When it comes to sharpening, one crucial aspect is to use a flat stone. This allows you to maintain a consistent bevel angle throughout the entire process. Over time, the whetstone will naturally wear down and develop a concave surface, also known as 'dish'. This can make the sharpening process feel less productive, as it becomes harder to gauge progress and sharpen evenly. To overcome this challenge, we highly recommend incorporating a flattening stone into your sharpening routine. By using a flattening stone before or after each sharpening session, you ensure that you efficiently remove metal with every stroke, maximizing the effectiveness of your sharpening efforts.
Note: It’s important to use the right kind of flattening stone or stone fixer depending on the whetstone you are flattening. Coarse stones should be paired with coarse flattening stones, fine stones with fine flattening stones, and so on. Too coarse of a flattening stone will leave the surface of a fine whetstone too rough, and a fine flattening stone will not remove material fast enough to effectively flatten a coarse whetstone.
Hash marks can be used as an effective guide to ensure that you are achieving a completely flat surface on your stone. To begin, take a pencil and make marks on the surface you intend to flatten, moving in one direction. Then, repeat this process by making marks in the opposite direction. By doing so, you will create a diamond-like pattern that spans across the entire top surface of the whetstone. This pattern serves as a helpful visual reference to ensure that you are evenly flattening the stone and achieving the desired flatness.
To ensure proper sharpening of your blades, it is important to follow these steps. Firstly, find a suitable surface to place your whetstone. It should be flat and free from any slippery materials. You can consider using a non-slip pad, a damp towel, or a stone stand to secure the whetstone in place.
Once you have secured the whetstone, position it with the face facing upwards. Next, take the flattening stone and place it on the uneven, top side of the whetstone. It is crucial to hold the flattening stone with a firm grip.
Now, you can begin the flattening process. Move the flattening stone back and forth over the surface of the whetstone. Make sure to apply an even and moderate amount of pressure. As you continue to use the flattening stone, you will observe the marks gradually disappearing. This indicates that you are targeting the high points on the stone and achieving a smoother surface.
Continue to flatten your stone evenly using gentle and consistent pressure. Make sure to cover the entire surface of the stone, gradually erasing all of the hash marks left by the pencil. Take your time with this step, as it is important to achieve a completely flat and smooth surface. Once you have removed all of the pencil marks, carefully rinse the stones to remove any residue. This thorough flattening process will ensure that you have a perfectly flat and workable surface for your stone.
Remember, by following these steps diligently and consistently, you can not only ensure optimal performance and longevity of your blades and stones, but also greatly enhance your overall sharpening experience. Taking the time and effort to properly care for your sharpening tools will not only result in sharper blades and more effective sharpening, but it will also save you time and money in the long run.
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide. We hope that you have found it helpful and informative. If you have any questions about stone flattening or if you would like to share your own tips and techniques, we encourage you to leave a comment below. Your feedback and contributions are greatly appreciated and will benefit the entire sharpening community.
]]>With our End of Summer Sale under way, check out some of our favorite two-knife sets and save up to $50. Until October 8, it's buy one, get one 15%-off. Read on to learn about these 5 two-knife sets and see which might be the right fit for you.
High carbon steel offers the benefit of higher performance and a longer lasting edge. Unlike stainless steel knives, high carbon steel knives can rust if left with moisture on the blade. This makes high carbon knives higher maintenance and understandably less appealing to many chefs.
If you’ve ever thought of dipping your toes into high carbon steel but feel to nervous about making an expensive mistake, look no further the Seisuke Blue No.2 Nashiji series. You’ll rarely find knives with such a good balance and feel, made with a high carbon steel at such an affordable price. The rough, nashiji finish on the blades gives the knives a rustic look and helps with food release.
Santoku and nakiri knives are the traditional Japanese home chef styles. Their compact, tall blades make for great picks in smaller kitchens without losing the functionality of the average chef’s knife. Especially for those who find themselves chopping vegetables on a daily basis, you will love having a santoku and nakiri on the job.
Make the leap into high carbon steel today and save $19.35 with the Seisuke Blue No.2 Nashiji Santoku & Nakiri.
