Ryusen Hamono is another fantastic maker working out of Echizen City. They fully embrace the tradition of the region and take great pride in every step of the knife making process. They produce knives with excellent fit & finish, and sharpness that are absolutely beautiful to look at and hold. Winners of numerous design awards and supporters of the Japanese national team at the Bocuse D'or their knives are popular with professional chef's and home cooks alike.
The Knife
From The Ryusen Hamono Website...
"— Fine product with the warmth of natural wood, functionality and grace — This Japanese modern kitchen knife combining a blade where beautiful patterns stand out with a Japanese-style octagonal handle is also a popular model in overseas countries. High-quality ATS314 steel, which provides amazing sharpness and is commonly used for knives, barber/hairdressing scissors and other cutting tools, is used for the blade core. The blade is made of this core ATS314 steel and 63-layer stainless steel sandwiching the core, and was forged with the traditional Ryusen forging technique. It is a top-end blade achieving long-lasting sharpness and an elegant design. The octagonal Japanese-style handle is made of curly maple, characterized by its natural color tone, providing a gentle texture and grip. Octagonal handles have long been popular not only because the number eight is considered lucky in Japan, but also they are easy to grip.
The elegant and warm feel and design provided by the natural wood come to fit the user's hand neatly with long use. Since this is a refined kitchen knife with long-lasting excellent sharpness, beauty and ease of use, it is perfect not only for everyday cooking, but also as a gift for your close friends."
The Shape
The Gyuto is the Japanese equivalent to the standard western style chefs knife and is easily the most versatile knife shape available. It can be used to chop fruits and vegetables, slice meat and is even great at breaking down smaller fish.
Although this knife is made from stainless steel we do still encourage our customers to keep their knives as dry and clean as possible.
NO DISHWASHER - the high heat will ruin the wooden handle.
Wash and dry by hand using regular dish soap and warm water using a none abrasive sponge or cloth.
Ensure the knife is dry before being put away for storage and ensure the edge of the knife is protected to avoid any unnecessary dulling.
Avoid Bones, Frozen foods, nuts and hard candies or anything other than fruits, vegetables and proteins.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
Follow these care recommendations for your Japanese knives to protect the edge and keep them sharp as long as possible:
Do not put them in the dishwasher or soak them in water, as this may ruin the wooden handle and rust the blade.
Wash with soapy water and wipe dry after each use, especially after handling acidic ingredients, to minimize the risk of rusting.
Don’t cut through anything you wouldn’t bite through, like frozen foods, hard candies, or bones, as this may chip or damage the knife.
Don't torque the blade, as this may chip the knife. Use it in a forward and back, up and down motion without twisting.
Don’t scrape the cutting board with your knife, as this will cause it to dull quickly and ruin your edge.
Use an end grain wooden cutting board or hi-soft rubberized cutting board if you can to protect your edge. Glass, bamboo, and granite are terrible materials for cutting boards, and plastic is only slightly better.
SHIPPING & RETURNS
All products are shipped within 24 hours. We offer same day shipping for products ordered by 12pm. Please allow 4-7 business days for your shipment to arrive with standard shipping. Expedited shipping options are also available at checkout.
We offer free shipping on orders within Canada over $150 CAD and free shipping on orders to the US over $200 USD.
Curbside pick-up is available at both our Hamilton and Etobicoke locations.
To make sure our customers are always satisfied, we offer full refunds on products for 14 days after receiving them. See our full return policy for details.
The Gyuto is the Japanese equivalent to the western style chef’s knife and is without question the most versatile knife shape. It ranges in size from 180 mm (7 inches) to 240 mm (10 inches), making it longer than the Santoku and Bunka. This length makes it adept at handling almost any task you'll come across in the kitchen, from mincing small ingredients to chopping through larger fruits and vegetables. The longer the knife, the more time it will take to grow accustomed to its length, but the more versatile it will be.
STEEL TYPE
ATS-314
Produced by the Japanese company Hitachi Metals LTD. This steel type is very similar to R2/SG2, but It is not as commonly used. It is a fantastic steel that offers great edge retention, corrosion resistance, and durability. Similarly to R2/SG2, it is described as being a bit difficult to sharpen compared to other stainless steels and will require a low grit whetstone or diamond stone to achieve best results.
