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Sakai Kyuba – Chef’s Knife 21cm – The Gyuto – Natural Brown
£290
Quality in cut. Beauty in design. Drawing from a 600 year old blacksmithing tradition, The Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬 Gyuto knife is designed to intensify pleasure from cooking. The Gyuto is a general purpose chef’s knife which serves a variety of functions, it will become your go-to knife in the kitchen. The sharp blade is set in a premium-cut, waterproof stabilised maple burl in a Natural Brown colour. The knife comes in a handcrafted, minimalist wooden box wrapped in a unique illustration strip. A lifetime guarantee. Used and recommended by world’s top chefs.
| Color: Natural Brown |
Product Description
The Gyuto
If you’re looking to invest in one good quality knife, then you should be looking at a Japanese Gyuto knife. While specialised knives may be easier to use in some applications, there are few chores that a Gyuto cannot do in a pinch.
Gyuto knives were originally designed for cutting larger pieces of beef, which is where their name comes from – it literally means “a cow sword”. Now, they are the must-have knives in the kitchen as they are very versatile – they can easily cut meat, vegetables and fruit.
The Gyuto has become very popular as more of a general purpose knife and serves a variety of functions. Its double bevel makes it perfect for both left and right-handed use. It is a knife that will serve you in the making of any meal. This Gyuto is as unique and everlasting as the memories you will create using it.
The blade
The blade in this Japanese Gyuto knife is designed to make cooking more enjoyable as cutting through produce will become an effortless task.
The Gyuto’s blade is handcrafted by skilled Japanese blacksmiths in Sakai, Japan with premium Japanese VG10 stainless steel. VG10 is a stainless steel with a high carbon content, making it harder than most stainless steel types. With VG10, you get the hardness of a carbon steel but the corrosion resistance of stainless. Hence, VG10 steel offers an excellent balance between toughness, durability, and a razor sharpness.
The Gyuto’s blade has a Rockwell Hardness rating (HRC) of 62 which means the edge stays noticeably sharper for a longer time. This means you won’t have to worry about sharpening it often. It is forged with 46 layers of Damascus steel which is legendary for its plasticity, hardness and distinctive patterns. The blade will allow foods to be easily and promptly cut with precision.
The handle
The Gyuto’s beautiful handle is made with extremely limited European maple burl in a Natural Brown colour and feature a subtle copper ring under the oak bog wood kakumaki (collar of the handle).
The wood has to be dried for two years before it undergoes the process of stabilisation. This ensures the wood is completely waterproof to avoid bacteria growth and is able to last generations.
The Gyuto’s kakumaki (collar) is made with oak bog wood. A wood ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 years in age. Its age and living conditions give it a unique character and rich natural colour variation determined by its age. Giving you a knife with a rich history.
The Gyuto’s stabilised premium-cut maple burl is shaped into an octagonal shaped ambidextrous handle to give you a firm grip on the knife. Not only is the handle aesthetically pleasing, it is also perfectly balanced, light and comfortable. This allows for maximum precision and more controlled movements during use.
The packaging
All Sakai Kyuba knives come in a handcrafted, minimalist European Oak wooden box with a delicate waxed finish. The Gyuto’s box is wrapped in a Japana signature illustration strip presenting the Onna Bugeisha – Japanese female warriors.
Technical Spec
| Color | Natural Brown |
|---|---|
| Maker | Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬, Japana |
| HRC | |
| Steel Type | |
| Knife Handle Material | |
| Blade Length | |
| Knife Type | |
| Handle Waterproof | Yes |
| Hand Feature | Ambidextrous |
| Knife Purpose | Daily Knife, Fish, Meat |
| Knife Bevel | Double |
| Made in | Japan |
| Knife Weight | 155g |
| Boxed weight | 730g |
What is Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬 ?
Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬 is the name of our line of Japanese kitchen knives. Under the Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬 brand lies the artistry of one of the most famous blade masters in Sakai (Osaka Prefecture), Japan, drawing from over 600 years old blacksmithing tradition.
Our blacksmith established himself in 1927 and combines Sakai’s centuries-long history of knife making knowhow with newer technologies to create superior knives. In other words, he is devoted to honouring Sakai’s rich knife making history techniques whilst making improvements to create truly unique, innovative, and one of a kind knives. He is known for making knives for multiple users such as household users, cooking schools and chefs.
At Oishya we spent years searching for the ideal Japanese blacksmith to make our blades. Once we finally found him we encountered a problem. Due to geolocation exclusivity reasons, the blacksmith’s name couldn’t be included in our knives. We weren’t willing to let go of his outstanding artistry that easily, so together we created these knives under our dedicated brand name “Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬” .To make the knives even more unique, a team of talented European artisans is chosen to make the colourful maple burl handles.
What are Sakai Kyuba 堺久馬 blades made from?