When you are preparing dinner on a daily basis, whether for yourself or your family, it can be grueling work. How easy would it be to put everything back in the fridge and call out for pizza? Sure it would be easy, but so much less satisfying and so much more expensive.
Cooking at the end of the day shouldn’t be a daunting task. With the gyuto and nakiri from Shigeki Tanaka’s Majiro series, this chore becomes a breeze. Made with Silver Steel No.3, these knives are not prone to rusting making them low maintenance as well as long lasting. This steel type is relatively fragile, so don’t try cracking any walnuts with them, but you won’t need to be overly fussy either.
The handles are made from layers of maple, cherry, and walnut wood. Not only is this construction beautiful, but practical making the knives feel as light as feathers compared to your average kitchen knife. Use the gyuto to slice meat and typical food prep tasks and the nakiri to take care of the bulk of vegetable chopping.
Make each dinner prep a dream with the Tanaka Majiro Series Gyuto & Nakiri and save $29.85 with our End of Summer Sale.
Iseya I-Series Sujihiki & Small Santoku (save $16.35)
Summer may be over, but barbecue season never ends! From pork chops to ribeye to kebabs and even corn on the cob, there are so many ways to grill. Having appropriate, sharp knives helps preserve the flavor and texture of the food.
No matter what protein you find yourself cooking, a slicing knife is your friend. That’s where the I-Series Sujihiki comes in. The long, thin blade allows you to cut clean slices in just one or two passes. So much more flavorful and less painstaking than sawing through with a toothy, serrated blade. For the more intricate and garnish work, the small santoku is a godsend. Able to get into small crevices and chop with ease, you don’t need to fumble with a chef’s knife or do twice as much work with a tiny paring knife.
With our End of Summer Sale, save $16.35 when you purchase the Iseya I-Series Sujihiki & Small Santoku.
Know someone who is looking to get into Japanese knives? Maybe they’ve complained to you that they love to cook but their knives are… not good. Give them the benefit of Japanese steel without intimidating or overwhelming them.
The G-series by Iseya is a great introduction to the world of Japanese knives with a familiar feel. Heavier than most other Japanese knives but lighter than German knives, they feel comfortable and easy to use. They boast a superior sharpness without being too high maintenance.
These two G-series knives in particular, santoku and petty, are extremely practical knives to have in any knife set. Santoku are a like compact chef’s knives with an excellent chopping edge. Petty knives are the ultimate utility knife, able to do all the small tasks that the average chef’s knife would be too bulky to perform.
That special someone in your life will be delighted with their new Japanese kitchen knives. You will be too when you save $14.85 on the Iseya G-Series Santoku & Petty.
Yu Kurosaki Fujin Birch Burl Bunka & Yoshimi Kato R2/SG2 Damascus Petty (save $50.85)
Now, if you’ve read this far it’s either because you’re a thorough reader (and we appreciate that, thank you!) or because you want to see the fancy knives. Here you have it. In honor of our recent Craftsmen Tour, check out this awesome bunka and petty set from blacksmith’s Yu Kurosaki & Yoshimi Kato. Both knives are made from the high speed, high performance R2/SG2 powdered stainless steel. Excellent edge quality and long lasting sharpness all without rusting.
From Yu Kurosaki is his Fujin God of Wind series with the distinct diagonal hammer marks. What makes this one really special is the gorgeous birch burl handle with those deep swirling patterns in the wood grain. This is one of his limited edition handles, so don’t expect this knife to be around long.
To go with Kurosaki's all-purpose bunka is a petty-utility knife from Yoshimi Kato. One of his classic series, this petty features a handle made of Honduras rosewood and a blade made with Kato's hypnotic Damascus steel. It’s no wonder Kato has been affectionately nicknamed, The Damascus King.
Experience the pleasure of cooking with knives made by some of the top knife makers in Japan and save $50.85 when you purchase the Yu Kurosaki Fujin Bunka & Yoshimi Kato R2/SG2 Damascus Petty.
Mining for ironsand is an undertaking of its own, and calls for a delicate collecting process before the arduous smelting can even begin. Most of the earth’s iron ore comes from sedimentary rock deposits formed nearly two billion years ago, which can be found most abundantly along coastlines and surrounding veins.
