A stand-out piece from metallurgist and bladesmith Tobias Hangler of Austria, shaped from house-made ku mai (five layer) steel featuring a vein of pure copper to keep carbon diffusion at bay during the hand-forging and hardening process. Convex blade bevels are given a blackout finish from spine to edge while the careful etching process also reveals the bold, iconic color of the copper, matched in this knife to the solid copper handle bolster. Thin, hair-popping sharp, and very hard at 65-66 HRC on the Rockwell hardness scale, the 1.2562 high-carbon edge sweeps gently upward to quite a slim tip, with toughness and strength further back for the toughest cuts, making this 200mm long by 48mm tall gyuto your go-to daily prep tool. Completing the octagonal, wa-style handle behind the tapered and faceted copper bolster is a dark and handsome piece of stabilized bog oak.