Western style knives are mostly "ryo-ba" for right and left-handed persons. With its single-edged blade, this chef's knife, made of white steel, thinly slices through the skin and flesh of a fish with ease and without compromising the taste and quality of the structure unlike other knives which can damage the cell walls and alter the feel and taste. Parts of Japanese Sushi Knife 3. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”. The reasons for this vary with the manufacturer and the type of blade they’re creating. There are two main groups of how a sushi knife is crafted: Honestly, I went through two years of working at different sushi bars before investing in one of my own. It is manufactured in limited quantities in Japan. Out of interest Totos what knife do you use for filleting and skinning your fish ?. Most of us will just buy a fillet or a piece of sushi grade fish and use a Yanagiba sashimi knife to cut it up neatly. A Japanese knife is lighter, holds its edge longer, and its edge is cut differently than its counterpart. This one has highest wear resistance and lowest toughness. It is also known as MC66 and is used by Henckels under that alias. The main reasoning for this is to secure the blade to the handle and add more balance to the weight of the blade. They are now kept in “Shosoin”, the treasure house of the Todaiji temple in Nara. It has a molybdenum rust-resistant steel blade with razor-sharp edge. It also maintains an edge longer than other lower-carbon steel formulae. (4) polish the rusted area with a cork, keeping the knife from moving. Hoping that your knives will keep their sharpness for a longer time than you expect ! The most simple multi-layer blades have a three layer structure, made of a hard steel core that is sandwiched by soft (resilient) steel so that the hard core is exposed only at the cutting edge. 10 degrees between the surface of the blade and whetstone would be recommended if you cut only soft things. Such a knife has just aesthetic value without the above benefit of the sandwich structure. (2) sprinkle evenly powder cleanser so as to cover the rust. The hongasumi knives are made in the same way as Kasumi knives. For standard cooking, a set of Gyuto(Chef Knife), Sujihiki(Slicer) and Petty is recommended. Very good edge holding, very high working hardness. The following video tell you how to sharpen a knife in English, that will successfully help you. This lightweight knife is easy to use on smaller fish. There are several styles of knives that have a full tang with two pieces of the handle riveted onto it; these are typically seen in European knives. You can get only one design of the blade in the world. Of course, please be noted that it is sometimes impossible if the issued knife has a large chip and damage or if the blade was seriously bent. For professional use to cooking sushi / sashimi, these series are recommended. We recommend to sharpen your knife with waterstones for better sharpening, not with a grinding rod. The name "Funayuki" or "Going on a boat" in Japanese. The steel is harder than German steel and has a greater sharpening potential. Slim blades for intricate tasks, pull or push cuts. The hamon is beautiful and unique one by one knife, made by harmony of two different materials. Ruko 3-1/4-Inch Blade Folding Knife With Plain Edge Camouflage Handle. Any time you remove the guide rail from your knife, rinse and clean it thoroughly to remove any residue from the stone that may remain inside the guide rail. You could use western style knives to fillet fish and cut vegetables with decent results. It is suitable design for thinner cutting, slicing tasks. * Hard steel core is generally easier to be chipped, that’s why the sandwich structure can be a good solution. This was to make using the knife for long periods of time more comfortable. We can not provide an opportunity to appreciate how sharp and splendid the traditional swords are directly, however, we make sure how good they are by using the practical kitchen knives with the same methodology. There are full tang knives and half tang knives. Therefore, such a multi-layer structure can not simply be said “no meaning“ from a view of strength and durability. Usuba-bocho/Kamagata Usuba-Bocho and Nakiri-Bocho (Western style): A vegetable knife used for peeling, slicing and chopping. ** If the core is not stainless (like high carbon steel) covered by stainless steel layers on both side, the blade totally get good rust-resistance as well as chip-resistance. You can review the technique in the following video, where Japanese professional chef tells the better way. This page will go over the general use of knives, how to hold them, and a few interesting facts about Japanese etiquette vs. Western etiquette. When it comes to slicing fish there's no real replacement for a good sashimi knife. Established a company as a Japanese sword manufacturer 140 years ago. A Sashimi Knife, for cutting and filleting fish or ham with a pull stroke. Only this elaborate procedure ensures an optimum synthesis of breaking strength and ultimate sharpness. White Paper Steel(Shirogami) Identical to Blue Paper Steel(Aogami) , except for the absence of Cr and W. It’s very pure carbon steel. The Deba knife looks and works somewhere between a meat cleaver and a chef’s knife. Please refer to the attached picture. Sweden Stainless Steel The Pure Stainless Steel material from Sweden. Just one thing bothers me – there are two scratches on both sides each of the blade along all way along the cutting edge. The chart such as the chart below seems popular, and you may get numeric material information. FYI, the core is sometimes not a simple high carbon steel but VG-10 or SG-2 and so on. It has very good edge holding, very high working hardness. Is the honkasumi gyuto made of a mono steel or clad knife and what is the hardness of the steel?”