Iron ore is rather scarce in Japan, as the majority of its viable coastal deposits are submerged beneath the waves around the archipelago. Deep sea mining is a costly technology, both financially and ecologically, and would have of course been inaccessible to people centuries ago. In fact, mining iron ore from the seabed today would still cost considerably more than simply importing it from other countries, which Japan now does for much of its raw materials, including iron.
While Japan was lacking in regular iron ore deposits, there was one thing it had lots of: volcanoes. And luckily, ironsand is plentiful in areas with ancient volcanic rocks such as granite and basalt, which have been worn down into grains by millennia of erosion. Historical Japanese swordsmiths looked to ironsand as a sensible local alternative in the era before mass international commerce.
The area around Mt. Sentsuu in Izumo, for instance, was settled by communities of ironworkers for this very purpose. In fact, a local folkdance depicts the god Susanoo facing off against the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi, whose body represented a flowing ironsand river, and whose slain corpse was forged into the legendary sword known as Kusanagi no Tsurugi.
View from atop Mt. Sentsuu in Izumo, Shimane. The base of the mountain has long been used for its ironsand-rich granite, formed from prehistoric magma flows. Between the mid 18th and 19th centuries, the vast majority of the iron and steel produced in Japan came from this area. The last remaining tamahagane furnace still in operation is located in nearby Okuizumo.
While most iron ore can simply be pulverized into smaller rock fragments for easy collecting and smelting, ironsand is loose and powdery, making extraction rather cumbersome, never mind the fact that it’s mixed in with other minerals. Consequently, a more convenient method of extraction was devised. Because the iron is heavier than the quartz, basalt, and other minerals, they can be separated from it through water filtration not too dissimilar from the method used in gold panning.
This process was relatively simple: miners could use devices such as rocker boxes or sluice boxes, which would catch iron particles in mesh basins as the sand-filled water washed through them. Such projects often called for the collective effort of large teams of ironworkers who would scour riverbeds and beaches where ironsand had collected, even installing artificial dredge systems which could be manipulated to filter out the iron grains.
Ironworkers near Sannai Village in Shimane filtering ironsand through a specialized water channel. Handheld paddles could be used to guide ironsand-rich water through filters which would separate the iron from lighter minerals.
Today, a more modern and convenient method of filtering ironsand is to use a magnet to simply attract the iron grains out of the mixture. This technique is faster and easier than using water filters.
After the iron from the mixture has been thoroughly collected, it now needs to be smelted into tamahagane. However, the iron was just the first ingredient, and it alone cannot be made into steel. For this, it needs to be mixed with a source of carbon, which will provide hardness and strength to the final product. The steel would simply not be able to hold itself together otherwise. Think of it as a binding agent - the eggs to the batter. You wouldn't want flaky, crumbly dough!
Fortunately, charcoal (sumi) makes for a great fuel and carbon source and is easy to acquire, unlike the ironsand. The two must now be combined and heated to a temperature of about 1,500 °F to 1,800 °F, about as hot as magma, using a special type of furnace called a tatara.
Charcoal can be made easily by burning wood, peat, and other carbon-dense materials. This is not to be confused with coal, which is a naturally occurring mineral.
Because iron in sand form is quite loose and messy, smelting it in a conventional blast furnace or bloomery is rather impractical. The tatara solves this issue by taking on a tub-like shape, wherein the ironsand will sink to the bottom in stages.
A single tatara is never used more than once, as it must be broken at the end of the smelting process in order to access the resulting tamahagane which forms at the bottom. For this reason, a tatara is always made of clay, which is then dried so it can be easily smashed later. After drying, it is fired from the bottom with a charcoal fire until an optimal temperature is reached before finally beginning the smelting process.
To begin smelting, ironsand is shoveled into the tatara every ten minutes. Charcoal is then added in between in order to supply the iron with vital carbon, so that the immense heat may harden them both into tamahagane over time. The mixture must also be turned over frequently as well. Each layer of iron-carbon mixture sinks to the bottom section of the tatara, known as the bed of fire, within about an hour each. This process is repeated and carried on for 72 hours, after which roughly 25 tons of ironsand are processed (1 ton of sand yields roughly 100 pounds of steel). As this is an ancient smelting method, it is truly old school - a team of skilled workers does this entirely by hand around the clock, making it a strenuous, exhausting, and sleepless procedure.
