Knife guide
Each section states the work, the knife specified for it, and the alternatives worth considering. Most kitchens require only the first.
Vegetables, proteins and herbs on the board. The requirement in almost every kitchen, and the one to specify first.
Peeling, trimming, shallots and herbs. Work carried out in the hand as often as on the board, where a full-size blade is an obstruction.
A flat edge contacts the board along its full length, so each push stroke completes cleanly with no material left joined.
Length allows a slice to be drawn off in a single pass rather than sawn, which preserves the cut surface.
A single drawing stroke leaves one clean face on the fish. This is the work single-bevel blades are ground for.
Separating the head and collar at the joint, then taking fillets off the frame. Weight at the spine for the first, thinness for the second.
Locating joints and following the rib cage. The blade is worked around bone; no knife in this range is driven through it.
Each of the four families in the range, and what it is good at.
Corrosion resistant in normal use. VG-10, INOX AUS-8/10 and Ginsan all take a fine edge.
132 knivesA carbon cutting core with stainless cladding over the flats.
46 knivesThe finest edge in the range, and the most readily restored on a stone.
56 knivesPowdered and high-speed steels, for the longest edge retention in the range.
46 knivesThe bevel is the ground edge of the blade. Whether it is ground on one side or both changes how the knife cuts, who can use it, and how it is sharpened. It is the first thing to settle before steel or shape.
Ground on both sides, typically 50/50, at roughly 6 to 8 degrees per side — considerably finer than a Western knife. Nearly every shape in the range is available this way.
New to Japanese knives, or after one blade that does most things: double bevel.
Ground on one side only, at roughly 15 to 17 degrees, with the back left flat or slightly hollow. That hollow is the urasuki; it reduces drag and is part of what produces the cut.
Working in a sushi kitchen, or after that precision specifically: single bevel.
These blades are harder and thinner than a Western knife. That is what produces the cut, and it is what determines how they must be handled.
Drive the blade forward, or draw it back. Lift clear between strokes.
Nothing in this range cuts bone. Let frozen product thaw first.
No dishwasher. A soft board — Hi-Soft or Hinoki — keeps the edge longer.
Grit depends on the edge's condition. Learn more about sharpening here or send it to us.
Cutting surface
A soft, forgiving surface — Hi-Soft or Hinoki cypress. Hard surfaces accelerate edge wear.
Whetstones
Grit is chosen by the edge's condition, not a fixed number. Learn more about sharpening here or send it to us. Pull-through sharpeners and honing rods are not suitable.
Saya covers
A wooden sheath protects the edge in storage and in transit. Specified to the blade length.
Camellia oil
Applied before storage to inhibit corrosion on carbon and clad steels.
