Gyuto – "cow sword" is the perfect Japanese kitchen knife
The first kitchen knives in Japan were probably designed for fish and vegetables. In Japan, fish and vegetables have been eaten mainly until the end of the 19th century. The first real kitchen swords have been the Yanagiba type, long single-edged knives designed to cut beautiful slices of fish for Sushi and Sashimi.
However, everything changed when Admiral Perry arrived in Japan in 1853. After that, eating meat was legalized in Japan. It was thought that the Japanese needed to gain more strength, to beef up!, which was important for national identity. Or so it was thought.
Enter the Gyuto
The Japanese cutlery manufacturers, hamono, got inspiration for Gyuto knives from the French knife models of French restaurants that operated in Japan. Gyu-to, or cow sword, right up to the name, fit the spirit of the times, when the western way of life merged with the old Japanese culture.
As with many products made by the Japanese, the production of this knife also showcases their ability to create incredible production lines, thanks to which the quality has surpassed the level of its previous prototype long ago. While the Japanese were developing an ever more perfect version of Gyuto, quality was sacrificed in many places for the gray mass of volumes. In the course of development, the knife became much more than a cow sword. Gyuto is the universal knife of chefs all over the world, the right planer for every place, which is only ignored for special tasks.
Hooray all you tattooed swordsmen of the kitchens! The desire to swing a sword in the kitchen is not something to be ashamed of, even in this day and age. Even the ancient Japanese went wild when they shouted in Japanese "We got beef!"
Gyuto's most common blade size is 180-240mm. Based on the handle, gyutos can be divided into western (yo) and traditional (wa). What is interesting is that the so-called traditional Gyuto is probably a more recent invention than the western version.
See our recommended Gyutos on the front page of the knife store .