Sukenari HAP40 Damascus High Speed Steel Gyuto 210mm (8.2") Rosewood Handle

• Style : Gyuto (Chef's Knife) with Kiritsuke Tip
• Length : 210mm (8.2")
• Weight : 7 oz (198 g)
• Special Feature : Kyomen Damascus / San mai
• Blade Steel Type : HAP40 High Speed Steel
• Handle material : Rosewood with Buffalo Horn Ferrule
• HRC : 68
• Bevel Angle Ratio : 50/50
• Cover : Not included

Sukenari's popular HAP40 hairline knives are now being produced with Damascus patterning and mirror finish. In addition to the beautiful pattern, the mirror finish will help cut down on reactivity of the semi-stainless steel.
Sukenari is one of the few knife makers working with HAP40 in Japan and, we feel, doing the best job of heat treating and grinding. Heat treated to a staggering 68 hrc, these knives are not for beginners. The impressive edge retention is accompanied by an equally impressive abrasion resistance meaning that whetstones manufactured for use with carbon steel and low-alloy stainless steels may struggle to cut the steel and the carbides effectively. Having a diamond plate in your sharpening set up will be crucial to capitalizing on the benefits this steel has to offer.

San-mai (lit. three sheets) is a style of manufacture common for Japanese knives. A more practical translation is "three layers", referring to the core hardened steel being jacketed with soft steel. These style of knives may seen being referred to as "clad" or "kasumi", which has some overlap with a similar style of manufacture called Ni-mai or "two layers". Ni-mai is commonly found in single bevel knives where the soft steel is only on one side of the knife with a small portion spilling over to the other side.

Sukenari was founded during the Showa period in Toyama Prefecture and since its inception has been driven to produce quality cutlery through hands-on craftsmanship at every step. Sukenari's philosophy is that any tool should perform as an extension of oneself and this commitment to quality shows in each facet of the knife from rounded, polished choil and edges to impeccable grinds and an incredibly consistent heat treat.

The Gyuto (lit. Cow Sword) is an adaptation of the French chef knife profile for the Japanese market. While the name cow sword would imply that this knife is meant only for meat, its versatility is the same a santoku and can be used as a general-purpose knife for any task. Many would consider a gyuto or chef's knife to be the one essential knife for any kitchen with all other knives being secondary. Compared to a German style chef's knife, a gyuto will have a somewhat flatter profile: this profile lends itself well to push-cutting which is common for Japanese chefs, as opposed to rock-chopping. Gyuto also tend to be thinner at the edge as well as the spine than most European chef's knives and as a result, have the less lateral toughness and care should be taken not to torque the blade while cutting to minimize the risk of chipping.