Masuda Yoshihide AO1 Custom Damascus Kurouchi Gyuto 240mm

This one isn’t your everyday knife — it’s a true 1 of 1 assembled in-house at Kakushin.

The blade comes from Masuda Yoshihide of the Masuda Hamono / Kiridashi Factory in Sanjo, Niigata — a small, traditional workshop dating back to the early Showa period (1930s). Third generation, fully in-house production: forging, heat treatment, finishing — everything under one roof.

Core steel is Aogami #1 carbon, known for taking an extremely fine edge with a very direct, precise feel. It’s clad in Damascus with a kurouchi finish, giving it a darker, understated look with depth — each blade is naturally unique.

What really sets this one apart is the build. We opened the handle selection to our Facebook community and the result wasn’t even close: #1 ~18%, #2 ~22%, #3 ~45% (selected), #4 ~15%. Handle #3 took nearly half of all votes and more than doubled most other options — this is the exact configuration the community chose, assembled in-shop into a true one-off.

Specs-wise, it’s a serious performer: 240mm gyuto, tall 60mm heel for clearance and presence, spine ~4.2mm at the handle tapering to ~2.0mm at the tip, giving you a clean distal taper with both power and precision, plus a polished spine and choil with softened edges.

This isn’t an entry knife — it’s a high-end, hand-forged blade paired with a community-driven custom handle, assembled here. One piece, no restock.