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.
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.
Today, the company no longer manufactures SG2. The SG2 knives on the market are, most of the time, made of almost identical steels and are manufactured by other companies. For example, Kobelco's R2 has the same characteristics as the SG2.
Go Yoshizawa is a creative craftsman who is making the family business shine. He is the head-chef of the Nigara's forge, one of the most renowned forges in Japan and worldwide, and famous for damascus work. Yoshizawa-san builds on the solid foundation of steelworking that he has developed over the years to discover and explore new processes. Nigara's forge and its craftsmen continue to amaze us with knives that are as beautiful as they are performing.