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Hitohira

Hitohira Tanaka Kyuzo Blue #1 Stainless Clad Gyuto 240mm Taihei Ebony Handle

Regular price
€645,00 EUR
Regular price
Sale price
€645,00 EUR
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Description

Tanaka Yoshikazu is widely considered to be one of the best blacksmiths in Sakai, most renowned for his Blue #1. He’s been awarded the title Dento Kogeishi: a Japanese government certified traditional craftsman. To earn this title, one has to have many years of experience and vast knowledge of one’s craft.
Tanaka Uchihamono’s methods are very traditional: using white and blue steel, relying only on eyesight to determine steel temperatures, using pine charcoal in the forge and straw ash for annealing. Tanaka knives are most known for their incredible ease of sharpening and edge retention. They rely completely on their skill and intuition more than modern tools. Here the production time for a single knife is also notably longer than most other workshops which means they produce lower quantities.

In this series Tanaka’s work is paired with Kyuzo’s first class shaping and sharpening. Kyuzo, son of one of the busiest sharpeners in Sakai and student of one of the best and most influential double bevel sharpeners in Sakai. Now he is one of the few to be able to grind a crisp and consistent shinogi line on a wide double bevel knife.
This series is characterized as thin (edges and spines) with slightly more heel height, all with lovely taper, good balance and fitted with the best handles like ebony or ziricote.

What kind of knife is this?

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

Care Instructions

This is a carbon steel knife with a soft stainless steel cladding. Most Japanese knives have a 3-layer construction called “San Mai”, hard and high quality steel sandwiched between two layers of soft steel. In this case the soft steel (cladding) is a stainless steel and only the core is made out of carbon (non-stainless) steel. You’ll have all the advantages of a carbon edge e.g., sharpening ease and edge retention, but without having to worry about oxidation on the rest of the blade.
Still it is important to 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.


Detailed Spec

Brand: Hitohira ひとひら (一片)
Smith: Tanaka Blacksmith 田中打刃物製作所
Producing Area: Sakai-Osaka/ Japan
Profile: Gyuto
Size: 240mm
Steel Type: Carbon Steel
Steel: Yasuki Blue (Aogami) #1, Soft Stainless Clad
Handle: Taihei Ebony & Buffalo Horn Ferrule Octagonal
Total Length: 388mm
Edge Length: 232mm
Handle to Tip Length: 238mm
Blade Height: 52mm
Thickness: 2.2mm
Handle Length: 144mm
Weight: 202g
Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous
Sharpener: Kyuzo

The colour of the handle might slightly vary.