- Description
- Specifications
- Knife Care
- Shipping
Tsunehisa Gyuto AS Tsuchime 240mm is a multi-purpose Japanese kitchen knife, suited for preparing meat, fish and vegetables. Gyuto translates to something like ‘beef sword’, which indicates its affinity for cutting meat. Especially longer gyutos, such as this beauty by Tsunehisa can be utilized for slicing larger pieces of meat and preparing sashimi, as well as tackling any other produce needed for a nicely rounded meal.
Aogami Super steel is great for achieving a fine sharpness, which is necessary for smooth, precise cuts that Japanese cuisine dictates – the less damage your blade does to the cell walls of your produce, the more of its ripeness and flavor it preserves. This concept is called shun, and it describes the essence of the season, food that can be enjoyed locally and seasonally.
BLADE SHAPE:
Gyuto is the most versatile and useful blade shape in the modern kitchen. It has a wide profile for easy food transfer and tends to be fairly flat towards the heel, enabling easy and fast chopping on the cutting board. A pointed tip allows piercing and precise, delicate work. A slight curve between the tip and the midsection makes the belly great for rocking the blade back and forth when cutting. It can be used for cutting meat, fish and vegetables.
STEEL:
Aogami Super is the crème de la crème when it comes to high-carbon Japanese steels. If you’re looking for the finest sharpness, this is the steel you should be looking at. It is also very easy to sharpen, and the blades can be forged very thin. It has great wear resistance due to high amounts of tungsten and chromium, the latter also adding to its corrosion resistance. This doesn’t mean that Aogami Super blades will resist corrosion as well as stainless steels, as they will develop a patina, while leaving them exposed to water or other food acids could even result in rusting (so don’t forget to wipe them dry after use!). If you’re willing to just put this extra attention to the knife’s maintenance, though, you will be rewarded with a fine sharpness like no other. Aogami Super is made up of carbon (C) 1.50%, tungsten (W) 2.50%, vanadium (V) 0.50%, chromium (Cr) 0.50%, manganese (Mn) 0.30%, silicon (Si) 0.20%.
LAMINATION:
High-carbon steel is hard, but brittle for this same reason. This makes the blades more prone to breakage and chipping. To prevent that, blacksmiths “sandwich" the blade’s core, made from Aogami Super steel, between two layers of softer, corrosion resistant steels. This improves the blade’s flexibility, toughness—and most importantly with high-carbon steels—protection from corrosion and rusting too. The trace of this lamination process is the curvy line right above the cutting edge, which is the border between the blade’s core (hagane) and the outer, protective layer (jigane).
GEOMETRY:
It has a double bevel (symmetrical) blade.
BLADE FINISH:
Hammered finish, also known as tsuchime finish was achieved by striking the blade repeatedly, until subtle imprints were left – this also helps with food stickage when cutting, as it will separate from the blade more easily.
HANDLE:
This western style (Yo) handle is made from red pakka wood. It will balance the long blade nicely.
ABOUT THE BLACKSMITH:
Tsunehisa knives are a brand that combines a variety of high-quality knives from various knife centers of Japan such as Tosa, Seki, and Sakai. Their philosophy is that each region has its own steel and different manufacturing processes. For example, Tosa is best known for its Ginsanko and Aus-8 steels, Seki is famous for making excellent blades from the V-Gold group of steels, and Sakai for its single beveled Honyaki knives.
Blade shape: Gyuto
Steel type: Aogami Super
Blade construction: San-mai / tsuchime
Hardness (HRC scale): 63
Overall length: 372mm (14.6")
Blade length: 240mm (9.5")
Blade height: 47mm (1.9")
Spine thickness: 2.7mm (0.11")
Weight: 230g (8.1 oz)
Handle length: 123mm (4.8")
Handle type / wood: Western (Yo) style / Pakka
Kanji on the blade:
Blacksmith: Tsunehisa
Location of the smithy: TOSA / Kōchi Prefecture / Japan
☝️ Japanese kitchen knives in our store are handmade from natural materials. Slight variations in color, texture, weight and other dimensions are possible. We try to give a good photographic representation of our products, however computer screen resolution and colors do vary, so products might not look exactly as they are seen on screen.
