MIYABI 5000 FCD Gyutoh, 16cm blade. The gyutoh is the chef’s knife of the Japanese kitchen, used as a general purpose knife for preparing larger cuts of meat and vegetables. The blade core is made of hard fine carbide steel for very good initial sharpness and cutting edge retention. 48 layers of steel surround the core and make up the Damascus design of the blade. A three-stage grinding, sharpening and polishing process called Honbazuke honing gives the knife a razor sharp cutting edge. There is no finger guard so the whole length of the cutting edge can be used. The edge is symmetrical (not single bevel) so can be used by those both left and right handed. The smooth join between handle and bolster helps to prevent calluses forming on thumb and forefinger. For best care, wash by hand, and maintain and sharpen using whetstones. Avoid using glass, ceramic or stone cutting boards as these will dull the cutting edge.