| Types of Japanese kitchen knives | | | | important than volume and typically produce |
| There are two classes of traditional Japanese | | | | fewer than a dozen knives a day. |
| knife forging methods: honyaki and kasumi. The | | | | Japanese cutlery design and philosophy |
| class is based on the method and material used in | | | | (b) is angled on both sides, (a) and (c) only on one |
| forging the knife. Honyaki are true-forged knives, | | | | side, where (a) is for right hand use and (c) is for |
| made entirely of one material: high-carbon steel. | | | | left hand use. |
| Kasumi are made from two materials, like samurai | | | | Unlike western knives, Japanese knives are often |
| swords: high-carbon steel and soft iron forged | | | | single ground, i.e., sharpened so that only one side |
| together (known as san mai blades), with the | | | | holds the cutting edge. As shown in the image, |
| steel forming the blade's edge and the iron | | | | some Japanese knives are angled from both |
| forming the blade's body and spine. Honyaki and | | | | sides, and others are angled only from one side, |
| kasumi knives can be forged out of either ao-ko | | | | with the other side of the blade being flat. It was |
| or shiro-ko steel. Based on their kirenaga (duration | | | | originally believed that a blade angled only on one |
| of sharpness) and hardness, however they are | | | | side cuts better and makes cleaner cuts, though |
| more difficult to use and maintain. Additionally, | | | | requiring more skill in its use than a blade with a |
| there are high-grade quality kasumi knives called | | | | double-beveled edge. Usually, the right hand side |
| hongasumi and layered-steel kasumi called | | | | of the blade is angled, as most people use the |
| Damascus that have longer kirenaga. | | | | knife with their right hand, with ratios ranging |
| Originally, all Japanese kitchen knives were made | | | | from 7030 for the average chef's knife, to 9010 |
| from the same carbon steel as katana. More | | | | for professional sushi chef knives; left-handed |
| expensive san mai knives have a similar quality, | | | | models are rare and must be specially ordered |
| containing an inner core of hard and brittle carbon | | | | and custom made. |
| steel, with a thick layer of soft and more ductile | | | | Since the end of World War II, western-style |
| steel sandwiched around the core so that the | | | | double-beveled edged knives have become much |
| hard steel is exposed only at the cutting edge. | | | | more popular in Japan, the best example being |
| Nowadays stainless steel is often used for | | | | that of the santoku, an adaptation of the gyuto, |
| Japanese kitchen knives, and san mai laminated | | | | (also spelled "gyutou") the French chef's knife. |
| blade construction is used in more expensive | | | | While these knives are usually honed and |
| blades to add corrosion resistance while | | | | sharpened on both sides, their blades are still given |
| maintaining strength and durability. | | | | Japanese-style acute-angle cutting edges with a |
| Japanese cutlery production | | | | very hard temper to increase cutting ability. |
| Much high-quality Japanese cutlery originates from | | | | Professional Japanese cooks usually own their |
| Sakai, the capital of samurai sword manufacturing | | | | personal set of knives, which are not used by |
| since the 1300s. After the Meiji Restoration, the | | | | other cooks. Some cooks even own two sets of |
| carrying of swords by the samurai class was | | | | knives, which they alternate every other |
| banned as part of an attempt to modernise | | | | day.[citation needed] After sharpening a |
| Japan. Though demand for military swords | | | | carbon-steel knife in the evening after use, the |
| remained and some swordsmiths still produced | | | | user normally lets the knife "rest" for a day to |
| traditional samurai swords as art, the majority of | | | | restore its patina and remove any metallic odour |
| swordsmiths refocused their skill to cutlery | | | | or taste that might otherwise be passed on to |
| production. | | | | the food.[citation needed] |
| The production of steel knives in Sakai started in | | | | See also |
| the 16th century, when tobacco was introduced | | | | List of Japanese cooking utensils |
| to Japan by the Portuguese, and Sakai craftsmen | | | | Kitchen knife |
| started to make knives for cutting tobacco. The | | | | Honyaki: True-forged Japanese knives |
| Sakai knives industry received a major boost | | | | Deba bocho: Kitchen cleaver for fish |
| from the Tokugawa shogunate (16031868), which | | | | Nakiri bocho: Standard vegetable knife |
| granted Sakai a special seal of approval and | | | | Usuba bocho: Professional vegetable knife |
| enhanced its reputation for quality (and according | | | | Tako hiki: Sashimi slicer |
| to some references a monopoly). | | | | Yanagi ba: Sashimi slicer |
| During the Edo period (16031867) (or more | | | | Fugu hiki: Sahsimi slicer for fugu |
| precisely the Genroku era (16881704)) the first | | | | Unagisaki hocho: Japanese eel knife |
| deba bocho were manufactured, soon followed by | | | | Udon kiri: Knife to make udon |
| a wide range of other styles. Making kitchen | | | | Soba kiri: Knife to make soba |
| knives and related products is still a major | | | | Hancho hocho: Very long knives to fillet tuna |
| industry in Sakai, using a combination of modern | | | | Oroshi hocho: Extremely long knives to fillet tuna |
| machinery and traditional hand tools to make | | | | Santoku: Meaning "three virtues", used for fish, |
| stain-resistant carbon steel blades. | | | | meat and vegetables; western-style knife |
| Seki, Gifu is today considered the home of | | | | References |
| modern Japanese kitchen cutlery, where | | | | ^ a b Hurt, Harry, III (2006) "How to Succeed at |
| state-of-the-art manufacturing and technology has | | | | Knife-Sharpening Without Losing a Thumb" The |
| updated ancient forging skills to produce a | | | | New York Times, September 23, 2006. Accessed |
| world-class series of stainless and laminated steel | | | | September 23, 2006. |
| kitchen knives famed throughout the world. The | | | | Tsuji, Shizuo, and Mary Sutherland. Japanese |
| major cutlery making companies are based in | | | | Cooking: A Simple Art, first edition. Tokyo: |
| Seki, and they produce the highest quality kitchen | | | | Kodansha International Ltd., 1980. ISBN-10: |
| knives in the traditional Japanese style and the | | | | 0870113992. |
| western style, like the gyuto and the santoku. | | | | Further reading |
| Another famous center for traditional blacksmiths | | | | Nozaki, Hiromitsu, & Klippensteen, Kate |
| and knifesmiths is Miki City. Miki is well known to | | | | (2009) Japanese Kitchen Knives: essential |
| all of Japan for its knifemaking traditions, and its | | | | techniques and recipes. Tokyo: Kodansha |
| knives and tools recall the pride of Japanese | | | | International ISBN-13: 9784770030764 |
| steelmaking. Most Miki manufacturers are small | | | | Tsuji, Shizuo, & Sutherland, Mary (2006) |
| family businesses where craftsmanship is more | | | | Japanese Cooking: a simple art; revised edition. |