Polished by hand using Japanese natural stone from Nakayama, the highest grade finishing stone available, are exquisite primary blade bevels that slim downward to a razor-sharp, thin, and hard edge shaped for cutting performance of the highest caliber. By bladesmith Milan Gravier, the one-of-a-kind Ironwood Twist Gyuto is the kind of knife chef’s dream about the world over. Crafted at his studio in the south of France, Milan forges the blade from a house-made san mai formula that sees twisted damascus cladding atop a core of the 135Cr3 high-carbon steel which forms the 261mm / 10.3″ cutting edge. A deep etch followed by additional hand polishing gives the blade’s flats an exquisite, low-contrast finish with highlights that shine brightly as light reflects off the nickel-rich components. Balancing less than one inch in front of the 53mm-tall heel, this large chef’s tool moves nimbly and naturally in the hand, its 8.4oz / 237g overall weight distributed wonderfully. The rounded blade spine’s full-distal taper produces a versatile and hardworking finished product that is tough and durable in the rear, and becoming progressively slimmer toward the glass-thin tip. A touch of lateral flexibility is present in the forward half. To wield the work of culinary art with comfort and control is a shield profile wa-style handle sculpted from a head-turning piece of ironwood burl and fitted with a darkened, beveled stainless steel ferrule.