Japanese knives are coveted for their beautiful and detailed design, as well as the cuts they produce. Their blades are typically thin and delicate, and prone to breaking if you don’t take care of them properly — not ideal for the clumsy chef.
If you are looking to purchase a new kitchen knife you have probably encountered two important knife types: Western and Japanese kitchen knives. In today’s article, we asked professional Chef Olivia Burt to talk to us about Western vs Japanese knives and her preferences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfhWOp66kbA In Chef Olivia’s words: What I love about Japanese knives […]
Bogwood is a type of wood. More specifically, this wood type comes from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by acidic and anaerobic bog conditions. This wood ranges in age from 2,500 to 5,000 years. Bog oak is known for its exceptional strength and often used to make luxury […]
Before we can go into the details of each wood type, we must identify what makes wooden handles so good. So why opt for wooden handles? Wood is natural material that is warm to the touch, comfortable to hold and long lasting. Therefore, it is no surprise that wood has been widely used as a […]
Japanese knives have become an essential kitchen tool for any chef or home cook. But what exactly is it that makes Japanese knives so good? Are they really better than Western knives? The blade’s hardness There are two ways to make a Japanese knife: honyaki or kasumi. Where, honyaki involves using solid high-carbon steel whilst kasumi forges a […]
Selecting the best Japanese kitchen knife for your needs Is it your first every proper knife? If yes, then go for a gyuto, it’s a multi-purpose knife. Once you feel more confident, you can compliment your set with nakiri (ideal for fruit, veggies) and petty (utility knife, a small knife for all the rest of […]
A bit of a knife history… The city of Sakai is situated by the Osaka bay at the Japanese main island. It is said that the foundations for knife making were laid down as early as the fifth century AD. That is when the great mounds, the Kofun, were built. This required excellent tools, which […]
If you don’t own yet any Japanese kitchen knife, the exotic sounding names – gyuto, santoku, nakiri, sujihiki, deba etc. probably don’t ring any bell. Even if you’re a knife expert, familiar with all the different types of steel and different edge grinds, you might not know about the unique names that the Japanese use for their […]
You should know by now that having a good kitchen knife is crucial to making cooking a pleasure, not a chore. Quality of food affects our moods and by cooking your own you know what’s put inside. The best knife for you is the one feels great when you hold it in your hand. A […]
You often ask us: how does a ceramic knife differ from a metal knife and which is better? Is ceramic knife better than a steel knife? The short answer is: it depends on what purpose you want the knife for. The long answer is more complicated. Let’s see which type is victorious in the ulitmate […]
This guide is to help you select the best Japanese knives suitable for your needs. Although we all like to have choice, majority of work (~70%) you do in the kitchen is done on one or two knives – usually these are the gyuto (chef’s) and petty (utility) knives. Knowing that will guide you to focus on selecting […]
With so many shapes, sizes, steels, finishes and handle materials it can be overwhelming knowing what to look for in a Japanese knife. Keep calm and read our helpful guide. Choosing a kitchen knife and right sharpening stones is not as hard you might think, it just seems like it because of all the choices […]
Sujikihi knives The Sujihiki or Subihiki – as some also call them – is the Japanese version of the slicing Western knives. Sujihiki knives are also used for carving. A carving knife is much thinner than a chef’s knife (particularly at the spine) and has a sharper edge than Western versions, enabling it to carve […]
The Queen of the steels – Aogami Blue Super (Hitachi Metals Ltd.) is one of the greatest Japanese Carbon Steels. In addition to containing more Carbon, Chromium and Tungsten than Blue Steel No.1, it also includes Molybdenum. It has a very good edge sharpness and excellent edge retention. It is also capable of attaining high […]
As a dedicated cook or professional chef, it is not unusual to have big sets of more than a dozen different types of kitchen knives in use at once. Is it complicated? It can be. Does it need to be that way? That depends on the amount of time you are willing to spend, and […]
Although the art of blades-making has been long popular in Japan. The trend of manufacturing of highly specialised cooking knives became widespread only in the 16th century. This is when blacksmiths working for members of Japan’s noble soldier class, the Samurai, competed against one another to create the best swords and knives. Eventually, as different […]
One thing that makes traditional Japanese knives different from Western ones is the fact that many types are honed only on one side; the right side. Obviously, for a left handed person, they would have to special order the knife honed on the left side. This single sided honing allows you to create the sharpest […]
In this article, we will explain the differences between Shirogami (also called #1 steel) and Aogami (also called #2 steel). The words Ao and Shiro mean blue and white. Gami means metal. The numbers 1 and 2 are grade differences. It all has to do with the carbon content and the alloy content. Shirogami Steel […]
