Gyuto knives (meat & fish)
Gyuto knives (meat & fish)
EXPERT KNOWLEDGE GYUTO KNIFE (MEAT AND FISH)
What is a Gyuto?
The Gyuto knife is an essential Japanese tool in fine dining and represents the perfect synthesis of traditional Japanese craftsmanship and modern functionality. Originally designed specifically as a carving knife for processing meat and fish, the Gyuto knife has gained a firm place in Western and Asian cuisine thanks to its exceptional versatility.
Primarily for meat—or equally suited to vegetables?
The blade of a Gyuto knife is typically between 20 and 30 cm long and sharpened on both sides, making it particularly precise and versatile. The length of these knives allows for longer, even cuts, which are essential when filleting fish, carving meat or finely slicing vegetables. Although it was originally intended as a carving knife, the Gyuto knife is also ideal for fine cutting work such as chopping herbs or mincing garlic.
Why a Gyuto knife is the superior choice for meat
Produced from high-quality steel, often with a high carbon content, the blade of these sought-after chef's knives remains extremely sharp and offers a high level of edge retention. These properties make the Gyuto knife particularly resistant to degrees of wear and enable it to tackle even the most demanding cutting jobs with ease.
Some Gyuto knives have a Damascus steel blade, which is not only visually impressive, but also improves the hardness and flexibility of the blade.
Gyuto vs. Santoku: Japan’s finest kitchen knives compared
When choosing a chef's knife, many amateur and professional chefs are faced with the decision between the Gyuto and the Santoku. Both knives are typical Japanese kitchen knives, but they differ in shape, blade length and use.
The Gyuto is the Japanese counterpart to the Western chef's knife, also known as a chef's knife, and is characterised by its versatility. With a blade length of 18 to 30 cm without the handle, the Gyuto is ideal for cutting meat and fish. The blade of a Gyuto is usually slightly thicker, which gives the chef's knife stability while still remaining sharp.
The Santoku , on the other hand, has a shorter blade length of around 16 to 20 cm without the handle, and is known for its "three virtues". As a chef's knife, it is ideal for preparing vegetables, fish and meat. The blade of the Santoku is typically wider and has a special shape that enables it to achieve a high level of precision even when cutting soft ingredients. The Santoku is often light and well-balanced, which makes it comfortable to hold and easier to handle.
Both knives, the Gyuto and the Santoku, are excellent kitchen knives that no well-equipped kitchen should be without. The choice ultimately depends on personal preference and individual cooking habits.
Conclusion
The Gyuto impresses with its unique blend of tradition and precision, making it an indispensable tool in any kitchen. Its elegant, curved blade glides effortlessly through meat, vegetables and fish, combining the sharpness and lightness of Japanese knives with the versatility of Western chef's knives.
At DICTUM, your specialist retailer for high-quality Hocho, you only buy originals from Japan with a certificate of authenticity, sharpening pass or sharpening service.
The secret behind Japanese blades: Tamahagane – Shirogami – Aogami
Japanese chef's knives are traditionally made from special types of steel that have their roots in the art of swordsmithing. The best-known types of steel are Tamahagane, Shirogami (White Paper Steel) and Aogami (Blue Paper Steel).
Highest quality: not rustproof!
In Japan, Hitachi Metals produces special cutting steels that represent the highest standard in the world and are used in almost all of the Hocho products we offer. These Yasuki Special Steels (YSS), named after their place of origin, are made from iron sand, the same raw material from which the legendary samurai swords were produced. They are characterised by the highest purity in their structure and therefore the highest achievable cutting sharpness.
Tamahagane
Tamahagane is a traditional Japanese steel used for the Production of swords, especially Katana.
The term "tamahagane" can be translated as bullet steel or jewelled steel and represents a traditional, highly respected craftsmanship.
The manufacturing process of tamahagane, known as tatara, is extremely intricate and requires special raw materials and expertise. This process is the earliest known manufacturing method in which steel is extracted directly from the raw material without any intermediate steps (approx. 1800 years old). Highest degree of purity of all known steels.
Steel is obtained from two main components: Iron sand (satetsu) and charcoal.
The quality of the end product depends largely on the careful selection and quality of these raw materials.
