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Masuda Yoshihide  |  SKU: MASU_B1DA_GY240

Masuda Yoshihide Blue 1 Damascus Gyuto 240mm

$20,355.00
IMPORTANT: Carbon steel knives can rust or patina quickly if not cared for properly. They require regular cleaning, drying, and oiling. If you are unfamiliar with carbon steel maintenance, we recommend choosing a stainless steel option instead.

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

Detailed Specifications
Line Hatsukokoro x Masuda Blue 1 Damascus Nashiji
Profile Gyuto / Chefs Knife
Bevel Type Double Bevel
Weight 258 g        9.1 oz
Edge Length 244 mm   .9.61 inch
Heel Height 56 mm     .2.2 inch
Width @ Spine 3.3 mm     0.13 inch
Width @ Mid 2.8 mm     0.11 inch
Width @ 1cm from Tip 1.4 mm     0.06 inch
Steel Blue 1 / Aogami #1 | Carbon
Blade Construction Sanami - Soft Iron Damascus Clad
Hardness (HRC) 61 - 64
Surface Finish Nashiji
Handle Special Handle
Region Sanjo
Best for
  • Enthusiasts
  • Collectors
    		•
    • Free shipping for knives over AU$200 Australia wide.
    • World-wide shipping via DHL Express, 3 to 5 days.


    Masuda’s Blue 1 Damascus is a surprise item to us, not just because we see a knife with a texture and finish that is unique and stunning, but also we hear a name we didn’t expect in the world of knife making. Mr. Takeshi Masuda as the maker of this line is a very experienced blacksmith, but his expertise has been Kiridashi - a traditional single bevel woodworking and gardening tool. In fact, since he inherited the Masuda Kiridashi Factory as the second generation blacksmith, he has been forging Kiridashi for more than half a century and earned his title of Traditional Craftsman. We do stock his Kiridashi for quite a while so we are plenty surprised to hear he is switching to knifemaking.

    Masuda san’s factory is located in the Sanjo region, and his knife does display some of the regional characteristics. The spine is not as thick as the typical Sanjo maker like Yoshikane or Tadafusa, but it still has a noticeable taper and holds its thickness until it reaches the tip. The surface receives a very polished Nashiji finish, where the cladding is shiny but the texture created by forging is kept, it almost looks like Takeshi Saji’s Diamond Damascus finish. The polish on the bevel is very refined, it’s a kasumi finish with a high grit polish, and unlike the typical texture we commonly see from Sakai knives, the scratch pattern on the core steel is more subtle and the soft iron appears to be more hazy and bright. This is a beautiful contrast created by a unique finishing process, its texturality and appearance reminds me of Hatsukokoro’s Komorebe with a natural stone finish. 

    Knives and Stones actually has some input on the grind of the knife, we happened to be in Hatsukokoro’s office when the first prototype of the line arrived in February of 2025. It had a Shinogi line that is quite lower than this final design, which means, at the same spine thickness, you would have quite more bevel thickness right after cutting into the food, leading to wedging and more cutting resistance. So we suggest Hatsukokoro with a different kind of grind. This new grind does keep the bevel nice and wide, combining with the generous tall profile, leads to a very choppy design. There is some thickness behind the edge so I say it is not the most smooth cutting knife out there, but a bit more strength is reassuring when doing large batch preps. 

    The one thing you need to be very careful about is the cladding. Despite the highly polished look, this is still an iron damascus cladding, which means the entire blade needs to be maintained to keep it from rusting. The price of the knife suggests that it is a product with a focus on the art and craft, but if you intend to use it, it won't let you down. I would also recommend it to collectors who like unique knives with interesting background stories.

    Pros Cons
  • Highly collectable
  • Great artistic
  • Excellent fit and finish
    		•
  • Prone to rust
  • High budget
    		•

    Care Instruction
    1. Don't cut hard things! Japanese knives are brittle so bone hacking is a NO NO!
    2. Wash with neutral detergent after use, and wipe dry;
    3. Please don't wash knife with dishwasher, it will damage the wood handle;
    4. Be careful not to leave the knife close to a heat source for a long time;
    5. It is a lot more dangerous to cut with a blunt knife than a sharp knife!
    6. It is best to sharpen a Japanese knife regularly on a waterstone.
    7. Oil the (carbon) knife if storing for an extended period of time to prevent rust.

    Masuda Kiridashi Factory

    As the name suggested, Masuda Kiridashi Factory was a smithy that has a focus on the Kiridashi production, Kiridashi is a traditional crafting tool knife that is commonly used in woodworking and gardening, and its construction has many similarities with single bevel kitchen knives like Daba or Yanagiba. Established in the early Showa Period, Masuda Kiridashi Factory is currently operated by the second generation blacksmith Takeshi Masuda, who is granted the Traditional Craftsmanship title by Niigata Prefecture. His son Yoshihide Masuda entered the factory in 2017 after working in a mold manufacturing industry, bringing new ideas and creativities to the family business

    The Kiridashi crafted by Master Masuda are certainly very high in quality, whether it’s the plain Kurouchi, Tsuchime Kurouchi or the stunning torsion Damascus Kitaeji. The surface finish is smooth, uniform and the Kasumi polish on the bevel is clean and contrasty, they certainly shows the level of craftsmanship that Masuda san built over half a century of practice in Kiridashi making.  