A defunct tatara in Shimane. Note the the series of holes along the bottom of the tub. These holes are connected through tubes to bellows on either side of the tatara, which blow air into the furnace to sustain the fire. Operating the tatara from start to finish required the combined efforts of about five to eight people.
After this process is done and all the iron has been entirely converted into tamahagane, it can start being collected. The tatara is subsequently demolished, and the still-hot accumulated raw steel is extracted from the bottom. The team must now inspect the tamahagane for impurities in order to judge whether the process was a success or not.
As mentioned before, tamahagane can be categorized into two grades: low-grade (akame satetsu) and high-grade (masa satetsu). A worker known as the murage decides how much of each type should be yielded during the process. Low-grade tamahagane is lacking in carbon and is thus a bit softer and grayish in color. The high-grade variety has a higher carbon content, and is thus harder, with a more lustrous appearance. It is important to use the right tamahagane so that the resulting sword is neither too soft nor too brittle.
Generally, the best tamahagane can be found along the sides of the tatara, where oxidation from the bellows has nurtured the steel to its best possible grade. After the chunks have been separated and evaluated, they are then shipped to various other facilities to be forged into various tools, most notably swords. The steel is now approaching its final stages of transformation, but there is still much to be done.
A collection of raw tamahagane chunks. The ones on the right are of a particularly higher grade, with a more tightly packed carbon arrangement. The ones in the middle have been re-smelted and have lost much of their carbonic integrity.
The various tamahagane chunks are heated by the swordsmith in a different furnace, and then repeatedly hammered into a collection of flat wafers. These fragments are then further scrutinized for purity, leaving only the best of the best sword steel behind. Even this far into the process, using steel chunks with improper carbon grades can result in an imperfect sword.
These wafers are then packed carefully atop the end of a smelting stick, covered in washi paper and a clay slurry to ensure adhesion, and then inserted into a forge at about 2,500 °F. This combines the steel wafers into a semi-molten chunk which can be hammered into different shapes. This hammering process further separates any imperfections from the tamahagane.
This hammering process also evenly distributes the carbon throughout the steel. It becomes clear that throughout the entire swordmaking process, from ironsand to blade, the material is rigorously stripped of impurities to make the final product as perfect as possible.
Tamahagane being hammered into a block shape. A joint is pierced into the middle of the steel, allowing it to be folded over. It is then hammered flat again, and then folded again. This process repeats until thousands of layers have been formed.
It is not solely the high-grade steel that must be made into the sword, however. As mentioned before, a sword that is too hard will chip and break very easily - not a very reliable weapon. Instead, some of that softer lower-grade steel from earlier is heated and then inserted in between the layers of high-carbon steel, resulting in a blade that is softer on the inside and harder on the outside. This soft steel core will give the sword good tensile strength and durability from breakage, while the harder exterior allows the blade to become very sharp and viable as a weapon.
Once the steel is hammered and flattened into a sword-like shape, just a few final steps are needed. The blade, which has not yet been hardened, is coated with a special clay paste - one side thin and the other thick.
This paste is meant to insulate the steel as it is hardened later. The coated blade is then inserted into the forge again, heated to a very precise temperature so as to not ruin the steel which, at this stage, has been so painstakingly folded and relieved of impurities. The final hardening process has to be just right.
The tamahagane can finally take on the familiar shape of a traditional katana. Even at this late stage, the steel is still hot and susceptible to further manipulation. Special clay paste is applied not long after this point.
Once the blade has been sufficiently heated, only one major step remains: quenching. The blade is quickly submerged in water, which rapidly cools the steel. The cutting edge of the blade, which was coated in the thinner layer of clay paste, hardens immediately and packs its carbon more tightly. This makes it harder, allowing the edge to become extraordinarily sharp. Meanwhile, the back portion of the blade hardens more slowly, and thus becomes more durable. This differential heat application and carbon structure along either side of the blade creates the iconic light-and-dark wavy pattern across its length, known as a hamon.
The sword is then sharpened and polished, fitted with a handle and handguard known as a tsuba, in order to finally become a proper, finished sword. From the harvesting of ironsand to the completion of the blade, anywhere from fifteen to eighteen months have passed.