☝️ THIS KNIFE MAY DEVELOP PATINA
Knives made of carbon steels can, due to their low chromium (Cr) content, discolor and develop patina. The knife is the most sensitive when it is still new and a patina had not developed yet, but later, patina will protect the blade. These types of knives require a touch more care:
✔ Wipe it regularly with a clean and dry cloth (you can also do this during use).
✔ After use, rinse it with lukewarm water and wipe it dry.
✔ Coat it regularly with knife maintenance oil or plain refined sunflower oil.
✔ Store the knife by wrapping it in paper which will absorb moisture and protect the blade.
A patina is a thin layer that forms on the surface of oxidized steel and protects it from further oxidation. The patina should not be confused with rust. Patina protects the blade, while rust causes corrosion and deterioration of material, so it should be removed (see Rust erasers).
→ For in-depth information about patina, read our dedicated post on patina.
GENERAL KNIFE CARE TIPS:
Blade wear depends on the quality of steel, usage and maintenance of the blade. Japanese knives are made of high-quality steels. Follow these tips to keep your Japanese knife in top-notch shape:
✔ Use a wooden, plastic or rubber cutting board.
✔ After use, wash the knives and wipe them dry.
✔ Use a magnetic rack, knife blocks, or use protective knife sheath (saya).
✔ A good cutting technique is your best bet to prolong sharpness.
✔ Use sharpening stones to sharpen the knife.
❗️Don’t leave the knife in the sink. Wash it by hand.
❗️Don’t wash the knife in the dishwasher.
❗️Don’t use the knife on glass, ceramics, marble or steel surfaces.
❗️Don’t scrape the food off the cutting board with the edge of the blade. Use the spine of the knife instead.
❗️A knife is a tool intended for specific use: it’s not a can opener, screwdriver, trowel, wire cutter, hammer etc. Kitchen knives are meant for preparing food.
→ For more details, read our guide on Maintenance of Kitchen Knives.
🤙 Contact us if you need some help. We reply within 1 business day.
SHIPPING RATES:
- €10 - flat worldwide rate with DHL Express (express delivery, 2-5 business days).
- FREE - all orders over €300 (DHL Express).
EXCEPTIONS:
- United Kingdom - shipping to UK costs €15. All orders are shipped with UPS Express (2-3 business days). Free shipping on orders over €300.
- Russia - shipping to Russia costs €40*. All orders are shipped with EMS postal service.
*or more, depending on the weight
DUTIES AND IMPORT TAXES:
We ship all orders DDP (duties & taxes paid). This means you will not be charged for any import fees and taxes (including VAT). All our prices are final. The price you see at checkout is the final price, no hidden costs.
DELIVERY TIME:
- Europe: 1-2 business days
- US & Canada: 2-4 business days
- Rest of the World: 3-5 business days
RETURNS:
Our return policy lasts 30 days. If more than 30 days have gone by since the day you received your order, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.
📩 Read our SHIPPING & RETURNS policy for more info. We strive to solve any issues fast and with as little hassle for you. If you have some additional questions, please contact us.
Each knife comes with:
✔️ Instructions and knife care leaflet.
✔️ A preventive Band-Aid – the knives are very sharp! 😉
✔️ Original box from the blacksmith, which we wrap in an old Japanese newspaper sheet – so every knife is ready to be passed on as a gift as soon as it hits your doorstep!
✔️ We also offer a special gift wrapping option with the traditional Japanese washi paper.
Quiz
Still doubting which type of Japanese knife should best fit your needs? We created a quick, 5-steps quiz to help you find the perfect knife based on your cooking skills and the type of food you prepare.
