In my kitchen I was using a gyuto knife. It was a beautiful knife. But it was a little too curved for my liking. Didn't make enough contact with the food. So I switched to a straight-edged nakiri. Better for chopping vegetables. But when I was cutting meat, then I wanted to go back to my gyuto. Hmm, I thought. Somebody should make a new type of knife, one that falls between a gyuto and a nakiri. And then, as I am a knife maker, I thought that I should make it. So I did.

I gave it a slightly curved edge. Too-straight produces too much friction. Too-curved reduces contact with the food. This slight curve is my attempt at a happy medium.

I also gave it a sharp point. This is very nice for scoring vegetables, or squid, or chicken.

The spine of the knife has a very high mirror-polish. This maximizes friction between your fingers and the blade, for better control, comfort, and safety.

The sides of the knife have a rough finish, to minimize friction between the food and the blade. This is especially noticeable with foods that have a high water content. My knife's rough sides break up the water's surface tension, allowing the blade to slide through more easily.

I had my new knife. Now I wanted to give it a name. The shape eminded me of something...what was it?

The Koutetsu

Japan's first ironclad ship. Her name means, literally, "Ironclad." The Koutetsu had a very unusual bow. It looks like my knife.And the Koutetsu was the first in her class, and she used a pioneering, "cutting-edge" design - just like my knife.

The Koutetsu was formidable - just like my knife. And the Koutetsu was ironclad - somewhat like my knife. My knife is actually steel clad with steel. Inside I put SG-2 stainless powder steel. Outside, I have clad it with stainless steel sides. This 2-steel combination is easier to sharpen, and it keeps its edge better, and it resists damage better.