• Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set
  • Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set – detail view
  • Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set – side profile
  • Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set – handle detail
  • Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set – blade close-up
  • Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set – view 6
  • Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set – view 7
  • Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set – view 8
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Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set

Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set

By Joel Black

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Joel Black

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Joel Black has polished and etched to revel a stunning hamon and incredible alloy banding on this honyaki kogatana set. If you have ever wondered how this kind of finish is achieved, it’s a long process of skilfully polishing the steel on a variety of specialty whetstones, some of which are very rare and often extremely expensive. The steel is also etched in various contrast solutions like citric acid, which highlight the hamon and alloy banding.

Joel has a passion for this kind of finish, and it shows in the results, which are stunning. 

From a performance perspective the edge is very sharp, and geometry is beautifully shaped. Perhaps one of the best features of a stone finished knife like this is that it’s very difficult to achieve such a clean and beautiful finish while also hiding inconsistencies in the bevels. So, what you get is perfect bevels that are easy to maintain and a geometry that is a pleasure to cut with.

This is one of two honyaki kogatana sets that we recently received from Joel, both have walnut, dear antler, and buffalo horn handles and walnut sayas. Both knives also feature a kogatana utility knife as part of the package, which is also finish in the honyaki style.

This is a stunning piece of work from Joel, the kind of thing we would happily take home ourselves.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Edge Length: 215mm
  • Spine Heel: 3.64mm
  • Spine Mid: 2.51mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 1.22mm
  • Blade Height: 53.4mm
  • Weight: 183g
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 64
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: Satin PolishAcid Etched (Forced Patina)
  • Grind:
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: Walnut, Antler, Buffalo Horn
  • Handedness: Ambidextrous
  • Saya / Storage Included: Yes

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

C130

Plain high-carbon tool steel

Typical HRC
64–66
Corrosion class
Carbon
Production
Conventional
Origin
Europe (≈ DIN 1.1563 / C125U)

C130 is the high end of the EN simple-carbon ladder: about 1.25 to 1.30 percent carbon with no chromium, very little manganese, and nothing else of consequence. In its commercial form it overlaps with C125U / 1.1563, and it is becoming rare on the open market — high-purity simple carbon stock is being squeezed out by alloyed and powder steels.

For the maker and the cook this is a steel in the 125SC and Shirogami #1 family: extremely keen at the apex, capable of running into the mid-sixties HRC, with the corresponding willingness to patina aggressively if neglected. Toughness is the limiter — at this carbon content, fine grain and a careful heat treat are essential, and a maker who can dial them in produces a knife that genuinely competes with the best Japanese white papers.

C130 is a connoisseur's steel — uncommon, demanding, and capable of remarkable performance in the right hands. It is most often seen in bespoke European and UK bladesmith work where the maker explicitly wants a high-carbon, low-alloy edge philosophy. Among the makers Modern Cooking carries, Joel Black and Simon Maillet work in C130.

View full steel guide →

Blade construction

Honyaki

The traditional Japanese single-steel forging technique, in which a high-carbon mono-steel blade is differentially hardened — clay is applied to the spine before quench, leaving only the edge to fully harden. The result is a hard cutting edge and a softer spine that improves toughness, plus the hamon (temper line) that defines the visual signature of the technique.

Honyaki is the high-water mark of Japanese knifemaking. The technique is unforgiving; a failed differential quench cracks the blade. Honyaki knives are almost always from a single high-purity carbon steel — Shirogami #1 is the canonical choice — and are priced and treated accordingly.

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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