Hand forged in Kashiwa City (Chiba Prefecture) by Yoshito Yamakawa of Goko Forge, the Kogetsu Mandai series is made from Korikin stainless steel. Korikin steel is a steel developed and patented by Goko Forge which is heat treated according to a precise protocol which is well kept secret.
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.