• Gyuto 240mm GoMai Damasteel, Ni, Apex Ultra African Blackwood Takedown
  • Gyuto 240mm GoMai Damasteel, Ni, Apex Ultra African Blackwood Takedown – detail view
  • Gyuto 240mm GoMai Damasteel, Ni, Apex Ultra African Blackwood Takedown – side profile
  • Gyuto 240mm GoMai Damasteel, Ni, Apex Ultra African Blackwood Takedown – handle detail
  • Gyuto 240mm GoMai Damasteel, Ni, Apex Ultra African Blackwood Takedown – blade close-up
  • Gyuto 240mm GoMai Damasteel, Ni, Apex Ultra African Blackwood Takedown – view 6
  • Gyuto 240mm GoMai Damasteel, Ni, Apex Ultra African Blackwood Takedown
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Gyuto 240mm GoMai Damasteel, Ni, Apex Ultra African Blackwood Takedown

Gyuto 240mm GoMai Damasteel, Ni, Apex Ultra African Blackwood Takedown

By Simon Krichbaum

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Simon Krichbaum

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This one-of-a-kind handmade kitchen knife is the work of artisanal bladesmith Simon Krichbaum, whose dedication to precision craftsmanship and performance is evident in every detail. The blade takes inspiration from the classic Japanese Gyuto, reimagined through a distinctly contemporary lens. It features an aggressively tapered spine that drives toward a sharp, versatile tip—ideal for precision work, detail slicing, and a wide range of prep tasks. The forward-leaning balance and sleek silhouette give the knife a fast, agile feel in hand, while retaining the stability and authority required for more demanding cuts.

The blade geometry is meticulously refined: low bevels are shaped and finished entirely by hand on whetstones, creating a highly consistent, low-drag cutting surface with excellent food release and a smooth glide through product. In this iteration, the blade is finished in a traditional Kurouchi (blacksmith) finish, preserving the character of the forged surface and lending the knife a darker, more rugged aesthetic. The core is forged from Apex Ultra—one of the finest high-carbon steels available today—clad in a rare combination of nickel and Damasteel. This material fusion delivers exceptional hardness, edge retention, and toughness, while a deep etch subtly reveals the layered structure beneath the darkened exterior.

Completing the build is a striking octagonal takedown handle crafted from African Blackwood. Dense, stable, and richly dark in tone, African Blackwood offers exceptional durability and a refined, understated elegance that complements the Kurouchi blade finish. The handle incorporates a discreet friction-fit pin, allowing it to be removed with a nylon hammer for thorough cleaning, maintenance, or future customisation. This takedown construction enhances both practicality and longevity—ensuring the knife remains not only a high-performance cutting tool, but a lasting and adaptable piece of functional craftsmanship.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Overall Length: 375mm
  • Edge Length: 240mm
  • Spine Heel: 5.45mm
  • Spine Mid: 1.75mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 0.95mm
  • Blade Height: 59mm
  • Weight: 232.6g
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 66
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: KurouchiBrute de ForgeKasumi
  • Grind:
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: African Blackwood
  • 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

Apex Ultra

Low-alloy fine-grain carbon tool steel

Typical HRC
64–68
Corrosion class
Carbon
Production
Conventional
Origin
Austria (developed by Tobias Hangler and Marco Guldimann; project led by Hangler at Messerschmiede Hangler)

Apex Ultra is one of the most carefully engineered non-stainless kitchen knife steels in modern circulation, and the project of an Austrian smith — Tobias Hangler — who set out, with Marco Guldimann, to design a steel for the kitchen rather than borrow one from another industry. It carries roughly 1.25 percent carbon, around four percent chromium, modest tungsten and molybdenum, and a small vanadium addition. The composition is tuned to produce a fine, evenly distributed carbide structure that supports hardness up to 67 HRC while delivering toughness comparable to 52100 at the same hardness — a combination that is the entire point of the steel.

What this means for a cook is unusual permission. You can ask a maker to grind an Apex Ultra knife thin enough that a White #1 owner would call you brave, then ask for the heat treatment to land at 65 HRC, and the resulting edge will hold for longer than Aogami Super without microchipping. It sharpens cleanly on natural and synthetic stones alike and patinas slowly because of the chromium content, though it is not stainless and should be treated as a carbon steel.

Apex Ultra has become a signature steel of the European maker community, and the Modern Cooking catalogue carries an unusually deep bench of smiths working in it. Tobias Hangler himself heads that group, alongside Marco Guldimann, Benjamin Kamon, Martin Huber, Jonas Johnsson, Karol Karyś, Birch & Bevel, and MCx. It is genuinely a step forward — one of the relatively few cases where the marketing claims and the underlying metallurgical data are saying the same thing.

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

Takedown

A takedown is a hidden-tang construction built to come apart. The tang passes through the handle and is drawn up by a threaded fitting — a nut at the butt, or a pommel that screws down — so the handle can be dismantled and re-fitted rather than being permanently bonded in place. Everything else follows the hidden-tang pattern: a concealed tang inside a one-piece handle, with no steel showing along the grip.

The point of the design is serviceability. Because the handle is mechanical rather than glued, it can be taken off for thorough cleaning and drying, swapped for a different material or profile, or replaced entirely if it is ever damaged — all without destroying the original fittings. It is the construction to choose for a knife meant to be maintained and kept for the long term, and for owners who like the option of changing a handle later.

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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