Chemical Composition:
C 1.2-1.3% | Cr 15.0% | Mo 1.1%
COMPOSITION
STAINLESS STEEL
LOW MAINTENANCE
Stainless steel Japanese knives are made in a process called “Sanmai” or “Forge welding” where two softer layers of stainless steel are laminated around a harder core layer of stainless steel. All three of these layers are rust resistant and therefore are not susceptible to rust or discoloration. The softer outer layers of steel are used to make the knife more durable and flexible while the harder core layer is used to provide better edge retention to the blade.
THE BLACKSMITH
RYUSEN HAMONO
Ryusen Hamono is a maker of the renowned Takefu Knife Village in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. They fully embrace the tradition of the region and take great pride in every step of the knife making process. They produce knives with both modern and traditional techniques, creating excellent finishes that are beautiful and comfortable to hold. Each blade is hand sharpened to be impeccable straight out of the box. Winners of numerous design awards and supporters of the Japanese national team at the Bocuse D'or, their knives are popular with professional chefs and home cooks alike.
Look at the family picture there!!! As you can see I'm the very proud owner of 3 Ryusen Hamono knife. I took my time to use all 3 to be able to give the best review i could.
Sale and delivery: Fast handling by the Sharp team, delivered by UPS... UPS is always a roll of dice. Sometime they deliver at your door, sometimes they deliver to the wrong building, sometimes they knock, sometimes they dump and run away, sometimes they dont deliver just dump at the pick up site.
The knife: The Fukaku-Ruy is assembled and made with the same care and attention to detail as the more expensive knives made by the company. It has a gorgeous damascus and a resin sealed tapered octogonal handle. The knife is super light. It has the craziest tip of all Ryusen knives. It is great for detail or delicate cuts.
Edge:
It is as sharp as more expensive knives from the Ryusen line-up. The blade profile is very effective. It's a no effort push-pull slice through potatoes, sweet potatoes, bell peppers and tomatoes.
The bottom line:
I own the Fukaku-ryu, the Oukoku-Ryu and the Gurenhiryu. This is by far the best priced product, the best overall value for your dollar of the line-up. You get the same handle and a damascus blade similar to that of the very high end knives, but the price point is very close to that of the entry level knives. You get most of the goodies and less financial guilt compared to the flagship lines. This knife is too good to pass up. Buy it, use it, love it. It really is that great.
This knife knocks it out of the park. It makes the thinnest of cuts. THIN. THIN THIN.. The tip is perfect for the finest detail work and the handle is super comfortable. The entire knife is just gorgeous. Thanks again SHARP.
Where do I start, maybe at the beginning would be a good place. I have been an admirer of Ryusen Hamono for some time now and more recently the interest has increased dramatically, it could be the YouTube channel from the "Sharp folks" has slowly mesmerized me over the last few months and crept surreptitiously into the brain location that controls my love of Japanese knives.
I had to buy one now, resistance was futile, but which one? I love the Blazen series as firstly they sport the beautiful Nashiji finish, hands down my favourite and secondly the mono handle is something I am turning more to these days, not a deal breaker in any sense of the word but I just like that pure simplistic shape and the wood grain free from any interruptions.
Browsing through their web pages looking endlessly at the excellent selection I happen upon the Fukakuryu series and instantly spot the 210mm Gyuto with a pattern welded finish (Damascus) and a blade shape that resembled a sculptured piece of art befitting any gallery that has an appreciation of form and function.
That was it, SOLD...
Within three days of posting the knife was at my front door with the courier, 3,500 miles of travel under its belt and moving to a new home that will love and care for it for an eternity. Now was that time, yes, that time we all wait for with nervous anticipation. That time when we get to become one with our choice, a difficult choice as we do so remotely over the internet.
The cardboard box is ripped open and there it is, Gage did touch on the Ryusen packaging in a video a while back and he was spot on. Pure class, all black, different from any others I have had and of a strength it could be used as a means of transportation should you need to. Yes, I know packaging does not make the knife any better or worse, but I do believe that this level of design and care has to spill over to the whole philosophy of the company, a window into their mind set if you will.
Off slides the outer sleeve, reassuringly tight, then the lid folds back still attached to the base, a large piece of sponge holds and covers the blade that is also in a sleeve of its own and the handle is firmly wedged in a block of foam rubber, this fella ain't going nowhere in transit.