A hamon pattern. The lighter, higher-carbon steel comprises the sharp and precise cutting edge. The darker, softer steel provides a ductile sword body to prevent breakage. Underneath are countless steel layers for added strength.
Suffice it to say, this long and arduous swordmaking process was not discovered by accident. It took centuries to perfect, only held together by the passing down of techniques from generation to generation. Today, tamahagane steel is made only a few times a year, and only sold to a dwindling few licensed smiths as a way of preserving this aspect of Japanese culture.
Pieces of tamahagane at different stages of completion. Swordmaking is a process only certain talented and licensed individuals are certified to undertake.
And what about kitchen knives? Is tamahagane used in kitchen cutlery rather than solely for swords? Japan no longer engages in feudal sword combat, so naturally one might expect this steel to be put to use in other applications. However, the craft so far has been largely limited to swords as a way of honoring and preserving old Japanese culture - while they can still cut and maim, they are now simply works of art and mementos to an ages-old heritage. Even today, the katana persists as an iconic symbol of Japanese culture in both media and the real world, known far and wide beyond its island borders.
As a steel, tamahagane works extremely well in metal tools in addition to swords. Its hard, sharp edge resists dulling, yet the rest of the body is soft enough to make maintenance easy. It even has good protection against rusting - these properties truly make it something of a "goldilocks" steel.
So if tamahagane is so widely appreciated, why is it so hard to find kitchen knives made from it? The simple answer is that very few places in Japan produce tamahagane now. Due to the sheer scarcity of its production, as well as the fact that processing it is a long, difficult, and expensive venture, it is currently being prioritized solely for swords for the aforementioned cultural preservation. There is simply not enough to go around, and certainly not enough for the mass production of kitchen knives. To turn a profit at this scale, the knives would need to be quite simple to manufacture, which they are certainly not.
Yet, tamahagane chef’s knives do exist, but they are extremely rare. Only certain makers produce them, and yet they only comprise a small fraction of their usual inventory. And because they are so rare, they are immensely expensive, and are usually only sold on auction. Even in high-end Japanese knife stores, finding a tamahagane knife is virtually impossible.
A 260mm tamahagane gyuto chef’s knife made by Swedish-Japanese swordsmith Yasha Yukawa. The handle is made of blue-dyed snakeskin and a sycamore wood core, with a black titanium ferrule and dagger-style endcap.
However, something like the invisible hand of the market is not enough to stop the likes of us here at Seisuke Knife. We are aiming to acquire some genuine tamahagane knives in the future, so stay tuned for that!
If you enjoy this sort of content, please consider signing up for our newsletter. It’s a great way to stay alerted to new inventory items, sales, events, and more. Be sure to follow us on social media as well!
—
Japan is famous for lots of things, and whether it be swords or kitchen cutlery, it is well known that the archipelago has a deep, rich history in blade-making going back thousands of years. Today, Japanese knives are heralded for their quality, longevity, and cultural depth. But it was not always smooth sailing for the Japanese knife industry, and in this post we will be looking at how various knife craftsmen came together to forge a lasting traditional legacy in the modern era.
Approximately 700 years ago, according to legend, a traveling knife smith from Kyoto named Kuniyasu Chiyozuru happened upon Takefu, a small remote village situated in what is now Fukui Prefecture in central Japan. He was on a journey to refine his craft, searching for good knife-making resources.
“Fukui Bridge in Echizen Province” by Katsushika Hokusai, circa 1830.
Chiyozuru ended up staying in the village, making swords and sickles to sell to farmers. His expertly-made products grew quite popular among local merchants and peddlers, who exported them to neighboring areas. Each time these merchants returned to the village, they brought with them more orders for Chiyozuru’s work.
Over the centuries, the region grew to become Japan’s number one knife-making powerhouse, with the village eventually merging with a neighboring town to become the city of Echizen. Fukui, as well as nearby Gifu, established themselves as the homes of today’s various world-famous knife-producing companies and craftsmen, such as Yu Kurosaki. Indeed, the city of Echizen is iconic to most Japanese knife aficionados today.
