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Sakai Kikumori SG2 Powdered Steel – Gyuto 210mm
Sakai Kikumori
With a passionate devotion to knife-making as well as working with some of the most skilled craftsman in Japan, Sakai Kikumori has been making cutlery of incredible quality and performance since its inception in 1926.
The Kikumori SG2 Gyuto is constructed using an SG2 core steel which is cladded in softer stainless steel. SG2 is a powdered steel which can hold a very fine, super sharp edge for extended periods of time due to its exceptional hardness. The stainless steel cladding not only adds to the aesthetic of the blade but also provides added resistance to corrosion. The handle is a Western Style handle with a full tang construction and is made from Brown Polywood. The Gyuto, an all round knife which can be used for various tasks, is the Japanese version of a chef’s knife. Gyuto’s generally have a flatter blade profile near the heel to aid in chopping, a rounder belly for rock chopping and a sharp, pointed tip for precision cutting.
Gyuto
Gyuto (Chef’s) Knife (牛刀包丁 – pronounced: Gyūtō Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘Cow Blade’. ‘Gyu’ means Cow and ‘to’ means blade. The name stems from its original use to slice and disjoint large cuts of beef. These days the Gyuto is comparable to the Western-styled chef knife and is viewed as an all-rounder in the kitchen.
The Gyuto is the ultimate multi-purpose kitchen knife and is perfect for chopping, slicing, mincing and dicing boneless meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and herbs. The blade profile is well suited for tap-chop or thrust-cut. The slight curve from the middle of the blade leading to its pointed edge is used to rock-chop. Its name also suggests that it is perfect for cutting meat and doing light butcher work. It can be used to pull-cut softer meats or to push-cut more muscular cuts of meat.
The Gyuto features a longer blade providing versatility for cutting larger produce while the tip of the blade allows it to be nimble enough for precision work. The edge is flat from the heel to the belly with a slightly rounded profile from the belly to the tip. The hard steel used in manufacturing makes the double-bevel edge much sharper than Western chef’s knives and retains the ultra-sharp edge for much longer.
Type: Western Style
Best for: Meat, Fish, Herbs, Vegetables
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: All-Rounder – Easy to use and applies to most food types
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Tsunehisa AS Kurouchi Santoku 165mm
Tsunehisa
Tsunehisa is a Japanese knife company that sources their knives from various OEMs in Tosa, Japan. They are well known for there outstanding quality steels and amazing sharpness out of the box.
The Tsunehisa AS Kurouchi is made from Aogami Super ( Blue Super Steel ). Its an improved version of Blue # 1. Blue Super (Aogami Super or AS) they add more carbon for hardness. The extra added Vanadium gives extra toughness and creates smaller carbides. Blue Super is often considered by blacksmiths, to be the best carbon steel for knife making in Japan.
Santoku
Santoku Knife (三徳包丁 – pronounced: Santoku Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘Three Virtues’. Three Virtues refers to the three methods of using a knife namely slicing, dicing and chopping or the three types of fresh produce that is meat, fish and vegetables.
The Santoku’s multi-purpose and versatility nature leads it to be compared with a Western chef’s knife or the Gyuto. As the Three Virtues suggests it’s perfect for chopping, mincing and slicing the three main fresh produces. It excels easily through the fresh produce and creates thin slices of meat, seafood, cheese, fruits, and vegetables. The wide blade is handy for scooping food off the cutting board. The blade profile is well suited for up-and-down motion or using a tap-chop or a push-cut.
The Santoku thin blade is shorter than Western chef’s or Gyuto knives making it lighter, easier to handle and less strenuous for long periods of work. The flatter cutting edge is nearly straight from heel to tip. The Santoku is perfect for users with smaller hands and a bit more limited working space. The double-bevel, thin, sharp edge prioritises finesse instead of power.
Type: Western Style
Best for: Meat, Fish, Vegetables
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: All-Rounder – Easy to use and applies to most food types
Knife Specifications
Knife Shape: Santoku
Blade Length: 165 mm
Steel Type: Aogami Super
Rockwell Hardness: 63:64
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
