Ever wanted to prepare dinner with a replica of Gundam’s heat hawk mecha weaponry? Now you can.

Japan loves craftsmanship and culinary arts, so it’s no surprise that the country has a bit of a thing for high-quality cooking knives. As a matter of fact, there’s a whole sub-category of Japanese-style kitchen cutlery, which often features katana-style hamon blade patterning and kanji character engravings.

But what if you created knives inspired not by Japan’s historical past, but by the country’s visions of a high-tech future? Then you might end up with something like the Gustav KG-06 series from Hyogo Prefecture cutlery maker Amenoma.

While they’re not officially licensed products, it’s pretty clear that Amenoma modeled the Gustav line on some of the weaponry from anime mecha franchise Gundam. Specifically, the knife is a dead ringer for the heat hawk, a giant ax-like weapon that’s part of the standard equipment loadout for the Zaku, the primary mecha of the series’ villainous Zion military groups.

▼ The Gustav KG-06 even comes in a military-style case, with stenciled that makes it look like it belongs in a space station weapons depot.

▼ Amenoma lists the blade at 18 centimeters (7.1 inches) in length and the entire piece at 32.4 centimeters long, with a hefty 400-gram (14.1-ounce) weight.

But make no mistake: this is an actual chef’s knife, although one used with a different cutting mechanic than most of us are used to.

In further keeping with the wink and nod to anime mecha design, there are three different versions of the Gustav KG-06, each with a different color scheme and powers. For example. the top-of-the-line red version sports a super-stylish black oxide coating.

▼ All Gustav models feature a hand-forged stainless steel blade and aluminum-cast body, and come with the carrying case.

▼ It’s unclear if the iron cross-style insignia is part of the package, or simply an unusual accouterment added just for the promotional photography.

Finally, the blue Gustav KG-06 is billed as both a kitchen knife and a “machete,” with a sturdier body and heavier weight of 450 grams, and is bundled with a cloth blade cover.

Prices start at 42,120 yen (US$390) for the green Gustav, climb to 45,260 for the blue, and top out at 51,840 for the red. All three are available through Amenoma’s online shop here.

Source: Miki Kajiyamura Online Shop via Japaaan

Top image: Miki Kajiyamura Online Shop

Insert images: Miki Kajiyamura Online Shop (1, 2, 3)

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