Kintaro | SKU: KATO_VGBDA_GY180EB

Yoshimi Kato VG10 Etched Damascus Gyuto 180mm Ebony Handle

Name: Yoshimi Kato VG10 Etched Damascus Gyuto 180mm Ebony Handle
Brand: Kintaro
SKU: KATO_VGBDA_GY180EB
Price: 362.98 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock

$362.98 ~~$389.95~~

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K&S Price: AU $362.98^* inc. tax , vs:

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AU $450.0

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Last Update: 2024-10-25T01:01:31Z

Detailed Specifications

Line	Yoshimi Kato VG10 Kurozome Damascus
Profile	Gyuto / Chefs Knife
Bevel Type	Double Bevel
Weight	144 g 5.08 oz
Edge Length	183 mm .7.2 inch
Heel Height	48 mm .1.89 inch
Width @ Spine	2.0 mm 0.08 inch
Width @ Mid	2.0 mm 0.08 inch
Width @ 1cm from Tip	1.0 mm 0.04 inch
Steel	VG10 \| Stainless
Blade Construction	Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad
Hardness (HRC)	59 - 61
Handle	Octagonal Ebony
Region	Echizen
Best for	Enthusiasts Pro chefs

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This VG10 line forged by Yoshimi Kato is one of the most elegant knife I've ever seen, the geomety, profile and finish are all dialed in precisely and combined into a package that offers great cutting performance and appearance.

As a managerial member of the Takefu Knife Village, Yoshimi Kato works closely with Yu Kurosaki, the current representative of this leading association in the industry. As a result, their knives shares many similarities like very thin grind, innovative finishing and high level of finish.

This line is a good representative of those features: the blades takes a slender profile, with a thin neck, the length is measured from the heel, which leads to a long, elegant knife which is good for slicing; the fit and finish is excellent, all the exposed cornes are rounded and polished, with the spine being polished all the way to the tip; damascus pattern is uniform, paired with a Kurozome etching, leads to a dazzling look with quite a high contrast.

Besides the look, these thin blades cuts extremely well, due to the bevel that starts half way of the blade, there is nearly no sticking compair with other knife with same finish, the potato slice still automatically peel off naturally with a relatively thin slice. Spliting roots and slicing iup oninion is a breeze, as the thin blade offers superb food penetration and minimal resistance throughout the cut.

One downside I can say about this line is the core steel, at its price, you can have a lot more options that use SG2 as core steel, which offers more edge retension and hardness compare to VG10. The etched finish can take a more obvious mark when scratched. However, by going one step down in core steel, you would gain a much higher level of craftsmanship, this knife is definitely ranked at the top for the users seek ultimate level of finish and wouldn't mind a different core steel.

Video Review

Pros	Cons
Excellent performance Thin behind the edge Great artistic	High budget Etched damascus can be hard to maintain

Care Instruction

Don't cut hard things! Japanese knives are brittle so bone hacking is a NO NO!
Wash with neutral detergent after use, and wipe dry;
Please don't wash knife with dishwasher, it will damage the wood handle;
Be careful not to leave the knife close to a heat source for a long time;
It is a lot more dangerous to cut with a blunt knife than a sharp knife!
It is best to sharpen a Japanese knife regularly on a waterstone.

Yoshimi Kato

Kato Knife Manufacturing Inc., spearheaded by Yoshimi Kato, is a renowned entity in the Takefu Knife Village, known for its exquisite craftsmanship in knife-making. Yoshimi Kato, a skilled artisan, upholds the legacy of his father, Hiroshi Kato, continuing the tradition of producing high-quality Japanese knives. The company's focus on traditional techniques blended with modern innovations ensures their knives are both functional and beautiful, catering to the needs of culinary professionals and enthusiasts alike. For more detailed information, visit their official websites at Takefu Knife Village and Kato Knife Manufacturing.

Profile: Gyuto

Chefs Knife
A Japanese chef's knife is known as a gyuto (牛刀ぎゅうとう） gyūtō?), literally meaning 'beef knife'. Its blade resembles a flatter version of a French chef's knife. Japanese cutlery is known for sharpness due to its acute blade geometry, and the hardness of the steel used, sometimes exceeding 60 HRC on the Rockwell Scale A typical western chef's knife may be sharpened to an edge angle of 20-22°, while a Japanese gyuto generally has a sharper edge angle of 15-18° (or even lower), which requires a harder, more brittle grade of steel. In recent years Japanese gyuto have gained in popularity with western chefs.

A modern chef's knife is a multi-purpose knife designed to perform well at many differing kitchen tasks, rather than excelling at any one in particular. It can be used for mincing, slicing, and chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and disjointing large cuts.
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Steel: VG10
Takefu VG10, is a high-end stainless steel celebrated for its exceptional edge retention and sharpness. It is a popular choice among Japanese kitchen knife makers and widely used in various types of knives, including kitchen knives, folders, and fixed blades.

VG10 achieves a hardness of around 60-61 HRC, with some makers pushing it to 62 HRC, ensuring good edge holding and stain resistance. The steel's composition includes 15% chromium (Cr) for corrosion resistance, 1% molybdenum (Mo), and 1.5% cobalt (Co) for matrix strengthening, leading to high hardness and durability. The addition of vanadium (V) refines its microstructure and, along with Cr and Mo, produces hard carbides that enhance wear resistance. VG10 is easy to sharpen, has good machinability, and supports secondary hardening with high-temperature tempering, making it suitable for blades that may undergo surface coating treatments up to about 450℃. Its well-rounded attributes make VG10 steel highly versatile, performing excellently in a range of applications from kitchen and general-purpose knives to machine blades.
Manufacturer:
- Takefu Special Steel, Japan
Nature: Stainless
Hardness: 59- 61
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Construction: Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad

Sanmai(Three-Piece) is a common construction for double bevel knives where two pieces of softer cladding steel are forgewelded to each side of a harder core steel. The harder but more brittle core steel will form the hard cutting edge after heat treating, and the softer cladding will support the core to increase the overall strength of the blade.
Damascus Sanmai utilize damascus steel as the cladding material for the Sanmai construction, which adds aesthetic feature to the blade. On the Kitchen knives with stainless core steel, the damascus cladding will be stainless, this means they will also protect the carbon/semi-stainless core from rusting/discolouration.
The soft cladding enables the thinning process to be a lot easier than a honyaki or monosteel construction. However, when the cladding is made of damascus, whether etched, polished or mirror polished, the thinning process will take a toll on the cladding, meaning the damascus won't look the same as when it was taken out of the box.
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Finish:

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Handle Specs
Profile: Octagonal WA
Material:
- Ebony
This handle, crafted from a single piece of ebony, exemplifies minimalist elegance and functional design. Its unique octagonal shape, featuring a subtle taper, offers a comfortable grip and a visually appealing geometric profile. The ebony wood, known for its deep, rich color and durability, has been meticulously milled from a single block, ensuring a seamless construction that highlights the wood's natural beauty and grain. The handle's surface has been highly polished, achieving a glossy finish that not only enhances the ebony's luxurious dark hue but also provides a smooth, tactile experience for the user. This design choice reflects a minimalist approach, focusing on simplicity, quality, and usability. The combination of the octagonal shape with the taper adds a modern twist to the classic material, making it a standout piece that blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics.
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