Wrought Maple Gyuto 307mm

A less-than-ordinary offering from an always-extraordinary artisan. Bladesmith Bryan Raquin of France’s Auvergne region is well known for his methodical, function-first approach to creating knives from simple, clean, high-quality ingredients using traditional techniques and profiles. Small batch carbon steels, carefully calibrated water quenching, and meticulous hand finishing are hallmarks of his most recognizable pieces, and of this particular knife, which at the same time incorporates elements rarely seen in his blades. First and foremost, the size: at 307mm / 12.1″ of hair-popping edge, this rivals the largest gyutos Bryan has been known to build. The thin, hard edge sits below convex primary bevels which Bryan has hand-rubbed with Japanese stones to produce a silky kasumi finish. The core steel Bryan is best known for, 145sc (‘super clean’), produced in small quantities by a friend in Germany, is clad for this build in vintage wrought iron, resulting in a damascus-like visual effect of carbon movement within the foggy, kasumi-finished stretch below the blade’s dark, forge-finished flats. A beveled spine and rounded choil provide beauty and comfort while wielding this behemoth at the cutting board. Taking the uniqueness of the creation a step further, Bryan completes this marvelous chef’s tool with an octagonal wa handle of stunning maple wood. Balancing approximately 2″ in front of the 58mm-tall heel, the feeling of power and control afforded the chef when holding a work of culinary art such as this cannot be understated.