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.
Mr. Itou has nearly 30 years' experience in knife making. This is quite common in Japan, but what's a little less common is that Mr. Itou embarked on this adventure just as he was retiring. He's now in his 80s and still making blades, although he's slowed the pace.
He makes his blades exclusively from Kobelco's R2 (SG2) powdered steel, which holds no secrets for him. Always of "full tang" construction, his knives feature original rivet handles and are made from materials that enhance the Damascus of the unique blades.
Do you already have a Mr. Itou knife in your collection?
Super Gold 2 or SG2 is a powder metallurgy steel developed by Takefu Special Steel Co Ltd in 1991 in Takefu, Echizen, Fukui Prefecture. It is a high carbon stainless steel that is pulverized into very fine grains. These are then put back together. This process results in a homogeneous grain structure, making it easier to sharpen and very durable. SG2 can reach a hardness of 64 HRC, making it a very famous steel in the Japanese cutlery world.
Takefu Special Steel Co Ltd, creator of the popular VG-10 steel, wanted to offer with SG2 a superior product in all aspects of hardness, cutting retention, durability, etc.