukougeishi are highly skilled master artisans recognized by the Japanese government for their commitment to protecting traditional arts and techniques.
The gyuto is the essential kitchen knife. It's used for all the same purposes as a chef's knife—all-around food preparation, but the gyuto has less curve than a Western chef's knife, which means it contacts the cutting board along more of its length, so more food is cut per slice. This Moon Over Fuji Gyuto has a gentle roll off the tip compared to the large roll of a Western style knife, so it needs to be lifted less, making cutting more efficient. This is as good as a chef's knife gets!
Ikeda's traditional knives are highly sought after by professional chefs and show the tremendous skill of this renowned craftsman. Rather using the san mai (three-layers) technique, his mizu-honyaki knives are forged from a mono-steel and heat treated using a technique borrowed from Japanese swords. This Moon of Fuji chef's knife is handmade from shirogami #3 (white paper #3) carbon steel. The spine is coated with clay prior to quenching. This insulates the top of the blade and results in a keen, hard cutting edge with a soft, supportive spine. The transition line from softer to harder steel is called a hamon. Here, the hamon was created to resemble Mt Fuji, with a moon rising above it. Honyaki takes more skill to forge and shape than other techniques. Of all the Japanese knives, mizu-honyaki knives have the greatest kirenaga (staying sharp the longest), but they are also slightly more fragile than other knives and can chip if used improperly. Quenching the knife in water ensures the very best edge holding possible. A mirror polish is exceptionally dramatic and provides limited protection from rusting (though oiling with camellia oil is still strongly encouraged).
The handle is octagonal and is formed from ebony with a buffalo horn ferrule. This ambidextrous knife will work equally well for right and left handed users.
The blade comes razor sharp.


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