Choosing Japanese Kitchen Knives

By Clark Patterson

You don't need to love Japanese food to appreciate the sleekness and usefulness of Japanese kitchen knives. These types of knives have been growing in popularity household kitchens around the globe through the past few years or so. You might have already seen them on popular television programs or in home design shops.

Unlike different types of knives, these special knives are built to be lightweight and are characterized by a fine edge. The solid steel blade of Japanese kitchen knives is very sharp and brittle as opposed to more traditional knives that are constructed to be flexible but tough. This ensures that a Japanese knife to be extremely sharp and useful. The edges of a Japanese knife are less likely to flex, ensuring that it will hold onto its sharpness for a longer period of time.

The Process of Creating Japanese Kitchen Knives

There are two traditional forging methods that are typically used in the creation of Japanese kitchen knives: Kasumi and Honyaki. Knives forged in the Honyaki tradition are made of a high carbon steel and forged completely of one material. Kasumi-forged knives are made from steel and soft iron that is forged to make the knife. The steel part is used for the knife's blade and the iron is used for its body. Both Honyaki and Kasumi Japanese knives are renowned for their unsurpassed durability and sharpness.

Common Types of Japanese Kitchen Knives

The most common types of Japanese knives include:

- Deba bocho - Meat cleaver

- Santoku bocho - Standard utility knife

- Nakiri bocho or usuba bocho - Vegetable-slicing knife

Japanese knives are generally crafted for one purpose, such as cutting vegetables. But traditional Japanese chef will typically only use a couple of knives and use them for many purposes. The majority of the Japanese kitchen knives on today's market are made in Sakai, a region of Japan famous for forging legendary samurai swords since the sixteenth century.

Maintaining Japanese Kitchen Knives

Japanese kitchen knives must be cared for properly in order to maintain their usability and sheen. Consider the following to maintain your knives for as long as possible:

1. Do not put your Japanese kitchen knives in the dish washer.

2. Wash the knives by hand instead.

3. You must to sharpen Japanese kitchen knives far more often than other types of knives because of to the super fine edge. Sharpen them as often as possible for the best results.

4. Dry your Japanese kitchen knives with a soft cloth. Do not let them sit and dry.

Of special note, as with any type of knife, Japanese kitchen knives are super-sharp - store away from the reach of children.

As with any other type of knife, keep Japanese kitchen knives far away from children, especially due to the fact that they are extremely dangerous. - 30289

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