Etsu Village Gyuto Hammered 180mm (7.1″)

A rough translation of “Etsu” means happy, or better, self-satisfaction. It is indeed satisfying to cut veggies, meat or fish with this Gyuto with visible traces of hammer. Blacksmith Masutani is known as an incredibly good knife sharpener, and his knives are no different. With their very thin spine (around 1.8mm) these knives will slide through food with ease. These knives will fit well into the hands of student chefs, and will also make a great gift (just don’t forget to add a coin with your present).

☝️Extra trivia: Etsu village refers to the “village” of four Japanese cities, Fukui, Ishikawa, Toyama and Niigata, known for their knife making history.

BLADE SHAPE:
This smaller Gyuto Chef’s knife will be a great all-rounder for your kitchen, suitable for users who are not used to handle larger and longer knives. Due to the shorter length, it can also be used for more precise work. With its classic shape, it will cut through veggies, meat and fish.

STEEL:
The core of this Gyuto is made of VG-1 stainless steel, a younger cousin of more wide-spread VG-10 steel. Compared to VG-10, VG-1 is slightly tougher, but with a bit less wear resistance. Due to a very thin grind, VG-1 steel is exposed at the very bottom of the blade (the curvy, hamon-like line). This knife was forged to a hardness of around 60 HRC, which offers a satisfying edge retention and is easy to resharpen.

LAMINATION:
VG-1 steel is clad into a softer layer of stainless steel. This technique is called san-mai and is used to protect the hard (but delicate) core from outside factors, such as rusting and physical impacts, which could lead to breakage.

GEOMETRY:
It has a double bevel (symmetrical) blade.

BLADE FINISH:
The knife bears visible impressions of the hand-forging process (round hammer dents on the blade), which gives it a beautiful finish and also prevents food from sticking to the blade. This blade finish is also called tsuchime. Air bubbles form in the dimples and help prevent food from sticking to the blade. Because there is less surface that is in contact with food, there is also less friction and, consequently, less force is needed for cutting. 

HANDLE:
This knife was fitted a yo-style, Western-type handle made of mahogany wood, and features a stainless bolster. The knife tang ends halfway through the handle, further reducing the weight of the knife and pushing the balance more towards the tip of the blade, like with wa-style, traditional Japanese handles. The handle will fit well in your hands for both the hammer and pinch grip.

ABOUT THE BLACKSMITH:
Knives from Mr. Masutani offer a stunning price-performance ratio. They are a great choice for passionate home cooks who are starting to explore the beautiful world of Japanese knives.