• Isa Smedjan X Myojin Gyuto 245mm Spicy White, Tasmanian Blackwood & Brass
  • Isa Smedjan X Myojin Gyuto 245mm Spicy White, Tasmanian Blackwood & Brass – detail view
  • Isa Smedjan X Myojin Gyuto 245mm Spicy White, Tasmanian Blackwood & Brass – side profile
  • Isa Smedjan X Myojin Gyuto 245mm Spicy White, Tasmanian Blackwood & Brass – handle detail
  • Isa Smedjan X Myojin Gyuto 245mm Spicy White, Tasmanian Blackwood & Brass – blade close-up
1 5

Isa Smedjan X Myojin Gyuto 245mm Spicy White, Tasmanian Blackwood & Brass

Isa Smedjan X Myojin Gyuto 245mm Spicy White, Tasmanian Blackwood & Brass

By Collaboration

No longer available

Jonas Johnsson

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.

A rare fusion of European craftsmanship and Japanese precision, this limited series of Honyaki Gyuto represents the pinnacle of cutting performance, artistry, and exclusivity. With only four in existence, each piece is entirely unique—a true collector’s item for serious chefs and enthusiasts alike.

Each blade is hand-forged by the renowned Jonas Johnsson of Isa Smedjan, one of the finest Honyaki smiths in the world. His work is sought after for its impeccable heat treatment, meticulous forging, and unparalleled understanding of steel. Jonas has collaborated with some of the most respected names in the industry, including Benjamin Kamon and Birch & Bevel, and his work is renowned for its edge retention and cutting feel.

After forging, each piece is entrusted to world-class sharpener Naohito Myojin, whose mastery in grinding and finishing has made him a legend in the field. Myojin has earned an international reputation through his collaborations with Konosuke Sakai, Hashimoto Shoichi, and Satoshi Nakagawa, bringing out the best in already exceptional blades. His precision grinding and polishing techniques create a seamless harmony between form and function, delivering effortless performance with every cut.

Forged from 26C3 carbon steel, the result is extraordinary sharpness, hardness, and edge retention. Sometimes referred to as “Spicy White,” 26C3 is comparable to Japanese White #1 steel, yet exhibits even greater edge retention and fine carbide structure, making it ideal for Honyaki forging. When heat-treated by a master like Jonas Johnsson, this steel reaches remarkable levels of hardness while maintaining resilience, ensuring long-lasting sharpness with a truly refined cutting edge.

The differential hardening process of the Honyaki construction creates a stunning hamon—a visual testament to the skill and precision required to produce such a blade. Each hamon is entirely unique, reflecting the artistry and individuality of its creation.

Designed for unparalleled cutting feel, the distal taper and ultra-refined convex grind ensure effortless food release, while the precision-thinned edge allows for an incredibly smooth, controlled cut. Whether working with proteins, vegetables, or intricate techniques, this Gyuto performs at the highest level, making it the ultimate tool for professional chefs and collectors alike.

Each piece in the series is fitted with a meticulously crafted handle made from a curated selection of premium woods, including Australian Ringed Gidgee, Tasmanian Blackwood, and Eucalyptus Burl. These stunning woods are accented with brass and rosewood, enhancing both aesthetics and ergonomics. The result is a handle that is not only visually captivating but also perfectly weighted for balance and comfort in the hand.

With only four in existence, this collection represents a fleeting opportunity to own a truly unique masterpiece. A combination of European and Japanese craftsmanship, top-tier steel, and impeccable geometry, this Honyaki Gyuto is more than just a tool—it is functional art, designed to inspire and perform at the highest level.

Each piece is a once-in-a-lifetime acquisition, ensuring that its owner possesses something unlike any other in the world.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Overall Length: 395mm
  • Edge Length: 245mm
  • Spine Heel: 3.5mm
  • Spine Mid: 2.36mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 1.25mm
  • Blade Height: 56.5mm
  • Weight: 221g
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 65
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: Mirror Polish
  • Grind:
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: Tasmanian Blackwood, 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

26C3

High-carbon, low-alloy fine-grain steel

Typical HRC
63–67
Corrosion class
Carbon
Production
Conventional
Origin
Sweden (Sandvik / Alleima)

26C3 is one of the most quietly important kitchen knife steels of the past decade. Originally engineered by Sandvik as a razor steel — its lineage runs straight to UHB-20C — it carries about 1.25 to 1.30 percent carbon, very low manganese and sulphur, and a small chromium addition to control grain size. The result is a steel that hardens cleanly into the mid-sixties HRC while retaining genuinely useful toughness for its hardness, an unusual combination outside the powder-metallurgy world.

For the cook, 26C3 sharpens the way the best Japanese white papers sharpen — a quick burr that wipes off cleanly, and a polished edge that holds a screaming apex without microchipping. Toughness at 64 HRC is comparable to or better than 52100 at the same hardness in published testing, which is part of why the Larrin-Thomas-and-friends generation of makers gravitated to it; it lets you grind thinner without paying for it later. Like all clean carbons, it patinas willingly and benefits from a wipe between tasks.

26C3 has become something of a default among UK and European bladesmiths who want a no-compromise carbon edge, and it is the chemical parent of SheffCut, which adds a sliver of niobium to refine grain further. Among the makers Modern Cooking carries, Birch & Bevel, Karol Karyś, Jonas Johnsson, Tobias Heldqvist, Brook Turner, and Fredrik Spåre work in 26C3. It is one of the few non-stainless steels you can recommend to a cook coming from VG-10 without apology.

View full steel guide →

Blade construction

Mono Steel

A knife forged from a single piece of steel — no laminations, no clad layers. The simplest and most direct construction. The entire blade is the cutting steel, with no softer outer jacket to protect or contrast it. Most contemporary Western kitchen knives in carbon and stainless steel are mono-steel constructions, as are honyaki and most European bladesmith work.

The trade-off is straightforward: mono-steel knives are easier to forge, sharpen, and reason about, but the entire blade carries the cutting steel's properties — including its reactivity if it's a clean carbon. There is no soft jacket to protect a more brittle core from impact, so the heat treatment and geometry have to do all the work.

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