There it lays, glistening in the last few rays of sunshine coming through my window before the sun hides behind the trees and rests for the night. This is a truly stunning knife and I have to admit that I was shocked at my own reaction, I love all my knives and I probably have too many (never too many) but this had the same feeling as when I bought a Yoshikane San Hakata.
From the sweet Maple wood with its blonde and brown grain twisting in and out of each other there is a tall octagon handle that moves down to a slightly thicker part and then tapers smoothly down to the insert, I have not experienced this shaping in any of my collection and it instantly feels "right" it aids the pinch grip for me and is comfortable which is a huge part of enjoying your time on the cutting boards and preventing fatigue from rearing its head too soon.
The insert and glue up on this knife are as close to perfection as you will likely ever see, part of my new knife routine is to check for any tiny gaps that water can sneak into be it a stainless steel or otherwise and the take the appropriate action. Nothing to report here. I also like to treat the wood handles to an oiling overnight just to refresh the wood then seal it with Danish oil for maximum protection. I oiled this one and left it for over ten hours and the oil was still sitting on the surface this morning, these handles come sealed, big time sealed. That is just another bonus.
So, onto the blade itself, the shape of the spine arcs down its length very gently but enough to catch your eye and please it and then morphs into this wonderful sweeping K-tip of over 70mm to a point that makes this Gyuto act like a Kiritsuke/Bunka, holy Shamoly three knives in one! "Does it have a belly; can I rock chop?" I hear people ask, yes and yes, I got the heel up to 68mm before any resistance or digging in from the tip was felt.
Fit and finish, sometimes can be a game breaker for some folks and that is exacerbated as we move through the price ranges of any product and rightly so. We graft hard so expect to get a fair swap for that labour. Well rest assured good people, fit and finish at Ryusen is, simply put, flawless. From out of the glue up and I should mention here that the handle is treated to the same softening and polish as the blade, there is a highly polished spine all the way to the tip, the choil is also as smooth as you can get and there is not a true right angle to be found on the entire knife, this is up there with the best of the best.
ATS314 steel is new to me, it has migrated from the scissor industry but looking at its composition it sits happily amongst SG2 and VG-10, as for edge retention I cannot comment from personal use yet as it has only been here a few days, but I see no reason for it to be any less than the two alloys I mentioned above, it has a good heat treat and plenty of carbon. The blade profile could really be classed as a laser, the tip is 0.8mm and thins out further as it hits the apex, bearing in mind the spine only comes in at 2mm, the profile looking down the choil is very pleasing indeed showing a very high level of Smithing, a perfect taper to the cutting edge.
It comes sharp, very sharp but I like to give all my new knives a quick blast on the stones, this just got a tickle on an 8k and a CBN strop, this steel is a breeze to sharpen and takes well to the strop. It was then off to the obligatory onion. Oh yes, slipped effortlessly through the horizontals and made the verticals feels like nothing was in the way, then the dicing ensued. Man alive, that was effortless, the blade just flies though produce and it is a genuine pleasure to use.
Would I recommend this series? absolutely yes, also the Blazen has the same profile as this one, so you have choices there.
For me it was the sweeping arc of the spine of the Kukakuryu that pulled me away from the Blazen Nashiji Gyuto with the straighter spine, but I believe you are onto a winner which ever path you choose.
I really need to mention the great service that I have enjoyed from the very enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable folks at Sharp Edge Shop over the last few years, no I do not work for them but praise where praise is deserved is a personal way of life for me.
Jon...
What an awesome knife. I bought the Petty and Gyuto in this series and am very impressed with fit and finish. Service right from my email to the store to delivery was as smooth as I could have hoped for. Answered my questions and after watching the videos online I was comfortable placing my order based on photos and videos> I am not disappointed at all. Two beautiful pieces of art. Unfortunately these knives are bought as gifts and Christmas is 4 months away so I have to be patient and leave them unused for that time.
Highly recommend the store and the Ryusen Hamono Fukaku-ryu line of knives. Beautiful!!!!
It complemented well the Bunka of the same maker. It is light and nimble and very good at slicing. The slightly recurved point is sharp and dangerous, it needs skilled hands. Do not let children use it.
Even tricky soft pastries like millefeuille can be cut without spilling the custard. Better than a bread knife. Of course, you have to keep the edge as sharp as a razor, which is not for the faint of heart and that require some skills with the stones (8000 and up + leather). The finish, rounded and shiny, including the handle, is about the smoothest I ever had.
All in all, one of my best knife ever for personal cooking preparation.
