Murato Classic VG-10 Gyoto 210mm

Most people's first Japanese knife costs too much or too little. This is the middle: a 210 mm gyuto with a VG-10 core, the steel pros like because it stays sharp and asks for little, in a three-layer blade with a full tang and a Pakka wood handle. Made in Sanjo by a house that has been forging since 1874.

The LADJA team uses it for:

• Meat, fish and vegetables, all of it
• Rock chopping and push cuts
• Learning to sharpen on a knife that forgives you
• Daily driver

Details:

• Type: Gyuto, all-around chef's knife
• Blade: 210 mm
• Steel: three-layer, VG-10 stainless core
• Construction: full tang, stainless bolster, three pins
• Handle: curved Pakka wood, Western style
• Maker: Shimomura (Murato), Sanjo, Japan. Blacksmiths since 1874