• Gyuto 230mm Apex Ultra TakeDown Bronze, Micarta and Black Juma
  • Gyuto 230mm Apex Ultra TakeDown Bronze, Micarta and Black Juma – detail view
  • Gyuto 230mm Apex Ultra TakeDown Bronze, Micarta and Black Juma – side profile
  • Gyuto 230mm Apex Ultra TakeDown Bronze, Micarta and Black Juma – handle detail
  • Gyuto 230mm Apex Ultra TakeDown Bronze, Micarta and Black Juma – blade close-up
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Gyuto 230mm Apex Ultra TakeDown Bronze, Micarta and Black Juma

Gyuto 230mm Apex Ultra TakeDown Bronze, Micarta and Black Juma

By Oliver Märtens

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Oliver Märtens

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The Gyuto by Oliver Märtens is a masterful fusion of precision, craftsmanship, and cutting-edge performance. Forged in Kassel, Germany, by the skilled hands of blacksmith Oliver Märtens, this exceptional knife embodies the very essence of high-performance culinary tools. The 230mm ApexUltra carbon steel blade ensures superior sharpness, durability, and effortless cutting performance. With a 57mm tall profile, this Gyuto is designed for optimal balance, allowing for fluid movement through ingredients with minimal resistance. The thin, hardened edge guarantees an unparalleled slicing experience, while the needle-like tip is perfect for detail work, ensuring the finest cuts with absolute precision. Whether you're slicing delicate proteins or finely mincing herbs, this knife is built to excel in every aspect of kitchen performance.

Beyond its blade, this Gyuto features an innovative takedown handle, a testament to Märtens' commitment to both function and artistry. Crafted from micarta, black juma, and bronze end caps, the handle presents a minimalist yet striking aesthetic. The hidden tang construction not only enhances durability but also provides a seamless, comfortable grip that conforms naturally to the hand. Märtens’ construction method offers a refined take on craftsmanship, making the handle not just a component, but a defining feature of this knife. Designed for extended use, the ergonomics ensure fatigue-free handling, allowing chefs to maintain control and precision during even the most intricate tasks.

This high-performance Gyuto is more than just a kitchen tool—it is a statement piece that reflects the artistry and innovation of its maker. Combining cutting-edge materials, refined design, and unparalleled sharpness, it stands as an essential companion for both professional chefs and culinary enthusiasts alike. The fusion of German engineering, handcrafted perfection, and minimalist elegance ensures that this knife is not only a joy to use but also a prized possession in any kitchen. Whether you demand precision in your cuts or seek a knife that embodies both form and function, Oliver Märtens’ Gyuto delivers an unmatched experience—one that redefines what a performance knife should be.

Product Specification
  • Blade Type:
  • Overall Length: 365mm
  • Edge Length: 230mm
  • Spine Heel: 3.36mm
  • Spine Mid: 2.04mm
  • Spine Tip (20mm before): 0.88mm
  • Blade Height: 57mm
  • Weight: 210g
  • Cutting Edge Steel:
  • Steel class: Carbon
  • HRC: 66
  • Blade Construction:
  • Blade Finish: TexturedMatte Polish
  • Grind:
  • Handle Construction:
  • Handle Materials: Bronze, Micarta, Black Juma
  • 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

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.

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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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