• Karol Karyś Gyuto 220mm 125sc Honyaki Linear Texture Hamon - Blade
  • Karol Karyś Gyuto 220mm 125sc Honyaki Linear Texture Hamon - Handle
  • Karol Karyś Gyuto 220mm 125sc Honyaki Linear Texture Hamon - Profile
  • Karol Karyś Gyuto 220mm 125sc Honyaki Linear Texture Hamon - Profile
  • Karol Karyś Gyuto 220mm 125sc Honyaki Linear Texture Hamon - Choil
1 5

Gyuto 220mm 125sc Honyaki Linear Texture Hamon

Gyuto 220mm 125sc Honyaki Linear Texture Hamon

By made by karyś

No longer available

Karol Karyś

Reserve your place

We'll only email you when there's something to say. Invitations go out in signup order as new work becomes available.

The linear texture on this Karol Karyś Gyuto 220mm was discovered on the streets of Kraków an example of Karol's passion for the brutalist design that is present in all of his knives. Focused on producing blades that emphasis the raw materials they are made from, Karol's knives are a unique balance of natural and raw, yet highly polished.

This 220mm Gyuto features a differentially hardened (Honyaki) blade with a "Linear" textured hamon. The result is a stunning array of contrasting textures and shades of grey and black. Karol's Gyuto profile features an oversized honesuke style shape with a very large flat section extending from the heel about two thirds of the length of the blade before gradually curving up towards the tip. This profile will excel at chopping and slicing.

The blade extends out of a bespoke black maple burl handle, which pairs perfectly with the raw textures of the blade. The handle is beautifully shaped and feels very comfortable to hold. It is obvious that Karol has not only considered the design from an aesthetic perspective, but also the ergonomics. Each Karol Karyś's handles is fitted with a uniquely textured bolster, in this case it’s a brass bolster with a pitted texture, reminiscent of raw concrete and another example of the brutalist design that inspires these knives.

Stunning to behold the knife performs beautifully in every way. A very thin and perfectly convexed blade. Unique, brutalist inspired textures and premium fit and finish. If you have any doubts, let them go. This is a very high quality and beautiful knife.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Edge Length: 220mm
  • Spine Heel: 2.75mm
  • Spine Mid: 2.3mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 0.38mm
  • Blade Height: 62mm
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 63
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: Textured
  • Grind:
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: Maple Burl, Brass Bolster
  • 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

125SC

Ultra-pure unalloyed high-carbon steel

Typical HRC
64–67
Corrosion class
Carbon
Production
Conventional
Origin
Germany (Lohmann)

125SC is one of the cleanest carbon steels available to the modern kitchen knife maker. Produced by Lohmann from Armco-grade pure iron, it carries roughly 1.25 percent carbon with vanishingly small residuals of manganese, sulphur, and phosphorus — the European answer to Hitachi's Shirogami #1, and in some lots arguably purer. The point of a steel like this is grain refinement and homogeneity; what comes off the stone is an edge that, in the hands of a careful sharpener, behaves more like a polished thing than a ground thing.

Hardness in the 64–66 HRC range is typical, and the steel responds beautifully to a light, traditional heat treatment without the elaborate cycles that powder metallurgy steels demand. The trade-off is honesty: 125SC is reactive, will rust if neglected, and asks you to wipe it during prep rather than after. It is not a weeknight-dishwasher steel, and it is not pretending to be.

You will see 125SC in the work of a small number of European specialists who treat it as a peer to White #1 or Pop's high-purity carbon stock. Among the makers Modern Cooking carries, Karol Karyś and Michał Lipiński work in 125SC. It is, in short, a steel for cooks who like the idea that the metal has been refined as carefully as their technique.

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.

View full details