BF2019 - NORA #1602 - 9.5" Gyuto - Mango and Ghost G10

KNIFE HIGHLIGHTS 

This Blade is Ground:

>>> Mid-Range with Special Geometry (specially ground for food release and glide but blade is kept slightly thicker for durability)

This Knife Feels:

>>> Not too heavy, not too light.  The weight on this one is fitting for the size of the knife.

GENERAL USES OF THIS KNIFE:

GYUTO

The Gyuto is the Japanese version of the classic Western chef's knife but the blade tends to be thinner with less belly and holds a sharper edge. A gyuto is similar to a utility knife in that it is a multipurpose knife that can handle virtually every task including chopping, mincing and slicing meat, fish, vegetables and fruit.  Our gyuto has a long, western style handle with a thin nimble neck which makes the knife easy to grip and form into your hand. The blade is a Japanese inspired profile but with just a little belly in the blade to allow for a gentle rocking motion.

HANDLE DESIGN & MATERIALS:

Every one of our knives is handmade, unique and numbered. This NORA knife has been handled with a sleek mix of materials including ghost jade G10 and a beautiful piece of dyed and stabilized mango wood.  The mango has hues of beautiful teal blue and it pairs well with the ghost jade G10 which can appear to have both blue or green hues depending on the light.  Its a clean, sleek look and we love how it turned out.

So what is G10? G10 is an incredibly strong & durable fiberglass laminate that was originally used in the electronics industry.  It has been adapted in the knife making world and has proven to be an excellent material for handles as it has high strength, low moisture absorption and can be found in a variety of colors.  It’s one of our favorite materials to work with outside of wood.

STEEL INFORMATION:

AEB-L STAINLESS STEEL

This knife blade is composed of AEB-L stainless steel which is a high-quality Swedish metal, originally developed for razor blades.  Recently, steel suppliers have made this steel available in thicker sheets and it has proven to be an excellent adaptation for the cutlery industry.

AEB-L has a beautiful balance of carbon and chromium and, with proper heat treatment, this steel produces both a very fine edge as well as excellent toughness and edge stability.  The fine grain structure also makes this steel very easy to sharpen. We believe it is one of the finest stainless steels available on the market today for use with kitchen knives.

As a side note, there are two things we like to mention about this steel:

1.) This steel responds beautifully to honing and if the knife is honed regularly it should need infrequent sharpening.

2.) AEB-L is a stainless steel but just barely.  The higher carbon content in this stainless is what allows it to get a fine edge and higher hardness than other stainless steels but it also has a tendency to sometimes form very fine rust spots on the blade.  If this happens, these are easily removed with a green scotch brite pad and usually the rough end of a kitchen sponge will also do the trick.