The Japanese knife industry weathered countless periods of conflict and social upheaval in the Japanese archipelago. Even under the specter of two World Wars, the industry pressed on, thriving well into the latter half of the 20th century.
However, young Echizen knife smiths of the day like the renowned Katsushige Anryu, Hideo Kitaoka, Hiroshi Kato, and Takeshi Saji, all in their 20s and 30s at the time, saw a problem.
As the mass of production of factory-made, cheaply produced stainless steel knives began to grip the market in the 1970s, local makers and smaller, family-owned knife companies who relied on slow, traditional knife-making techniques soon began to struggle and go out of business. Various other local specialties, like traditional Echizen pottery for example, which goes back over 850 years, struggled to fit into the modern consumer era as well.
Traditional Echizen pottery shop in Fukui. Businesses like these had to get creative throughout the 1970s in order to attract talented artisans and to formulate ways to preserve their old craft for future generations.
It became imperative to the young knife craftsmen, who were still in their prime, to solve the problems of declining sales, a shortage of available talent, and to ensure the continuation of their aging predecessor’s legacies.
After years of consideration and often heated debate between the young knife smiths on how to tackle these issues, they came into contact with famed industrial designer Kazuo Kawasaki, who happened to be from Fukui as well.
Kawasaki was well known for his talent in both architectural and product design. In fact, he would eventually go on to serve as design director for Apple in the early 1990s. For the Echizen knife smiths, meeting Kawasaki was a crucial step in rejuvenating their knife-making community, as he would assist them in bringing modern consumer appeal to their work.
The first major step was to establish a shared brand for themselves; together, the Echizen knife smiths formed the TAKEFU KNIFE VILLAGE name, honoring their community’s history and unifying their amalgamation of companies under a single identity.
At the same time, they spent countless hours together brainstorming and designing potential new knife designs to spearhead the success of their new brand. They strove to win the hearts of consumers and show not just Japan, but the rest of the world, the beauty and benefits of traditional Japanese kitchen knives.
A display of various specialized knife styles at Takefu Knife Village.
After over a year of harrowing anticipation, the knife smiths got their first lucky break after holding product exhibitions in Tokyo and New York, which were very well received. These experiences helped in blueprinting their subsequent product lines for years to come. After making a solid first impression in the market, they decided they needed a central base for them to operate from.
With invaluable planning and assistance from Kawasaki, the knife smiths constructed a knife workshop complex in the Echizen countryside, which would galvanize the look and feel of their brand. TAKEFU KNIFE VILLAGE was truly starting to take shape, and the goals of the young craftsmen were gradually being realized. The visually striking, rustic facility has become an iconic embodiment of the tireless work ethic taken on by generations of knife-makers who seek to preserve their unique, ages-old culture.
Takefu Knife Village as it appears today. This complex has served as a knife-producing workshop for many traditional knife craftsmen.
As of 2022, Takefu Knife Village is a booming knife producing hotspot, with a number of its original founders as well as their apprentices still putting in the same painstaking, dedicated quality into their knives just as they did all those years ago. Makers currently extant in the Village include Anryu Knives, Kitaoka Knives, Kato Knife Manufacturing Inc., Saji Knives, and Kurosaki Knives.
We at Seisuke are fortunate enough to have a splendid relationship with these talented makers, and to have their high-quality products available for purchase on our website! You may find our catalog of their work under the "Knives" and "Brands" drop-menus.
A knife craftsman at work at Takefu Knife Village.
Interested in seeing and handle these traditional handcrafted knives for yourself? We encourage you to stop by the Village someday, or to drop by our shop in Portland and have a gander!
]]>Hi everyone! This week, we’ll be discussing the differences between two distinct styles of Japanese knife: the santoku and the nakiri, pictured below.
A Santoku (left) and a nakiri (right).
To put it simply, the santoku is an all-purpose kitchen knife, while the nakiri is specifically made for chopping vegetables. A good way to distinguish between the two is to simply look at their profiles; a santoku is shaped more like how most people expect a “knife” to look. Its spine curves down and meets the semi-flat edge to form the tip. A nakiri, on the other hand, is rectangular, with a spine that runs parallel to the knife’s edge, and has no pointed tip.
Those are the cursory differences in a nutshell, but there are far more to these knives than meets the eye. Let’s take a more detailed look at them, shall we? Let’s start with the all-purpose knife: the santoku.
