Aogami Gyuto Knife

Aogami Gyuto Knife

$248.00
$248.00
  • A vertical studio shot of the Aogami Gyuto Knife by Best Made Co. against a plain white background. This gyuto knife showcases a polished, dark-textured blade—expertly forged from Blue Paper Steel No. 2—and features a two-toned wooden handle. NEW
  • A person holds a sharp Best Made Co. Aogami Gyuto knife in one hand while their other hand rests flat on a blue checkered cloth surface, preparing to cut or chop. NEW
  • The Aogami Gyuto Knife by Best Made Co. features a wooden handle and a blade forged from Blue Paper Steel No. 2, presented in a cream cloth sheath decorated with symbols and enclosed within a black rectangular box bearing the Best Made Co. name. NEW
  • A close-up of the Best Made Co. Aogami Gyuto Knife, featuring a blade crafted from Blue Paper Steel No. 2 with engraved kanji characters and a hammered finish, complemented by a dark wooden handle. NEW
  • Close-up of the Best Made Co. Aogami Gyuto Knife, showcasing its wooden handle and rectangular Blue Paper Steel No. 2 blade, set against a plain white background. NEW
  • The Best Made Co. Aogami Gyuto Knife is displayed from above, highlighting its slender silver blade—made with Blue Paper Steel No. 2—and its rectangular wooden handle, which casts a narrow shadow on a simple light gray background. NEW
  • Close-up of the wooden handle of the Best Made Co. Aogami Gyuto Knife, featuring a dark bolster and highlighting the smooth texture and natural grain of the wood against a plain, light background. This elegant handle is designed for both comfort and precision, reflecting the quality craftsmanship of this Japanese chef knife. NEW
  • A hand holds the Best Made Co. Aogami Gyuto Knife, distinguished by its wooden handle, next to three more of the same knives arranged on a blue checkered cloth. Crafted with Blue Paper Steel No. 2 for exceptional sharpness and precision, these knives are perfect for any culinary task. NEW

Aogami Gyuto Knife

Aogami Gyuto Knife

$248.00
$248.00

The Japanese take on the classic French Sabatier. The gyuto borrows the long curved belly and tapered point of its Western ancestor. But Sanjo added thinness, hardness, and an edge that behaves like nothing forged in Thiers. It also added the distal taper the region is so known for: the spine is thick at the heel and thins steadily toward the tip, so the balance sits back in your hand and 14.5 inches of knife feels considerably lighter than it should. The heel stays stiff enough for heavy work while the tip goes fine and responsive: one blade doing what most kitchens need two to do. That much edge cuts that much more, and holds it that much longer.

The core is Blue Paper Steel No. 2 (aka Aogami 2), forged at the Yasugi works in Shimane Prefecture, named for the blue paper the mill uses to label its billets. Chromium and tungsten give it the wear resistance pure carbon steel lacks, and our forge heat-treats it to 61–63 HRC. Its double bevel takes a keen edge, holds it through real work, and returns on a water stone with little effort.

Our forge laminates that core between two layers of stainless in the san-mai method, exposing the carbon steel where it means business. Everything happens under one roof in Sanjo City, where our shop has been based since 1948. Each blade carries our katakana X-mark and ships with a canvas blade guard. Dry it after use, oil it now and then, and the walnut handle will only darken and patina with age.
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The gyuto is a question of reach. Eight plus inches of edge changes what can be done in one pass rather than three. And the gentle curve toward the tip lets it do two things a shorter knife cannot: draw through a roast or a large squash in a single pass, and dismantle an herb or an aromatic without lifting off the board. Comparable American or European knives are typically heavier than the gyuto. This makes this knife a joy to use, especially for extended sessions. You may not use it every day, but when you do, you’ll be glad you have it.

A note on the steel. The Yasugi works produced several grades of high-carbon tool steel that, to the eye, couldn’t be told apart. So the mill marked each one with a different color paper. The smiths who bought the steel adopted the shorthand and named it after its wrapper rather than its formula. Blue paper gave us aogami-kō: blue paper steel in Japanese.

Blue Paper Steel No. 2 is one of the most widely trusted carbon steels in Japan, and the reason is balance. Aogami holds its edge longer than white steel while remaining far easier to sharpen than powdered stainless steel. At the hardness our forge runs it at, the edge can be taken thinner than a Western blade would tolerate, and that’s what's meant when they say a Japanese knife cuts differently.
Aogami Gyuto Knife
- Blue steel carbon core
- Stainless steel outer laminate
- Walnut handle
- Canvas blade guard
- Gyuto: 8.27” blade, total length: 14.5"
- Santoku: 6.50" blade, total length: 12"
- Nakiri: 6.50” blade, total length: 12"
- Petty: 5.25" blade, total length: 10"
Never run this knife through the dishwasher. Wash by hand in warm water and dry the blade immediately — the high-carbon edge tarnishes if left wet, and will rust if left wet long enough. Citrus, tomatoes, onions, and anything else acidic will mark the steel within minutes, so wipe the blade as you work rather than waiting for the end of the job. A thin coat of oil before the knife goes back in its guard protects it between uses, and matters most if it will sit unused for any stretch. Over time, those acids and oils will darken the exposed edge into a patina particular to the way the knife is used; that patina is protection rather than damage, and shouldn't be scrubbed away. Sharpen on water stones, and keep the edge off bone and frozen food.
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