Japanese Kitchen Knife Kiritsuke Gyuto by Misuzu Hamono

Production: Japan, Miki
Brand: Misuzu Hamono
Model: Kiritsuke Gyuto V99-BJ
Total length:  305 mm
Blade length: 180 mm
Blade surface finish: Migaki (polished)
Blade type: double-edged
Steel: VG10 stainless steel
Hardness: 60-61 HRC

The Misuzu Hamono forge, located in the Japanese city of Miki, is known as the first workshop that, as early as 1946, created a blade from carbon steel with outer layers of stainless steel (San Mai technique). Its founder was Mr. Shinji Suzuki. Thanks to this special construction, extreme sharpness can be achieved while the outer stainless layers effectively protect the blade core from corrosion and damage. The current head knife smith, Mr. Miyawaki, represents the third generation of the family. He gained his experience in the famed knife-making city of Sakai and took over the leadership of Misuzu Hamono in 2006.

JP Sanjuzu Cutlery Manufacturing Co., Ltd., 2-9-36 Honmachi, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture 673-0431, Japan, tel. 0794-82-0442, mailto@3suzu.com CZ Tokyo Tools s.r.o., Slovinská 652/19, Prague 10, 10100, CZ, 773707811, info@tokyotools.cz

The blade is made of VG10 stainless steel with a high carbon content. VG10 is a Japanese stainless steel, considered one of the best stainless steels for knife making. Thanks to its chemical composition, VG-10 combines the advantages of carbon and stainless steel, as it can be very sharp, has excellent edge retention, is relatively easy to sharpen, and has excellent corrosion resistance. Magnolia wood is used for the handle, lacquered with Japanese urushi, and finished with a brass collar. 

Note: Delivered in original decorative packaging.

If you want to keep your Japanese knives in perfect condition, here are some must-haves:
Wash knives by hand. Wipe with a dry cloth. Avoid the dishwasher, which can cause damage to the blade and wooden handle. The blade of this knife is made of stainless steel and therefore does not require as much care. However, it is important to keep the blade clean and dry after use. To restore the appearance, you can coat the blade and handle with oil - preferably linseed or camellia oil.
Do not use the knife for prying, cutting, or chopping frozen products or hard materials like bones, squash, and similar. The blade can chip or break.
Use a quality wooden cutting board. Store knives in a dry place to prevent the steel from oxidizing.
Regularly sharpen the knife on a whetstone, but remember that Japanese knives have a different edge angle and therefore require special and finer sharpening stones. You may use a Japanese whetstone like KING or Suehiro.

For more information, see the knife care section.