The Japanese word Gyuto (牛刀) literally translates to ox sword. The gyuto is the equivalent of a Western chef's knife and is designed to cut everything from vegetables to meat and fish. It is designed to be used with the push-cut method, lifting the blade between each cutting motion, or with the swing method. It is important that the blade is straight upon impact with the cutting board to avoid damage to the knife's edge.
The town of Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture has been famous for its blacksmithing since the 1600s. In the early years, nails were mainly forged by hand. Then, starting in 1660, different blacksmithing techniques were introduced by blacksmiths from Aizu. Thanks to this, the town's blacksmiths began to diversify their production. The quality of Sanjo tools and knives then enjoyed a strong reputation in Japan, which remains the case today.
Simply put, Aogami #2, developed by Hitachi Metals, is a steel made from Shirogami #2 with a small amount of chromium and tungsten added for improved durability and corrosion resistance. In addition, the steel's higher carbon content allows for better edge retention. Objectively, Aogami #2 is an improvement over Shirogami #2. For patina enthusiasts, however, Shirogami steel is more reactive to oxidation and could be an advantage.