Made In 8-inch Japanese Damascus Steel Gyuto

The Made In Japanese Damascus Steel Gyuto is the Japanese counterpart to a Western chef’s knife: one blade for slicing meat and fish, dicing onions, and mincing herbs. Made In has it forged in Seki, Japan, a city with more than 800 years of knife-making history, with a VG-10 core inside 66 layers of Damascus steel. The thin blade and 15-degree edge make clean, precise cuts with little effort, and the flatter profile suits a push or pull cut as well as a gentle rock.

Why It Performs

• VG-10 core: A hard, stainless Japanese steel that takes a keen edge and resists corrosion, so the knife stays sharp through long prep sessions.
• Damascus cladding: Softer layers protect the core and give each blade its own wave pattern.
• 15-degree edge: A finer angle than the 18-degree edge on Made In’s olive wood chef knife, so it cuts with less resistance through tomatoes, fish, and herbs.
• Thin, light blade: The 2.3 mm blade glides through food instead of wedging it apart.
• Full tang, polymer handle: Steel runs the length of the handle for balance, and the hand-finished handle resists slipping and staining.

What It Does Best

• Slicing proteins, from chicken breasts to raw fish
• Dicing onions, peppers, and other vegetables
• Mincing herbs, garlic, and shallots
• Breaking down large produce such as melons and cabbage

Choosing the Right Made In Knife

For dedicated vegetable prep, the Made In 6.6-inch Japanese Damascus Steel Nakiri has a tall, flat blade made for straight up-and-down chopping. The Made In 6.6-inch Japanese Damascus Steel Santoku is a shorter, nimbler all-purpose blade. The gyuto is also sold in the Made In 2-Piece Japanese Damascus Steel Knife Set and the Made In 3-Piece Japanese Damascus Steel Knife Set. Cooks who prefer a heavier Western knife with a wood handle should compare the Made In 8-inch Forged Olive Wood Chef Knife, which has a sturdier 18-degree edge.