Sakai Takayuki Itsuo Doi Guren Aogami #2 225mm Gyuto With Burnt Oak Wa Handle

Sakai Takayuki is well respected as the largest knife maker in the Sakai Region. In collaboration with Master Itsuo Doi (son of legendary Keijiro Doi) who is a highly skilled blacksmith, they have produced very distinguishable handmade knives out of Aogami #2 (Blue steel) married with an extremely well finished hammered (tsuchime) kurouchi finish.

From the gorgeous cladding to the personalized maker's mark of Itsuo Doi, the Homura Guren series is unique in enough ways that this is a knife your guests will surely notice as being 'differen't then the rest in your collection. The Homura Guren series are very detailed oriented knives, from the beautiful burned (Shou Sugi Ban) Japanese oak lacquered (Urushi) mono handles to the hazy kasumi polish. They even have accentuated angles where you normally don't see them, like the choil and slightly curved heel. To top it all off, the distal taper and Aogami #2 core steel really make these knives excellent performers and workhorses.

Most people struggle to figure out if they are part of the 210mm gyuto crowd, or the 240mm gyuto crowd. Why fit in to one of those two crowds when there is now a third category, the 225mm gyuto crowd! Just enough extra length from a 210mm gyuto to give you more versatility, but not quite 240mm to make you uncomfortable. Gyutos are extremely versatile knives, and some will argue the longer the better. 225mm might just be the sweet spot for you where it doesn't feel abnormally long, yet you still get the bonus of a knife closer to 240mm.