Tojiro Gyuto Atelier Aogami 210mm (8.3″)

This hand-forged gyuto presents the top level of TOJIRO’s offer of multi-purpose, large chef’s knives. The excellent Aogami #2 core is hand-forged using the traditional method into a beautiful 21-layer Damascus pattern with black kuro-uchi patina. Suitable for a demanding chef for home or professional use!

Made in TOJIRO ATELIER, known for elaborate custom-made knives.

BLADE SHAPE:
The Gyuto design is intended for versatile use for chefs who prefer a standard size multi-purpose knife, suitable to cut meat, fish and vegetables.

STEEL:
Aogami #2 is a very popular steel in Japanese knife making and one of the finest high-carbon steels, meaning the knives forged from it will have excellent edge retention and also sharpen very easily. At the same time, it is less resistant to corrosion, meaning the blade can develop a patina, while longer exposure to water or other corrosives could also lead to rusting. This is improved to some extent with the addition of chromium and tungsten, but it’s still a high-carbon steel that should be maintained accordingly (⚠️ read more about knife maintenance here). Aogami #2 steel is composed of carbon (C) 1.1 %, chromium (Cr) 0.5 %, manganese (Mn) 0.3%, and tungsten (W) 1.5%.

Advantages of Aogami #2 steel are a very fine, gentle sharpness, it is easy to sharpen, and remains sharp for a long time (for more go to Steel: the heart of Japanese knives).

KNIFE CARE:
The lower part of the blade where the  Aogami #2 steel is exposed will develop some patina after time, so we recommend oiling the blade regularly in order to prevent the development of rust. Read more about how to take care of high carbon knives and patina in our Knife maintenance blog post.

LAMINATION:
The blade has a 21-layer damascus finish.

The core of the knife is Aogami #2 steel (one of the most regarded high-carbon steels), clad in softer layers of steel (this type of blade construction is called san mai). This is a great combination of two different types of steel – the outer layers make the blade more flexible and tough, while the hard core provides top-notch steel for the cutting edge.

BLADE GEOMETRY:
The blade edge is sharpened to 50/50 angle, and stays sharp even after hours of constant use. 

BLADE FINISH:
The Kuro-uchi finish (see article Blade Construction: Blade Finish for more), the untreated upper part of the blade has an already-developed dark patina that protects the blade and gives it a traditional Japanese look.

HANDLE:
This knife was fitted with a large, D-Shape, traditional Japanese wooden handle, made of magnolia wood with a Buffalo horn ferrule. 

BLACKSMITH:
TOJIRO is one of the top 5 largest Japanese kitchen knife manufacturers, with headquarters in Niigata. They are renowned across Japan and internationally for their top-quality knives for a reasonable price. TOJIRO’s focus on advanced technologies, together with their insatiable dedication for constant improvements of their knives and materials, makes TOJIRO’s knives a must-have in any kitchen. The company is divided into two sections: TOJIRO Factory and more recent TOJIRO ATELIER, the latter dedicated to producing elaborate custom-made knives. Visitors are welcome to visit both spaces and experience the knife manufacturing process (with all its sounds and smells) firsthand by observing the workflow from a raised catwalk. For more info on TOJIRO and it’s master blacksmith Tomoo Matsumura check the video above.