Gyuto  牛刀

The Japanese version of a western Chef’s Knife, based off of French chefs knives in the 1880’s it was designed for cutting meat, Gyuto translates to “meat sword”, but it is a versatile all round kitchen knife that can be used for rock or push cutting styles. Due to the harder steel used for the cutting edge, Japanese Gyuto’s generally have thinner blades than a western knife of the same size.

Kiritsuke Gyuto  切付

The modern Kiritsuke gyuto is an all-round kitchen knife with a similar profile to a Gyuto but generally with less curve in the blade, they are used more with a push cut and the clipped “K-Tip” is great for fine work. Kiritsuke Bōchō, “slit open”, is a traditional single bevel blade which is a mix of a Yanagiba and an Usuba. It can be used for portioning proteins or cutting vegetables. It is used by Japanese Executive chefs and is a symbol of expertise.