Gyuto Knife

A gyuto is the Japanese chef's knife. It has a pointed tip and a gentle curve toward the front, so it slices, chops and rocks a little. One gyuto handles meat, fish and vegetables, and ours come in 180, 210 and 220mm lengths.

This guide is for home cooks choosing their first gyuto.

What is a gyuto used for?

A gyuto does most of the cutting in a kitchen. The pointed tip and curved front handle the jobs a flatter knife struggles with, and the long edge gets through large vegetables and big cuts of meat in one stroke.

• Slicing boneless meat, chicken and fish fillets.
• Breaking down a cabbage, a squash or a pineapple.
• Dicing onion, carrot and potato.
• Tip work: scoring, trimming fat, cutting meat away from a bone.

Keep it away from bones, joints and frozen food. The edge is thinner than on a Western chef's knife and can chip.

Gyuto vs chef knife: what is the difference?

A gyuto does the same job as a Western chef's knife, typically with a thinner blade, a flatter edge and harder steel, though construction varies by model. If you already own a chef's knife, a gyuto usually feels lighter in the hand, takes a finer edge and asks for a little more care.

The adjustment is small. For most cuts, push the blade forward as it goes down, and keep the rocking for fine mincing. Stop using it as a lever on hard food.

Gyuto vs santoku: which should you get?

Get a gyuto if you want reach and a pointed tip, or if you already cook with a Western chef's knife. Get a santoku if your board is small and you chop straight down more than you slice.

For a full side-by-side, including the Western chef's knife, read santoku vs chef knife.

Gyuto and santoku are usually double bevel, sharpened on both sides. If you are left-handed, check the particular knife's edge and handle before choosing.

If you want one knife for everything and you have the board space, the gyuto is the one. See our santoku knives for the other half of the comparison.

What size gyuto should you buy: 180, 210 or 240mm?

Most home cooks should start at 210mm. It is close to the 8-inch chef's knife most people already own, and it is the length we stock most: 15 of our 17 gyuto are 210mm.

A 240mm gyuto needs a board at least as long as the blade, with room to spare, and a 180mm can feel short once you cut a cabbage in half. Hold a 210 next to a 180 if you can. See all gyuto knives and current prices.

Which steel should you choose for a gyuto?

Steel decides how long the edge lasts and how much care the blade asks for. Eleven of our 17 gyuto are VG10, a stainless steel, which is the easy answer for a first Japanese knife.

• VG10 is a stainless steel that holds an edge well and needs only a hand wash and a dry. All of our VG10 gyuto have a damascus finish, the layered pattern over a harder core. Example: Cascade Gyuto VG10 Damascus Bubinga 210mm.
• SG2 is a very hard powder stainless steel. It generally holds its edge longer than VG10 and takes longer to sharpen. Avoid twisting, bones and frozen food. Example: Crystal Gyuto SG2 Stabilized Wood Spacer 210mm.
• Ginsan (Silver #3) is a stainless steel from the same steelmaker as White and Blue Steel. Like any stainless knife, wash it by hand and dry it. Example: Rime Gyuto Ginsan Stabilized Burl Wood 210mm.
• Molybdenum is a stainless steel. Our two Molybdenum gyuto have a kurouchi tsuchime finish, the black forge layer with a hammered texture.
• White Steel #2 and Blue Steel #2 are carbon steels. White Steel #2 takes a very keen edge and comes back quickly on a stone; Blue Steel #2 holds its edge longer. Both rust if you leave them wet. Wash by hand and dry straight away. Our carbon steel gyuto have a kurouchi finish. Examples: Dusk Gyuto White Steel #2 Kurouchi Resin / Japanese Cypress 180mm and Ember Gyuto Blue Steel #2 Kurouchi Ebony 220mm.

If you want the least upkeep, choose VG10 or Ginsan. If you sharpen your own knives and like an edge that bites, choose White Steel #2 or Blue Steel #2 and keep a towel next to the board. Browse by care level in our stainless knives and carbon knives collections, or read the knife steel guide for the longer version.

How do you use a gyuto?

Push the blade forward as it comes down, and let the tip stay on the board when you rock through herbs or garlic. A gyuto is thinner than a Western chef's knife, so guide it through food instead of forcing it.

1. Curl the fingers of your guiding hand and rest the flat of the blade against your knuckles.
2. Start the cut with the heel or the middle of the edge and push forward and down in one stroke.
3. For fine mincing, keep the tip on the board and rock the handle up and down.
4. For a large cabbage or squash, use the full length of the edge in one long push.

All four of our stores offer test cutting. Ask the staff which gyuto you can try.

How do you care for a gyuto?

Hand-wash it, dry it at once and store it in a sheath, a block or on a magnetic strip. Never put it in a dishwasher, and cut on wood or soft plastic, not glass, stone or ceramic.

Sharpen on a whetstone when the edge starts to slide on a tomato skin. Our guide to sharpening with traditional Japanese methods walks through it.

Carbon steel blades build a grey patina over time. That is normal.

Try a gyuto in Tokyo or Kyoto

All four ZAKU Knives stores offer test cutting: Kappabashi, Asakusa and Harajuku in Tokyo, and Nishiki Market in Kyoto. Find a store.

In Japan, visit our Tokyo or Kyoto stores. International customers can order online. For the other knife types side by side, start with our guide to Japanese knife types.