Gyuto 245mm Performance Line Apex Ultra, Ash Burl & G10

This one-of-a-kind Gyuto represents the refined craftsmanship of Dutch bladesmith Jeroen Knippenberg, whose handmade work is widely admired for precision, performance, and a distinctly contemporary design aesthetic. The profile takes a modern approach to the Japanese Gyuto, featuring an aggressively tapered spine and a hybrid Santoku-inspired point that enhances balance, stability, and versatility. This combination creates a confident stance on the board while maintaining a nimble, responsive cutting feel. Paired with a satin-polished mono-steel construction in Apex Ultra, the knife makes its purpose immediately clear: uncompromising performance through thoughtful engineering.

The blade features a full convex grind that occupies the perfect middle ground—not a laser, not a workhorse, but an intentional balance of both. Its geometry delivers excellent food release and cutting efficiency across a broad range of ingredients, from dense root vegetables to delicate herbs. The strong distal taper, running from a 4.5 mm heel to under 1 mm at the tip, allows the blade to move through material with ease while retaining stability and feedback. Together, the grind, weight (275 g), and distribution create a knife that feels robust and grounded yet surprisingly deft in motion, adapting naturally to a variety of cutting styles.

The handle is equally considered, built around a faceted design that merges elements of the classic coke-bottle contour with the clean indexing of the Rokkaku Hanmaru form. Crafted from stabilized ash and G10, it offers ergonomic comfort, durability, and confident control. A forged-in integral bolster creates a smooth, sculptural transition between handle and blade, reinforcing both aesthetics and grip. As part of a performance-driven design series developed in consultation with Modern Cooking, every element—from material choices to geometric refinement—was engineered with capability and efficiency in mind. The result is a handmade tool that feels powerful, precise, and ready to become the centrepiece of any serious cook’s collection.