Hitohira Kikuchiyo Ren Silver #3 Gyuto 210mm Ho Wood Handle

Kikuchiyo is a blacksmith based in Sakai. He was under tutelage of a legendary blacksmith in this region for well over two decades before taking over his masters forge. He’s known for his high quality White and Blue steel blades but is particularly recognized for his excellent stainless Ginsan (Silver #3) and Honyaki blades. He is an expert of temperatures and is able to achieve the correct hardness and gumminess through his technique. He always works with great ambition and efficiency hoping to develop his skills as a craftsman, modeling each of his knives on the image of his master’s forge.

“Ren” is the alias for an apprentice sharpener in Sakai. He is under the tutelage of one of the most famous and influential sharpeners in this region. The skills of this young sharpener have grown tremendously over the last two years, the consistency, the fit and finish and polish have all improved and his personal style is developing more with every batch. He is on his way to become one of the best double bevel sharpeners in Sakai. The prices reflect his skill level and are kept low to support him in training.

The gyuto is a true all-rounder and suitable for a wide variety of cutting tasks. A go-to knife for many and an ideal shape to start out with. Based on the Western style chef’s knife, the gyuto has a decent length, enough height to clear the knuckles from the cutting board and a somewhat narrow tip. It’s just as good at chopping an onion or cabbage, as slicing a roast or portioning fish. There's no shame in owning multiple gyuto's

This is a stainless steel knife. It becomes stainless due to a certain amount (10-13%) of chromium and/or nickel in the alloy, it forms a film layer which acts as a barrier between metal and oxygen. Stainless steel is easy, practical and functional but not completely maintenance free. With very bad maintenance it can rust or show pitting, after all it’s called stainless not stain-free steel. The corrosion resistance varies with each stainless steel. In my opinion the same rules apply here as with carbon steel (non-stainless).

Store your knife dry and clean, never let it air-dry after washing, no dishwasher and avoid extremely hard products like frozen foods or bones ect. But a big difference to carbon steel is that your margin of error is much bigger, the rust resistance is much greater and thus easier and more worry free to maintain.

Please note that there are many different stainless steels, just like carbon steels, each with its own properties and characteristics. Each should be judged individually.