Miyazaki Kajiya Blue #1 Gyuto 240mm

First Impressions

Wow! The Blue #1 is big. It's thick, reasonably tall and has a real feel of weight all in a classic kurouchi finish but with a nice edge that offers a good level of sharpness out of the box but that easily has potential for even higher performance.

Beauty

Given Miyazaki-san creates all his knives himself and works on all parts of the process it's little surprise they have a simple classic kurouchi finish running down to the polished core steel. It's an honest and faithful nod to the most common Japanese knife finish and is a little rustic but you'll probably be distracted by what a visually large knife it is anyway!

In Hand

In hand, the larger gyuto is a hefty knife. It's thick and doesn't taper a great deal until fairly close to the tip so when combined with the above average height, it's got a feel of weight that you're either looking for or perhaps won't like too much. 

It's always nice to see when a craftsman takes a little extra time and effort to round off the spine and heel areas of the knife so when you're holding it, it's nice and smooth and offers just that little extra comfort.

Despite the size and weight, it's still a well balanced blade.

Durability

Blue #1 clad in soft iron is a common and easy to care for reactive carbon steel combination and takes an edge quickly offering a good level of robustness and durability.

Depending on your preference, we also have this knife in a White #2 core steel version.

Ease of Care

We'd recommend considering a carbon steel care kit for long term care and follow our carbon steel care tips for storage and use.

Our Verdict

It's always a pleasure to take delivery of knives like these from younger blacksmiths and in particular the newer wave who have practiced all the component parts of making their knives and so do everything themselves. 

This range is designed and made for those who prefer a knife of significant size and weight and so won't be to everyone's taste but for those who do want a knife that's got the extra scale and is easy to work with and sharpen then the work of Miyazaki-san is for you.