Takeshi Saji | SKU: TAKE-V10RB-GY180-SAYA

Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Gyuto 180mm Ebony Handle Mosaic Pin

Name: Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Gyuto 180mm Ebony Handle Mosaic Pin
Brand: Takeshi Saji
SKU: TAKE-V10RB-GY180-SAYA
Price: 529.95 AUD
Availability: InStock

$529.95

Add a saya or K&S Knife Roll to receive $20 bundle discount!

Detailed Specifications

Line	Takeshi Saji VG10 Rainbow Damascus Diamond Polish
Profile	Gyuto / Chefs Knife
Bevel Type	Double Bevel
Weight	143 g 5.04 oz
Edge Length	182 mm .7.17 inch
Heel Height	45 mm .1.77 inch
Width @ Spine	2.0 mm 0.08 inch
Width @ Mid	1.9 mm 0.07 inch
Width @ 1cm from Tip	1.0 mm 0.04 inch
Steel	VG10 \| Stainless
Blade Construction	Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad
Hardness (HRC)	59 - 61
Surface Finish	Migaki
Handle	Ebony Mosaic
Region	Takefu
Best for	Pro chefs Enthusiasts

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Takeshi Saji’s VG10 Rainbow Damascus was a unique creation at its time, being one of the first makers who took advantage of the copper/brass laminated VG10 billet, Saji could create these knives with a stunning look and great practicality.

The surface finish of these blades are rather simple, there isn't any etching or sandblasting that used to increase the contrast between the steel, copper and brass, and the polish just left the texture of the damascus on the surface. This finish is named “Diamond Migaki” and it has been used by Saji extensively in his SG2 Damascus lineup. We found this is a particularly good finish for the cutting smoothness as there is very little friction and sticking due to the combination of low evenness and high smoothness.

As for the geometry itself, these knives still hold up their standard as a Takeshi Saji knife, the spine is on the thinner side and it comes down to the edge that has almost no thickness in a slight convex grind. This design has been proven as one the smoothest cutting geometry and when paired with the aforementioned Migaki finish, can guarantee you a very pleasing experience when preparing your next meal.

For a knife with great performance and great look forged by a rather famous blacksmith, this VG10 line does come in at a relatively high price point. For the same price, you could easily find some other options with better steel like SG2. I would recommend this line to those who truly love beautiful and unique items, and are willing to pay a little extra for a work by a legendary blacksmith.

Pros	Cons
Excellent performance Great artistic Thin behind the edge	High budget

Care Instruction

Don't cut hard things! Japanese knives are brittle so bone hacking is a NO NO!
Wash with neutral detergent after use, and wipe dry;
Please don't wash knife with dishwasher, it will damage the wood handle;
Be careful not to leave the knife close to a heat source for a long time;
It is a lot more dangerous to cut with a blunt knife than a sharp knife!
It is best to sharpen a Japanese knife regularly on a waterstone.

Takeshi Saji

Takeshi Saji is a distinguished Japanese blacksmith from Takefu Village in Echizen, an area renowned for its centuries-old knife-making tradition. As a fourth-generation blacksmith, Saji was immersed in the craft from a young age, learning the intricacies of blade making from his family. With over 50 years of experience, he has become a master of his trade.

Saji is celebrated for his ability to blend traditional Japanese techniques with innovative designs, creating knives that are both functional and visually captivating. His knives are known for their distinctive handles made from materials like deer antler, ironwood, and colored pakkawood, paired with beautifully patterned blades, often in the Damascus style.

His work is highly valued by chefs and knife enthusiasts worldwide for its exceptional sharpness, durability, and aesthetic appeal. Each knife is a testament to Saji's meticulous craftsmanship and his commitment to preserving the heritage of Japanese knife-making while pushing its boundaries. His dedication to quality and innovation has earned him a revered place in the blacksmithing community, ensuring that his knives remain prized possessions in kitchens around the world.

Profile: Gyuto

Chefs Knife
A Japanese chef's knife is known as a gyuto (牛刀ぎゅうとう） gyūtō?), literally meaning 'beef knife'. Its blade resembles a flatter version of a French chef's knife. Japanese cutlery is known for sharpness due to its acute blade geometry, and the hardness of the steel used, sometimes exceeding 60 HRC on the Rockwell Scale A typical western chef's knife may be sharpened to an edge angle of 20-22°, while a Japanese gyuto generally has a sharper edge angle of 15-18° (or even lower), which requires a harder, more brittle grade of steel. In recent years Japanese gyuto have gained in popularity with western chefs.

A modern chef's knife is a multi-purpose knife designed to perform well at many differing kitchen tasks, rather than excelling at any one in particular. It can be used for mincing, slicing, and chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and disjointing large cuts.
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Steel: VG10
Takefu VG10, is a high-end stainless steel celebrated for its exceptional edge retention and sharpness. It is a popular choice among Japanese kitchen knife makers and widely used in various types of knives, including kitchen knives, folders, and fixed blades.

VG10 achieves a hardness of around 60-61 HRC, with some makers pushing it to 62 HRC, ensuring good edge holding and stain resistance. The steel's composition includes 15% chromium (Cr) for corrosion resistance, 1% molybdenum (Mo), and 1.5% cobalt (Co) for matrix strengthening, leading to high hardness and durability. The addition of vanadium (V) refines its microstructure and, along with Cr and Mo, produces hard carbides that enhance wear resistance. VG10 is easy to sharpen, has good machinability, and supports secondary hardening with high-temperature tempering, making it suitable for blades that may undergo surface coating treatments up to about 450℃. Its well-rounded attributes make VG10 steel highly versatile, performing excellently in a range of applications from kitchen and general-purpose knives to machine blades.
Manufacturer:
- Takefu Special Steel, Japan
Nature: Stainless
Hardness: 59- 61
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Construction: Sanmai - Stainless Damascus Clad

Sanmai(Three-Piece) is a common construction for double bevel knives where two pieces of softer cladding steel are forgewelded to each side of a harder core steel. The harder but more brittle core steel will form the hard cutting edge after heat treating, and the softer cladding will support the core to increase the overall strength of the blade.
Damascus Sanmai utilize damascus steel as the cladding material for the Sanmai construction, which adds aesthetic feature to the blade. On the Kitchen knives with stainless core steel, the damascus cladding will be stainless, this means they will also protect the carbon/semi-stainless core from rusting/discolouration.
The soft cladding enables the thinning process to be a lot easier than a honyaki or monosteel construction. However, when the cladding is made of damascus, whether etched, polished or mirror polished, the thinning process will take a toll on the cladding, meaning the damascus won't look the same as when it was taken out of the box.
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Finish: Migaki

"Migaki" means "polished" or "shined" in Japanese, The term "Migaki finish" in the context of Japanese kitchen knives indeed does not exclusively refer to a mirror polish but encompasses a broader range of polished finishes that can vary from semi-gloss to a more refined, subtle sheen, rather than a highly reflective surface. The primary goal of a Migaki finish is to enhance the knife's functionality and aesthetic appeal, focusing on a smooth finish that improves resistance to corrosion and minimizes drag during cutting, rather than achieving a purely mirror-like appearance.
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Handle Specs
Profile: Octagonal WA
Material:
- Ebony
Crafted from a single piece of African Ebony, this ebony elegant handle has the flat Tsukiji Masamoto / Aritsugu style handle. It has a subtle taper which makes it very comfortable to hold in hand.
The stand out feature of this handle is the simple yet elegant centre square moasic pin, which is extremely hard to manufacture. It is almost impossible to craft out a square pin from a octagonal shape (and tapered!) handle.
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