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Japanese kitchen knives: a short background
Single-bevel and double-bevel blades, the steels and the towns behind them.
Reserve your knife workshop ↗Knives at a glance
| Name | Known for |
|---|---|
| Yanagiba | Slicing fish; the most popular fish knife |
| Deba | Thick blade for filleting fish |
| Usuba | The thinnest blade, for vegetables |
| Santoku | Developed in the 1940s as an all-rounder |
| Gyuto | The Japanese chef's knife |
Single bevel and double bevel
Traditional single-bevel knives are ground on one face, and the double-bevel types came into use during the Meiji period. Single-bevel knives take real care to sharpen.
Steels
Carbon steels include white steel, which is unalloyed, and blue steel, which has chromium and tungsten added. Stainless steels resist corrosion but take more effort to sharpen.
Layers
Many blades are laminated, with a hard carbon steel core inside soft iron cladding, which gives a sharp edge and a durable body.
Sakai
Sakai, in Osaka Prefecture, has been a knife-making centre since the 14th century. Collectors prize its blades, and many cooks keep one or two.
Seki
Seki, in Gifu Prefecture, is considered the home of modern Japanese cutlery, where makers turn out a small number of knives a day.
Handles
Traditional handles are made of porous ho wood fitted to a hidden tang, so they can be replaced. Fitting a handle is part of what the workshop shows you.