# Kougetsu 240mm Gyuto



## harlock0083 (Feb 11, 2013)

Well I got this itch for a higher performance knife than my Fujiwara FKH. I stumbled on this post http://www.foodieforums.com/vbullet...to-or-Suji&s=6406f0ac85d25428514aa227311d6f37. Its a Kanto style gyuto. Judging by the post, I was guessing Kanto style meant heavier. .I visited the company website to get more information but google translate and only do so much.

Other than that not a lot of information. So I emailed GokuO Hamono and asked for some info. I forgot to ask for the hardness, but eh I don't really care atm. Here's the response from the company:

Dear Mr. David Hasselhoff, 

I appreciate your inquiry very much.

We use shirogami #1 for our kitchen knives made of miled steel.

The thickness of the blade at the spine is around 2.0~2.3 millimeter.

The knives we make in our factory are all handmade. You might see 

a slight difference in width, thickness, or length in each knife even when they come in a same size. 

Also, we are a traditional small factory that focuses on practical,useful knives.

You might see some miner imperfections on our knives compare to knives at the stores, 

made by a huge factory that uses machine tools. 

Could you tell us how you found our company and products?

I also want to mention that I don't really read or write English, 

so It could take a few days for me to respond because I have to ask one of my English speaker friends to translate for me.

Thank you so much.

Gokouhamono seisakusyo 

Yosito Yamakawa 

What white steel #1! Spine didn't seem that thick to me. I wonder how heavy this gyuto can get. I decided to bite the bullet and give this knife a shot. I found a seller at j-cutlery.com and asked if he had the 240mm gyuto (was debating on 270mm but decided on 240 instead. Also its a proven fact that if you're web surfing late at night you're more prone to buying stuff.....). So now here is my new baby:





  








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harlock0083


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Mar 22, 2013








So its forged, has a bolster and full tang. Obviously this is the greatest knife in the world.... jk.

Here's another shot with my other 2 chef knives:





  








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harlock0083


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Mar 22, 2013








First impression of knife. OOTB sharpness was almost shaving sharp. The were some grind marks behind the edge though but the fit and finish for me was good (not as good as the Fujiwara though). I'll update this post more with my impressions after more heavy use of the knife.


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## betowess (Feb 14, 2013)

Cool story and neat knife! What is the weight of that 240mm (assuming you have a digital scale...)? And how much did it set you back, shipping included? Thanks for sharing.


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## harlock0083 (Feb 11, 2013)

I'll weigh it tomorrow after I replace the batteries (I don't bake much lol). Set me back 185$ with EMS shipping from j-cutlery.com. I can't navigate the rakuten website. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## harlock0083 (Feb 11, 2013)

Okay, I just weighed the knife. It comes in between 8.5 oz. to 8.625 oz. probably in between as the scale fluctuates a bit. My fujiwara is 7.5 oz. so its a little heavier.





  








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harlock0083


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Mar 23, 2013








The balance point is about an inch in front of the bolster.


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## harlock0083 (Feb 11, 2013)

Had some time today to cut some veggies. A had 2 potatoes on hand I cut them to make fries. This knife must be ground different as the potato did notform a super vacuum seal on the knife face! My fujiwara would stick quite readily. I went out and bought 2 lbss of tomatoes. Knife cuts with ease (sharpened up to my 8k kitayama and stropped on iron oxide loaded leather best edge I can do I'm an okay freehand sharpened.) No edge slipping on the skin either. So far I'm extremely happy with the knife. Just debating on forcing a pantina or just do a baking soda regime. Ill decide later.


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## harlock0083 (Feb 11, 2013)

Here's a pic comparing the my Fujiwara (right) vs Kougetsu (left). The Kougetsu is thinner than my fujiwara.





  








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harlock0083


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Mar 25, 2013












  








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Mar 25, 2013












  








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Mar 25, 2013








Took a video when I was cutting up some tomatoes. I've tried this with my Fujiwara, it doesn't work as well...


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## himself (Jan 7, 2013)

*Curl those fingernails under!*


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## harlock0083 (Feb 11, 2013)

I got another email from Mr. Yoshito Yamakawa. I'll post it here to share:

Dear Mr.Moi

I thought you might be interested in some gyutou history in Japan and I would also like to share about our company little more….

Kantou gyutou

‾Specially made by Gokouhamono factory‾

Making gyutou( Western style knives) started in Japan in around late 1860s right after

the Edo era ended. At that time there were many blacksmiths who made gyutou but sword prohibition law didn't allow them to make the knives anymore. Then the blacksmiths tried imitating and creating the knives and scissors that were imported from overseas by international trade. This is how the gyutou history started in Japan. Some of the greatest knives were made a lot in Tokyo because the generals had kept the well-skilled blacksmiths working for them.

After the war, the western food culture became wide-spread in the country. It gained force with the making of gyutou knives around Tokyo. There were about 20 blacksmiths with high technique competing for their business.

Most of the gyutou（western style knives) you see at the stores are made by press machines with cutters. They are the mass produced goods.

At our company, we make each of our products consistently by hand because we want to keep the techniques from our masters and also want to conscientiously use traditional manufacturing methods that they had developed around Tokyo.

The steel materials used in Shirogami #1 has higher purity than the steel used in Shirogami #2. The process of hardening Shirogami #1 is extremely difficult so professional blacksmiths avoid making it, and Shirogami #1 is less in demand so it usually costs more.

Here are the main features of Shirogami #1 steel nature: hardening takes great work,

it is very hard with a little stickness, sharpening is very easy, and it comes with keen edges.

We got Shirogami #1 by chance and use it to make our products. It still makes a different result from using sk-4. According to my masters, they said sk-4 is the best material to make gyutou. You can get great hardness, great sharpness, and sense of use,

from gyutou that are made with shirogami. But compared to the secrets of blacksmiths like us, who have been making gyutou as specialists, I think shirogami are a little too hard and have very little stickiness.

But we still make gyutou with Shirogami #1. Making gyutou with Shirogami #1 takes great skill. Blacksmiths do not depend on the temperature sensor but use their own instincts and experiences to work on heat treatment. This can be quite challenging and there are only a very few of us that can do it.

However, we usually make gyutou with sk-4. Sk-4 is the best kind of material to make gyutou after all. When I make knives, I try to make them with the same hardness by heat treatment whether the materials are shirogami, sk-4 , or other kind of steel materials. Even when the materials are different, they all share the same manufacturing process.

I feel honored to know that our company became topic of conversation overseas.

Please don't hesitate to ask any other questions if you have any.

I just want to stress that the reference I made here was all about western style knives; not the Japanese style knives. In Japan, we categorize gyutou or sujihiki as western style knives. We call Western style knives as you-boucyou, and Japanese style knives as wa-boucyou.

Thank you.

Gokouhamono factory










Yoshito Yamakawa

Any know is there any relation to Gokouhamono and the Goko knives at chef knives to go?


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## harlock0083 (Feb 11, 2013)

Himself said:


> *Curl those fingernails under!*


Sorry! I was trying to audition as a hand model too...... guess I can keep my day job.


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## himself (Jan 7, 2013)

There are pictures somewhere on the internet of someone who didn't. (I can't find it, of course.)

Half of a fingernail with a nice slice all he way through the underlying finger all the way to the tip, parallel to the finger, is a fearsome thing to contemplate, and that _would_ ruin your chances of becoming a hand model.

I didn't mean to derail the thread.


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