Sakai Kyuba blades are handcrafted with the premium Japanese VG10 high-carbon stainless steel by a skilled Japanese blacksmith in Sakai, a small village in Osaka.
VG10 is a cutlery grade stainless steel, the name stands for V Gold 10 (“gold” meaning quality). It offers an excellent balance between toughness, durability, and razor sharpness. It has higher carbon content than some other premium brands, which helps the edge stay noticeably sharper for a longer time.
Our blades are 46 layers of Damascus steel. To form a pattern at least two different steels are forged welded together (hammered together at forging temperatures) and then folded multiple times to produce layers.
Sakai Kyuba blades are sturdier and sharper than anything you have experienced before. They will cut through food with ease making your time cooking more enjoyable and relaxing.
Where are Sakai Kyuba knives made?
Every single Saki Kyuba 堺久馬 blade has been meticulously handmade, forged and hand-polished in Japan by master craftsmen in Sakai. Whilst the beautiful handles are crafted by artisans in Europe using limited European maple burl.
How long will my knife stay sharp?
This really depends on how often you use the knife, how you care for it and what items you’re cutting.
In general, Japanese knives tend to hold their edge longer than Western knives. In other words, Japanese knives stay sharper longer than their Western counterparts.
When tested, Sakai Kyuba knives outperformed brands that cost much more. We estimate that for a person cooking 5 times a week, Sakai Kyuba knives will stay sharp for around 4-8 months.
However, no knife — including ours — will stay sharp forever. Which is why we provide a variety of sharpening stones, so when the blade starts to dull, you can sharpen it easily at your home in 5-10 minutes. Otherwise, check out our recommended trusted knife sharpening services.
Does it make sense to buy one knife first, and not a set?
If you can’t afford or do not want to commit to buying a set immediately, the single most important tool in your kitchen is The Gyuto – The Chef’s Knife. It’s the workhorse you reach for most often. Investing in one great knife now will change your cooking for life and make it a pleasure rather than a chore. Our Sakai Kyuba Gyuto can do 99% of your kitchen cutting. Another option for a daily knife is Santoku knife. However, if you’re looking for an ultimate experience, you should consider investing in a 3-pieces set; including The Petty (Paring/Utility Knife), Nakiri (Veggie/Fruit Knife) in addition to The Gyuto (The Chef’s Knife).
Do these knives require special care?
Sakai Kyuba knives are extremely durable and easy to care for. However, any knife, even a premium one needs sharpening at some point. As a good habit, you should sharpen them regularly and dry them immediately after use. These are 3 general rules you should follow:
- Don’t put your knife in a dishwasher.
- Store your knives either on the magnetic knife strip, knife stand, or sheathed in the utensil drawer.
- Don’t slide your knife, blade down, across the cutting board to clear away what you just chopped.
Also, check our full guide on how to properly maintain the knife and sharpen it.
How does your lifetime warranty and trial work?
We’re 100% confident you’ll love your Japana knives. Here at Japana we make sure that the products we send to you are checked for exceptional quality and that the packaging is always secure and sturdy, so that you receive undamaged, high quality goods which will last a lifetime. We believe our customers should not worry about buying premium products online, this is why our Sakai Kyuba x Japana range comes with a lifetime guarantee. We’re also giving our customers 50-day in-home trial. If for any reason you’re not satisfied, just send it back for a full refund. No questions asked.
What is oak bog wood?
Bog wood comes from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions. This wood ranges in age from 2,500 to 5,000 years.
Bog oak is known for its exceptional strength and often used to make luxury furniture and interiors. Its age and living conditions give it a unique character and rich natural colour variation determined by its age. Its colour gradually darkens with age going from a light, golden brown to an almost ebony-black colour.
Here at Japana we make sure that the products we send to you are checked for exceptional quality and that the packaging is always secure and sturdy, so that you receive undamaged, high quality goods which will last a lifetime. We believe our customers should not worry about buying premium products online, this is why our Sakai Kyuba range comes with a lifetime guarantee.
The lifetime guarantee covers any defects in manufacturing and materials that functionally impair the knife. Japana will repair or replace any of the Sakai Kyuba products free of charge. Please note that in the case of a set, only the faulty item will be replaced.
Our lifetime guarantee does not cover:
- Damage caused by normal wear and tear, accident or negligence.
- Damage caused by improper use (knocks, dents, crushing, drops, etc.).
- Damage due to loss, theft, fire or other causes beyond our control.
- Damage caused by commercial, professional, or workplace use.
- Damage due to improper storage.
All returned items will be posted at the buyers expense if sent after 50 days of purchase other than where it’s a manufacturers fault. In this instance we will be happy to refund any postage costs along with arranging a replacement. You will need to send us a copy of your postage receipt in order to receive a refund. If you have any quality concerns, please contact us at [email protected].
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