• Lew Griffin Gyuto 240mm 52100 Carbon Steel - S Grind - Blade
  • Lew Griffin Gyuto 240mm 52100 Carbon Steel - S Grind - Handle
  • Lew Griffin Gyuto 240mm 52100 Carbon Steel - S Grind - Choil
  • Lew Griffin Gyuto 240mm 52100 Carbon Steel - S Grind - Profile
  • Lew Griffin Gyuto 240mm 52100 Carbon Steel - S Grind - Profile
1 5

Gyuto 240mm 52100 Carbon Steel - "S" Grind

Gyuto 240mm 52100 Carbon Steel - "S" Grind

By Lew Griffin Knives

No longer available

Lew Griffin

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.

While the profile on this blade from Lew Griffin knives exhibits sweeping curves, the geometry is aggressively tapered at the spine and features a laser thin edge and “S” grind. A favourite feature being the thicker, highly tapered spine above a laser thin edge, which gives the blade weight above the heel, a nimble laser tip and an absolute razor shape edge. The “S” grind works improve food release, a problem that you only notice on knives that don’t handle it well. This is not one of those knives.

Although Lew describes this blade as a Gyuto, I would say it is much closer to a Chef’s knife. The profile has very little in the way of a flat section, which you would find on a typical Japanese Gyuto. I am not saying the profile is not good, on the contrary this is going to be an amazing profile for anyone who enjoys a push cut or rock chop action, and the “S” grind and razor thin edge makes this a great slicer also.

One element that is indisputable is the high quality of the fit and finish on this knife. Premium all the way with not a single rough edge or gap to be found. The Handle, a classic Lew Griffin, bespoke western made from a combination of Walnut burl, shed Deer Antler and Bog Oak. It’s just beautiful and one the best I have come across.

The black bog pairs very nicely with the forged black finish on the blade. This is overall a very nicely made knife with a classy design and thoughtful performance first blade.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Edge Length: 240mm
  • Spine Heel: 3.3mm
  • Spine Mid: 2.6mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 1.25mm
  • Blade Height: 55.2mm
  • Weight: 229.5g
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 62+
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: Brute de Forge
  • Grind:
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: Walnut Burl, Deer Antler, Bog Oak
  • 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

52100

Low-alloy chromium bearing/tool steel

Typical HRC
61–65
Corrosion class
Carbon
Production
Conventional
Origin
United States (AISI 52100); identical to 1.3505 and 100Cr6

52100 is the most respected non-stainless steel in the Western kitchen knife tradition — a chrome-bearing alloy that began life as a ball-bearing grade and has, over decades of custom-maker use, become a reference for what a thoughtful carbon steel should feel like. Roughly one percent carbon and one and a half percent chromium put it just below the stainless threshold but well within the territory where chromium meaningfully refines grain and tightens the carbide structure.

A good 52100 kitchen knife typically lands between 62 and 63 HRC. It sharpens with little drama on almost any stone, takes an edge as clean as the simple carbons, and holds it for longer thanks to those Cr-rich carbides. Toughness is excellent for the hardness — published comparative data positions it as one of the better-balanced carbon steels available, especially when the heat treat includes the cryogenic treatment that this steel rewards. It will patina, but more politely than a white paper, and it is forgiving enough that a single rinse-and-dry routine is usually enough.

52100 is the canonical choice for cooks who love carbon-steel feel but want a touch more refinement than 1084, W2, or even 80CrV2. It dominates the American custom scene and shows up across high-end stock-removal work from a wide range of forging custom shops. Among the makers Modern Cooking carries, Fredrik Spåre, Brook Turner, and Nordquist Designs work in 52100. Note that it is the same alloy as German 1.3505 and the European 100Cr6; if a maker tells you they have used one, they have used all three.

Also known as:1.3505, 100Cr6

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

Compound Grind

A category covering blades ground with more than one geometry stacked into a single cross-section — typically a convex (or flat) primary bevel at the very edge, with one or more hollows ground higher up the blade face to relieve material behind it. The aim is food release and reduced wedging: the hollow opens an air gap so dense produce breaks away from the blade instead of clinging to it, while the convex steel at the edge keeps the apex strong and the knife driving through the cut.

The named variations in the Modern Cooking catalogue differ in where the hollows sit, how many there are, and whether the two faces are ground alike:

S-Grind — a convex primary bevel at the edge with a hollow ground into both faces just above it. The symmetrical "S"-shaped cross-section is the classic food-release grind: relief above the edge, strength at the edge.

C-Grind — an asymmetric S-grind. Both faces keep the convex primary bevel, but only one face carries the hollow above it. The single-sided relief biases food release to one side, and is simpler to grind and to maintain than a full S.

B-Grind — a stacked twin-hollow grind: a tight, narrow hollow immediately above the edge, with a second, broader and wider hollow above that. The staged relief gives especially strong food release across the height of the blade.

S-Hook Grind — also called a hook, harpoon, or J grind. An S-grind taken to an extreme, with the hollow placed very close to the cutting edge. The aggressive near-edge relief gives outstanding food release, at the price of being the most maintenance-sensitive of the family.

Asymmetrical-B Grind — a B-grind in which the twin-hollow structure is carried on one face while the other is ground differently (or left without the upper hollow), off-setting the edge. It combines the staged food release of a B-grind with the handed, steering character of an asymmetric grind.

In every case the gain is food release and reduced drag, and the shared cost is sharpening: as the edge is thinned over the knife's life, maintenance eventually reaches the hollowed steel, which cannot be flattened on a stone the way a convex or flat bevel can. How soon that happens depends on how deeply the hollows are cut and how close to the edge they sit — exactly what separates a gentle S-grind from an aggressive S-hook. These are high-craft geometries, prized by makers and experienced users for their cutting feel, and best appreciated by a cook who maintains their own edges.

View full grind guide →

Handle construction

Full Tang

A construction in which the blade steel runs the full length and width of the handle, forming a flat core between two handle scales. The scales are fixed to either face of the tang with pins, rivets, or adhesive, and the tang's outline stays visible as a strip of steel around the top, bottom, and butt of the handle — often with the pin heads showing as a row down each side. It is the dominant construction in Western kitchen and outdoor knives.

Because the steel continues all the way to the butt, the handle is essentially the tang dressed in two scales, and the grip is ground and shaped from that sandwiched assembly as a whole. The extra steel carries weight and balance back toward the hand, giving the solid, blade-and-handle-as-one feel that defines the style, and it leaves the edge of the tang on show as part of the knife's line.

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