• Spåre X OB Gyuto 220mm Modern Wrought Aogami Super Core
  • Spåre X OB Gyuto 220mm Modern Wrought Aogami Super Core – detail view
  • Spåre X OB Gyuto 220mm Modern Wrought Aogami Super Core – side profile
  • Spåre X OB Gyuto 220mm Modern Wrought Aogami Super Core – handle detail
  • Spåre X OB Gyuto 220mm Modern Wrought Aogami Super Core – blade close-up
  • Spåre X OB Gyuto 220mm Modern Wrought Aogami Super Core – view 6
  • Spåre X OB Gyuto 220mm Modern Wrought Aogami Super Core – view 7
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Spåre X OB Gyuto 220mm Modern Wrought Aogami Super Core

Spåre X OB Gyuto 220mm Modern Wrought Aogami Super Core

By Fredrik Spåre

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Fredrik Spåre

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What is Modern Wrought? I hear you say. Well for all you whisky drinkers out there, it’s like a solera.

Jerarmie “Jezz” Heywood of Oblivion Blades has been producing Modern Wrought for several years now. He produces the cladding by sourcing premium steels from used car parts, which he stacks and forge welds together with nickel. At the core of the multilayered billet, Jezz always uses a premium steel to ensures top cutting performance, which in this case is Aogami Super.

What makes this a solera? With each batch of Modern Wrought remnants of the previous batch are forged in, increasing the layer count exponentially with each batch. Because of this fact Modern Wrought has become an almost living thing and with so many generations produced the cladding contains layers numbering in the millions!

We imported several bars of Modern Wrought earlier this year and passed them on to some of Europe’s finest knife makers. With this blade we are starting to see the fruits of those efforts and Fredrik Spåre has certainly done an incredible job with the steel. This might not be the first time you have heard of Modern Wrought, but we believe it will be the first time you have seen it like this.

A subtle design featuring a polished brute de forge finish around the spine and a highly polished and lightly etched finish on the bevel. The result feels classic in style and yet still contemporary. Paired with an octagonal Bog Oak handle with birchbark spacer and brass bolster the complete package is a high-performance stunner that is as unique as it is beautiful.

Like all Fredrik Spåre knives fit and finish is of the highest standard. The knife features a classic santoku tip gyuto profile and a high-performance convex grind that is sure to be a pleasure on the cutting board. This is one of a handful of blades we have produced from this limited batch of steel. Sure to bring pleasure to whomever ends up owning it.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Edge Length: 220mm
  • Spine Heel: 3.1mm
  • Spine Mid: 2.1mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 1.15mm
  • Blade Height: 52mm
  • Weight: 162g
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 65
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: Brute de ForgeMatte Polish
  • Grind:
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: Bog Oak, Birchbark and Brass
  • Handedness: Ambidextrous

Blade type

Gyuto

牛刀

The Japanese take on the Western chef's knife, and the most versatile blade in a modern kitchen. A gyuto carries a long, gently curved edge — most often 210 to 270 mm — that allows both push cuts and a rocking motion, with a pointed tip for fine work and enough height at the heel to keep knuckles clear of the board. It handles proteins, vegetables, and herbs without complaint, which is why most cooks reach for it first.

Compared with a European chef's knife, the gyuto is usually thinner, harder, and lighter, ground to a finer edge that rewards good board technique and regular honing. That same thinness is the trade-off: the edge is less forgiving of bone, frozen food, and twisting cuts, and it asks for a little more care in maintenance in exchange for its keenness.

View full knife type guide →

Cutting edge steel

Aogami Super

High-carbon tungsten-chromium-molybdenum steel

Typical HRC
63–66
Corrosion class
Carbon
Production
Conventional
Origin
Japan (Hitachi YSS / Proterial)

Aogami Super — Blue Super, in plain English — is the most heavily alloyed of Hitachi's blue-paper steels, and the one most associated with the long-edge-life end of the traditional Japanese kitchen knife world. Roughly 1.45 percent carbon, half a percent each of chromium and tungsten, plus molybdenum and vanadium additions, give it noticeably more carbide content than Aogami #2 or #1.

In a competent gyuto it typically lands at 63–65 HRC and holds an edge for an unusually long time for a non-powder steel. The trade-off, predictable from the chemistry, is that the larger carbides mean slightly more work at the stone and a slightly less smooth edge than Shirogami #1 at its peak. Most users do not notice; the ones who do tend to come from a finishing-stone tradition. Toughness is moderate — similar to or slightly below the white papers at the same hardness — and the steel will patina with normal use.

