The Japanese word Gyuto (牛刀) literally translates to beef sword. The gyuto is the equivalent of the Western chef's knife, and is designed to cut everything: vegetables, meats and fishes. It is made to be used with the push-cut method, lifting the blade between each cutting motion, or with the rocking motion method. It is important that the blade is straight upon impact with the cutting board to avoid damage to the knife edge.
VG-10 is a stainless steel produced by Takefu Special Steel in the early 1960s and is still in use more than 60 years later. This steel was specially designed for knife making and is used by many master blacksmiths in Japan. Despite the 15% chromium in the composition which gives it a high corrosion resistance, VG-10 can reach an HRC of 60-61. This is due to the addition of 1.5% Cobalt which gives the steel a higher hardness with a high temperature quenching treatment.
The Hitohira brand is a guarantee of excellence and you can be sure that every knife sold under this name will meet rigorous quality standards.