. This is entirely up to what you plan on doing with it. Due to the softer steel the blades do not hold their edge as long as their Japanese counterparts, but are much easier to sharpen and are not as brittle. The Yanagiba is called "Shobu" and popular in Western Japan (around Osaka and Kyoto). If you often cut and slice (fillet) fishes, meats, hams etc, Sujihiki is the best choice for your needs. In 19 century, Japan opened its door to other countries to import many culture and technologies, called "Bunmei Kaika" in Meiji era, and Western-style knives in Japan were developed to meet the needs of Japanese chefs preparing non-Japanese cuisine for Westernization. We deliver our products Free Worldwide Shipping! Deba. 1. This double-edged blade is a Western version of the yanagi knife commonly called a sujihiki or sujibiki knife. Most knife manufacturers have both the Japanese-style knives and Western-style knives. Don’t buy them. Because ink on the newspaper contains some oil to prevent from rust. I am not sure what is it. Though, you should be careful of retailers that claim their knives are honyaki. Easy to sharpen, even high hardness. A sushi knife is multifaceted for cutting during all three, but a sashimi knife is made specifically for cutting fish. Please try it. The Yoshihiro Kasumi White Steel Yanagi Sashimi Japanese Knife is designed for sushi and sashimi chefs. Generally, many of middle and high class Japanese kitchen knives clearly show their relation to the Samurai sword. After being heated treated, the steel is hammered repeatedly to form the shape of a blade and evenly distribute the carbon and chromium molecules. After the Sengoku period, Sakai had to change their industry to kitchen knives from such weapons. The following table is the list of all the sushi and sashimi knives. http://www.hocho-knife.com/masamoto-honkasumi-tamashiro-steel/, http://www.hocho-knife.com/sakai-takayuki-kasumi/, Tojiro Japanese-Style Shirogami White Steel, Masamoto Honkasumi Gyokuhaku-ko (white Steel), Sakai Takayuki Chef-Series Gingami No.3 Steel, Sabun Honyaki Gyokuhaku-ko (White Steel) [with Saya], Sakai Kikumori Supreme Shiroko (White steel), Kanetsune KC-500 White Steel 11-Layer Damascus, Sakai Takayuki Ginryu Dragon Premium Honyaki, Sakai Takayuki Honyaki Water Quench Aogami 2 Steel, Kanetsune KC-400 White Steel 11-Layer Damascus, Goh Umanosuke Yoshihiro Suminagashi G3SN-L, Masamoto Honkasumi Gyokuhaku-ko (Buffalo Tsuba), Sabun POWDER PRO 100 Powdered High Speed Steel, Sakai Takayuki Homura Premium (Aogami 2 steel), Kanetsune KC-920 Aogami No.2 Steel Hammered, Sakai Takayuki 33-Layer VG10 Damascus Hammered, Iseya I-series 33 Layer VG-10 Damascus Hammered, Yoshimi Kato 63 Layer VG10 Black Damascus PW, (containing Western & Japanese Style different knives). These blades are particularly suitable for the gentle preparation of foods – but they are prone to oxidation, which means rust. Kasumi knives are less expensive than Honyaki knives and are easier to use and sharpen. Please refer to the article of "what angle I should sharpen the knife at?". Its history goes back to the Edo era in Sakai, Japan. However, what really sets Western-style knives from Japan apart from the typical Western-style knives is it's strong thin blade. The flat edge is there so that food doesn’t stick to the knife. This time, we do not explain about the materials in the chart, but the frequently-heard expression dedicated for kitchen knives as follows. // ]]>. Is there something I can apply to the blade after washing? One demerit of the Damascus knives is the cost because of additional production process. Sakai has been known for their metal work since 500 A.D., after one of Japan’s emperors died and decreed that a temple be built in his name. For less resistance when the knife goes interrupt the cuttings, you may only feel that sharpness is good if you use an very acute-angle blade. As such, the majority of sword craftsmen turned their business towards crafting sushi knife cutlery. When holding the fish, curl your fingers inward to form a paw and start cutting. Let’s watch the following video that teaches you plainly the right method of “Single-Edged” knife sharpening. Regardless of how often you prepare sushi and sashimi, having the proper knife to do so will not only create a delicious meal but will help you do so with ease. Nowadays stainless steel is often used for Japanese kitchen knives, and multi-layer laminated blade structure (so-called “Damascus”) is used in more expensive blades to add corrosion resistance while maintaining strength and durability. A contemporary sushi recipe that used baked ingredients! Very popular knife steel for high end Japanese cutlery and especially with Honyaki type blades. 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