About Mazaki San - Mazaki-san is a relatively young blacksmith from Sanjo, but he originally hails from the island of Hokkaido. Unsure of what to do with himself as a young man, he left to travel Japan on his motorcycle. He made a stop in Sanjo, and was fascinated by the knife making & blacksmithing industry in the area. He got an apprenticeship with Yoshikane which lasted about 5 years, but he decided he would like to pursue a more traditional, hands-on way of making knives. Now, he forge-welds all of his carbon steel knives in house, and finishes his bevels with a variety of different whetstones, all by hand. About the shape - Inspired by the profile of a traditional European chef knife, gyutos are a multi-purpose knife with a slight meat cutting bias and “gyuto” even translates to “cow sword”. If you want one knife to do it all, This is it. The longer blade typically gives the blade a forward balance that allows it to work for you. While the blade would ideally be slid forward or back while cutting, they are also great for folks that prefer to 'rock' their knife while cutting. The 240mm Gyuto is great for those who prefer a large, heavier knife.