Yakei Gyuto 240mm

Yakei (夜径), or ‘Night Path’ as it is translated from Japanese, is the name given to gyuto blades formed of high-carbon, ladder-pattern damascus steel by artist Shoichi Hashimoto. This work of art, forged by hand at Shoichi’s Hiroshima studio and baring serial number 241223_07 on the left side of the tang, consists of two merged pieces of Shoichi’s damascus, one originating nearer the finished profile’s spine, and the other emanating from the portion which forms the edge, to produce the final ladder pattern. A total of eight individual alloys are used, with one bar made from Blue Paper No.1, Blue Paper No.2, White Paper No.1, White Paper No.2, White Paper No.3, Takefu White2, and 15n20, and the other from Super Blue No.1, Blue Paper No.2, White Paper No.1, White Paper No.2, and White Paper No.3. The resulting 240mm / 9.45″ blade delivers 2,968 total layers of steel to the chef’s cutting board. A self-described damascus artist, Shoichi is a world-class metalworker, blacksmith, and creative visionary who produces high-performance culinary blades as a means of testing the limits of functional damascus artistry and the efficacy of the patterns he develops. Like the damascus itself, the complexity and nuance of the blade’s functional attributes are striking. Symmetrical, mid-height convex bevels culminate at an extremely fine, razor-sharp edge with only the faintest secondary bevel. Nearly as sharp and precise as a single-bevel blade in which a true ‘zero’ edge is present, i.e. one containing no secondary bevel, this blade’s edge is as hard and finely honed as they come, owing to the progression of whetstones used in the final shaping, polishing, and sharpening of the lower portion of the primary bevels. The blade’s spine tapers forward from the tang to a extremely fine, glass-thin tip, the spine subtly faceted along both right and left edges for comfort in the pinch grip. Relatively stiff throughout, the spine’s full-distal taper does offer a touch of lateral flexibility in the final inches. Shoichi’s finely tuned heat treatment and hardening process are on full display. Like the spine, the choil is rounded and faceted for comfort while chopping and slicing. Ready for handle installation, the blade’s tang is engraved with a number of details including the damascus billet number, the date of the blade’s quench, its serial number, and on the opposite side, the first polishing completion date. *Blade only. Custom handle services can be provided.