The Japanese word Gyuto (牛刀) literally translates to: beef sword. Gyuto is the equivalent of the Western chef's knife and is designed to cut everything; vegetable, meat and fish. Made to be used with the push-cut method, lifting the blade between each cutting motion, or with the rocking motion method. The important thing is that the blade is straight on impact with the cutting board to avoid damage to the knife edge.
Ginsan is a steel very similar to Shirogami 2 in its composition. An addition of 14% chromium results in a stainless steel with low impurities. As a result, blades forged from Ginsan have a high hardness and cutting retention capacity that rivals most blades made from traditional high carbon steels. The purity of Ginsan makes it a preferred steel for blacksmiths who work with steel in the traditional way and is pleasant to sharpen.
Nashiji is a Japanese word meaning "pear skin pattern". Coming from a knife finishing technique where the surface of the blade is left raw or rustic, imitating the skin of the Asian pear.
Futana is the name of a line of Hitohira's house knives. As with all products that carry Hitohira's trademark (ひとひら (一片)), a high standard of quality is assured. Under the name of Futana you will be able to find knives of any profile made of stainless or semi-stainless steel. In addition, you will be able to find these blades with several different types of finishes; nashiji, kurouchi, damascus etc