    However, as modern tools and manufacturing progresses, Kiridashi has become a distant name that only exists in the mouth of sharpening enthusiasts and collectors, and many Kiridashi manufacturing businesses in the Sanjo region have decided to stop producing them as it is not profitable. The Masuda Kiridashi factory is also trying to adapt, and Yoshihide Masuda has come up with the idea of making deburring Kiridashi that can be used on mold and injection parts. As the master is very proficient with forge welding techniques, they are also exploring the potential in the knifemaking business. In some interviews with the family, you can see their determination in keeping the culture and technique that they’ve inherent along with the factory.

    • 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.

      Slide for more >>

    • Steel: Blue 1 / Aogami #1

      Blue Steel No.1, also known as Aogami #1 or Yasugi #1 Blue Steel, is a premium high carbon steel from Hitachi Metals Ltd, celebrated for its exceptional edge retention and toughness. This steel is an upgrade from Blue Steel No.2, enriched with higher carbon and tungsten content, making it a favorite for high-grade Japanese traditional single-bevel knives. It's known for being easy to sharpen, achieving a very fine edge that lasts. Despite its susceptibility to rust, with proper care and maintenance, including regular wiping and drying, it can develop a protective patina that minimizes rusting. Blue Steel No.1 is highly regarded among knife makers for its ability to achieve a mirror finish and maintain a sharp edge over extended periods, offering an outstanding balance of performance and durability.

      Manufacturer:

      • Hitachi Special Steel, Japan

      Nature: Carbon

      Hardness: 61- 64

      << Slide for more >>

    • Construction: Sanami - Soft Iron 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. However, the damascus cladding found on Japanese kitchen knives with carbon steel core are ususally made of soft iron, which means they too need to be maintained to stay pretty.

      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.

      << Slide for more >>

    • Finish: Nashiji

      The "nashiji finish" on Japanese kitchen knives refers to a unique, textured surface finish that resembles the skin of an Asian pear, which is known as "nashi" in Japanese. This finish is achieved through a specific hammering and polishing technique, giving the knife blade a distinct, matte appearance with a slightly uneven, tactile surface. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the nashiji finish also provides practical benefits. It helps to reduce food sticking to the blade by creating tiny air pockets between the food and the steel. This finish is commonly found on traditional Japanese knives, such as santokus and nakiris, and is highly valued for both its functional and visual characteristics, enhancing the overall culinary experience.

      << Slide for more >>

    • Handle Specs

      Profile: Octagonal WA

      Material:

      • Unknown

      A unique handle crafted by the hamono, with the material undisclosed.

      << Slide for more

    Masuda Yoshihide

    Masuda Yoshihide Blue 1 Damascus Gyuto 240mm

    $20,355.00

    Masuda’s Blue 1 Damascus is a surprise item to us, not just because we see a knife with a texture and finish that is unique and stunning, but also we hear a name we didn’t expect in the world of knifemaking. Mr. Takeshi Masuda as the maker of this line is a very experienced blacksmith, but his expertise has been Kiridashi - a traditional single bevel woodworking and gardening tool. In fact, since he inherited the Masuda Kiridashi Factory as the second generation blacksmith, he has been forging Kiridashi for more than half a century and earned his title of Traditional Craftsman. We do stock his Kiridashi for quite a while so we are plenty surprised to hear he is switching to knifemaking.

    Masuda san’s factory is located in the Sanjo region, and his knife does display some of the regional characteristics. The spine is not as thick as the typical Sanjo maker like Yoshikane or Tadafusa, but it still has a noticeable taper and holds its thickness until it reaches the tip. The surface receives a very polished Nashiji finish, where the cladding is shiny but the texture created by forging is kept, it almost looks like Takeshi Saji’s Diamond Damascus finish. The polish on the bevel is very refined, it’s a kasumi finish with a high grit polish, and unlike the typical texture we commonly see from Sakai knives, the scratch pattern on the core steel is more subtle and the soft iron appears to be more hazy and bright. This is a beautiful contrast created by a unique finishing process, its texturality and appearance reminds me of Hatsukokoro’s Komorebe with a natural stone finish. 

    Knives and Stones actually has some input on the grind of the knife, we happened to be in Hatsukokoro’s office when the first prototype of the line arrived in February of 2025. It had a Shinogi line that is quite lower than this final design, which means, at the same spine thickness, you would have quite more bevel thickness right after cutting into the food, leading to wedging and more cutting resistance. So we suggest Hatsukokoro with a different kind of grind. This new grind does keep the bevel nice and wide, combining with the generous tall profile, leads to a very choppy design. There is some thickness behind the edge so I say it is not the most smooth cutting knife out there, but a bit more strength is reassuring when doing large batch preps. 

    The one thing you need to be very careful about is the cladding. Despite the highly polished look, this is still an iron damascus cladding, which means the entire blade needs to be maintained to keep it from rusting. The price of the knife suggests that it is a product with a focus on the art and craft, but if you intend to use it, it won't let you down. I would also recommend it to collectors who like unique knives with interesting background stories.

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