Found a single bevel on a Masamoto gyuto

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Atso_J

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I wasn't sure if I should post this in the knowledge section or over here so mods please feel free to move this thread to the correct department if needed.

So I got this vintage-ish looking Masamoto gyuto that had the insides of its tang hollowed out by corrosion. No the point, but might be a clue to where it has been used as it has most likely suffered from major water damage. While I was inspecting the blade more closely I noticed the bevel is very heavily asymmetrical and as I couldn't find anything on the left hand side I came to the conclusion it actually has a 100/0 bevel. My question is - as I'm completely clueless - how common or uncommon is this and is there possibly a particular use for it.

And just to be clear, it's obviously gone through a mod job and not come from the shop as it is.
 
Atso_J said:
I wasn't sure if I should post this in the knowledge section or over here so mods please feel free to move this thread to the correct department if needed.

So I got this vintage-ish looking Masamoto gyuto that had the insides of its tang hollowed out by corrosion. No the point, but might be a clue to where it has been used as it has most likely suffered from major water damage. While I was inspecting the blade more closely I noticed the bevel is very heavily asymmetrical and as I couldn't find anything on the left hand side I came to the conclusion it actually has a 100/0 bevel. My question is - as I'm completely clueless - how common or uncommon is this and is there possibly a particular use for it.

And just to be clear, it's obviously gone through a mod job and not come from the shop as it is.
Click to expand...
I'd say it's not too uncommon and that it's likely a dedicated butchery knife (or was). Pics are always nice...
 
Took some quick pics.
IMG_20220613_100749_1.jpg
IMG_20220613_100801.jpg

IMG_20220613_100826.jpg

Thanks for all the answers! I tried searching this subject but came back empty. Probably because I really didn't know what to look for.
 
Benuser said:
Even if very asymmetric, it is unlikely to be truly a single bevel, as that would require the left face to be concave instead of flat.
Click to expand...
Yeah, also that takobiki doesn't have a urasuki, it is just a highly asymmetric double bevel.
 
Benuser said:
Even if very asymmetric, it is unlikely to be truly a single bevel, as that would require the left face to be concave instead of flat.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Like I mentioned it is quite probably modified by whoever used to have it.

Made me wonder if it was used for butchering purposes, then why not get an actual single bevel for that? Or could it be that this kind of bevel is a good compromise to still have some versatility with one knife?
 
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stringer said:
Looks more like a honseuki or garasuki to me. And it is pretty common for those to be pseudo single bevel (no ura).
Click to expand...
I thought of that briefly, but the shape is still more gyuto than honesuki in my eye. I'm not that familiar with honesukis though but the length of approx. 210mm sounds a bit off for that too...
 
Yeah, I think this is just a typical highly asymmetric gyuto, pretty common with these yo handle carbon gyutos out of Japan. Not exactly 100/0, more like 99/1 or 90/10. The theory is you get better food release on the right side while getting the knife a little thinner behind the edge than a symmetrical knife of the same thickness/grind. The cutting edge is also offset slightly closer to your guide hand, the left in this case, good for more precise cuts. The trade-off is you can get some stiction on the left side with some product because it’s a flat or close to flat grind. You also get some steering in tall, dense vegetables.

stringer said:
Looks more like a honseuki or garasuki to me. And it is pretty common for those to be pseudo single bevel (no ura).
Click to expand...
I think it’s lost so much heel height, it’s starting to look like a garasuki/honesuki.
 
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