Original tamahagane is melted from the purest ore sand (masa) with pine charcoal in the tatara process, which takes several days.
The tatara kiln, where the melting process takes place, plays a central role. During the melting process, lumps of tamahagane are formed, which are sorted and selected by hand.
White Paper Steel (Shiro Gami / Shirogami)
White, blue or silver paper steel is actually not the correct term, the correct term is white paper steel, blue paper steel or silver paper steel. The names of the steel grades originated from the packaging paper.
Shiro Gami, also known as white paper steel or white paper steel, is produced from iron sand (masa).
High-purity carbon steel is a high-quality, non-rustproof steel grade from Japan that is used for the Production of fine cutting tools such as Japanese chef's knives, scissors, sickles and plane irons.
This unalloyed carbon steel of the highest quality is characterised by a high degree of purity and a fine martensitic structure.
Popular Japanese knife types such as Gyuto, Santoku and Usuba are often forged from Shirogami.
Compared to Ao Gami steel (blue paper steel), Shiro Gami does not contain any chromium or tungsten elements.
Shiro Gami knives made from three layers of steel combine various positive properties. The blades can be ground extremely sharp and remain sharp for longer. Re-sharpening is done on a water stone.
To summarise, Shiro Gami knives are characterised by excellent edge retention, very high sharpening potential, high hardness (63-65 HRC), easy sharpening and the need for regular care.
Blue Paper Steel (Ao Gami / Aogami)
Aogami or blue paper steel is a high-quality alloy, similar to white paper steel, but with an additional 0.4 % chromium and 1.8 % tungsten. This special composition gives the steel increased toughness compared to its white counterpart. Mainly developed by Hitachi, this high-carbon steel is especially designed for tools and knives.
Aogami usually achieves a hardness of 62 to 66 HRC and is the most common knife steel in Japan.
The outstanding properties of this steel are manifested in its unrivalled wear resistance and remarkable hardness. It is no wonder that it has become a favourite choice for high-end Japanese kitchen knives, with numerous manufacturers using this high-quality steel in their products.
Sharpening is straightforward and edge retention is outstanding.
However, it should be noted that despite its excellent properties, this steel has a low toughness.
To prevent oxidation, original Japanese knives made from Aogami are treated with non-corrosive, food-safe oil, such as camellia oil.
Which is better: Aogami or Shirogami?
Aogami is known for having better edge retention than shirogami. It is slightly more resistant to corrosion, but is not Rustproof either.
Shirogami, on the other hand, is better when it comes to sharpness, it is not as brittle and is much easier to resharpen.
Most sushi chefs prefer the traditional Shirogami steel knives because the blades are less brittle, sharper and easier to use.
Both aogami and shirogami are used as the core steel (hagane) in Blade structure knives to combine their outstanding Sharpness & Edge Life with the advantages of the structure of Blade structure.
Why White or Blue Paper Steel is used in Damascus knives
- Sharpness: White and blue paper steel offer exceptional sharpness and can be sharpened extremely finely. White paper steel has a higher purity, while blue paper steel is even harder and more durable thanks to additional alloying elements such as chromium and tungsten.
- Combination of Hardness and Flexibility: In a Damascus knife, the hard paper steel core is protected by the softer, layered steels on the outside. This results in a perfect balance between an extremely sharp edge and a more robust, flexible blade.
- Aesthetics: The Damascus pattern is created by repeatedly folding and forging the outer layers of steel. These layers not only give the knife a visually fascinating appearance, but also functional advantages such as flexibility and break resistance.
Advantages of Damascus knives with a Paper Steel core
- Extremely sharp edge: The paper steel core ensures unrivalled sharpness and edge retention.
- Robustness: The outer Damascus layers provide protection and make the knife more resistant to breakage and impact.
- Appearance: The combination of functional paper steel and the decorative Damascus layers results in a knife that is both efficient and aesthetically pleasing.
- Versatility: The choice between white (pure) and blue (alloyed, robust) paper steel allows the knife to be customised according to preference.
Conclusion
White and Blue Paper Steels are ideal for the production of traditional Japanese Damascus knives, where a combination of extreme sharpness and visual beauty is desired. The core steel ensures excellent cutting properties, while the Damascus structure makes the knife more resistant and flexible without compromising its sharpness.