Aogami Super is the steel you reach for when you want a long-running edge from a maker who refuses to use powder metallurgy. It is widely used across the Sakai and Sanjō traditions and remains one of the most-asked-for Hitachi steels on the secondary market. Among the makers Modern Cooking carries, Neil Ayling, Konstantinos Noulis, and Jonas Johnsson work in Aogami Super. It is, in many ways, the canonical "blue paper" experience.

View full steel guide →

Blade construction

Laminated Steel

A category covering knives built from multiple layers of different steels forge-welded together. The hard cutting steel is sandwiched between softer outer layers (cladding) that protect the core, add toughness, and often contribute visual contrast.

The most common laminated constructions in the Modern Cooking catalogue are:

SanMai (三枚) — three layers: hard cutting steel in the centre, softer cladding on both sides. The traditional and most common form.

GoMai (五枚) — five layers: a hard core, two intermediate layers, and two outer layers. Adds visual depth and structural complexity.

KuMai (九枚) — nine layers: similar logic, with more cladding layers for additional pattern and structural variation.

GoMai and KuMai are often chosen not only for the additional layers and visual depth, but also because the intermediate layers can act as a nickel diffusion barrier — limiting carbon migration out of the core into the cladding during forge welding, and protecting the core's intended carbon content through the heat of the forging process.

In all cases the cutting performance is determined by the core steel; the outer layers are cosmetic and structural. The lamination contributes corrosion protection (when a stainless jacket clads a carbon core), reduced reactivity, and the visible boundary between core and cladding that gives the knife its character.

View full construction guide →

Grind

Convex

A grind whose bevel bulges outward in a gentle curve from spine to edge, rather than running flat. That extra steel directly behind the edge makes a convex grind notably strong and resistant to chipping, while the curved geometry helps food release and lets the blade glide through dense ingredients with less wedging than a flat grind.

The strength comes at the cost of ultimate thinness and ease of maintenance. A convex edge has more metal behind it, so it is not quite as effortlessly keen as a thinly flat-ground edge, and it is harder to sharpen freehand — holding the curve takes a stropping technique or a deliberate hand rather than a single fixed angle. The reward is an exceptionally tough, smooth-cutting edge.

View full grind guide →

Handle construction

Hidden Tang

A construction in which the tang runs into the handle but stays concealed inside it, rather than showing between two scales. A narrower tang — a full-length stick or a shorter projection — is set into a drilled or burned channel in a one-piece handle and secured with adhesive, a friction fit, or a threaded fitting drawn up against the blade. This is the traditional construction of Japanese wa-handles and many European hidden-tang knives.

The design puts the handle material in charge of the look and feel: a single piece of wood, horn, or composite — often with a ferrule or spacers at the front — is shaped into any cross-section the maker wants, from the classic octagonal and D-shaped wa profiles to fully rounded Western forms. With no steel showing along the grip, the handle can be slim and light, and is frequently made to be removed and replaced, with the balance sitting toward the blade.

View full construction guide →

Shipping & Returns

Shipping

We process orders 5 days a week (Monday - Friday) and ship from our shop in Sydney, Australia. We ship with FedEx, UPS and DHL.

We are happy to offer free international shipping on a variety of orders depending on location and order value.

Free Shipping Regions and Minimum Order Values

For Australia and New Zealand the minimum is $500AUD. For the rest of the world it is approximately €1000EUR. The discount is applied automatically when you reach the minimum cart value at checkout.

Returns

If you're not entirely happy with your purchase, you can return it within 14 days of delivery for a refund. The item must be in its original condition with all original packaging.

  • Returns are accepted for 14 days
  • The customer is responsible for return shipping costs
  • A 15% restocking fee may be applied to change-of-mind returns
  • We do not accept returns on second-hand items for change of mind

Faulty or Damaged Items

You must notify us within 5 business days of receiving your order. Photographic evidence of damage is required. Once approved, Modern Cooking will cover return shipping costs.

Product Care

Cleaning: Clean by hand with warm water. Avoid wetting the handle when possible.

Sharpening: We advise using whetstones to sharpen your knives and a honing rod or steel to maintain the burr between sharpening sessions.

Reactive Steels: Reactive steels like Aogami Super, Apex Ultra or premium reactive German and Swedish steels are susceptible to rust if not properly cared for. Keep the knife dry between uses and when storing for longer periods, wiping the blade with Tsubaki oil or another food-safe oil is a wise choice. A patina can be a beautiful personal feature on your knife and helps to stop rust forming.

Handle Care: For non-stabilised wooden handles, apply Tsubaki oil or another food-safe oil from time to time. Food-safe wax can be applied to both stabilised and non-stabilised wooden handles. Never apply hot wax or oil as you risk warping or damaging the handle.

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