Shun VG0008 Blue Steel 10-Inch Kiritsuke Knife Kiritsuke is the only multipurpose traditional Japanese knife, (in Japan only the executive chef in the kitchen is allowed to use one) Featuring Japanese san mai (meaning, "3-layers") construction; carbon steel sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel Blue Steel cutting core of fine-grained "blue" carbon steel hardened to 61 Rockwell. Hand sharpened 16 degree double bevel blade Knife blades feature a mirror-polish that enhances stain resistance; Light bead-blasting along the edge shows off the san mai construction Made with traditional Japanese knife handes; each knife comes with a Japanese-style saya, or sheath