First things first: the name santoku. As you might have guessed, santoku is a Japanese word, meaning “three virtues” or “three uses,” referring to its multitude of applications: cutting, slicing, and chopping, or alternatively, meat, fish, and vegetables.
To the untrained eye, a santoku knife is identical to another similar knife: the gyuto. As they are both all-purpose kitchen knives, the two are understandably mixed up.
Can you spot the difference at a glance?
As you can see, the spine of a santoku descends at a steeper angle towards the tip, forming what’s called a “sheep’s foot” tip. The edge is also a bit straighter than the gyuto’s, making it better suited for vertical push-cut motions.
But enough about the gyuto! Between the santoku and the nakiri, which should you get? Well, that depends on what your intended uses are. If your sole focus is on chopping vegetables with increased ease and precision, a nakiri may be a better choice. But if you want a general-purpose knife that can cut all sorts of things, including vegetables, a santoku is a better investment.
Like santoku, nakiri is also a Japanese word, meaning “greens cutter.” In the olden days of Japan, this knife was commonly found in household kitchens. To this day, it’s still held in high regard, especially by professionals.
The most striking feature of the nakiri is its rectangular profile, which of course has a function. The flat edge is suitable for repetitive chopping motions that will make full, parallel contact with the cutting board, providing a clean and consistent cutting rhythm as you work through those greens.
Nakiri knives come in a wide variety of different aesthetic styles.
As I mentioned, if your goal is to cut vegetables specifically, a nakiri is the more effective option. For the same reason you might buy running shoes if you plan on doing a lot of running, buying the right knife for the right cutting goal in mind will help you work more effectively.
A similar knife to the nakiri is called an usuba. Like the nakiri, it is also highly suited to cutting vegetables. The main differences are that while the nakiri is double-bevel (meaning the edge has been sharpened from both sides), the usuba is generally single-bevel (one side remains flat/concave). The single bevel and hence thinner edge of the usuba allows for slicing veggies like a cucumber or daikon into more precise, fine sheets.
By now, I’ve hopefully helped you identify key differences between the santoku and nakiri. To sum it all up, a santoku will work for general cutting in addition to veggies, while a nakiri, being specifically designed for greens, will maximize your veggie-cutting ability.
That’s it for this one!
-Jun
]]>Welcome to the first of our periodic Seisuke Knife informational blog posts! My name is Jun, and here we’ll be discussing a wide range of knife-related topics. This week, we’ll be going over the ins and outs of selecting your first Japanese kitchen knife.
Considering the numerous different qualities that go into each knife out there, choosing your first one can feel quite daunting. Luckily, we’re here to help make that process much easier. Let’s begin!
Plain and simple, all knives have a single purpose: to cut things. However, if you can narrow down exactly what types of things you’d like to cut, you’ll be able to find a knife style more suited for that particular job. Not only will using the right tool for the right job make you more efficient, but it will also make food prep a lot safer, as you will be performing actions as designed by your blade (remember, safety first!)
For example, if you’re looking for a good vegetable cutter, a nakiri or usuba would be a great choice. Maybe you only need a knife for small, delicate work like peeling and garnish prep; try a petty knife. If you’d like to make some beautiful meat cuts, a sujihiki might be right up your alley. Or perhaps you just want a solid, reliable knife that can perform any general task; look no further than a gyuto or santoku chef’s knife. The Seisuke Knife website offers a neat, filterable catalog of each style along with their applications!
In descending order: nakiri, gyuto, and petty.
Now that you’ve narrowed down the type of knife that you’re looking for, the next step is selecting which of two steel types is better for your purposes, and how it might affect your knife experience.
There are generally two categories of steel types that Japanese kitchen knives are forged with: stainless steel and high-carbon steel. They both have their pros and cons, but whichever you choose is also dependent on a mix of personal preference and the type of work you’ll be doing with your knife. Let’s take a look at their differences!
STAINLESS STEEL
You’ve probably seen this stuff everywhere; stainless steel cookware, surgical tools, parts of buildings, etc. Of course, it’s good for knives too. Stainless steel contains elemental properties that give it resistance to staining and rusting. While the carbon content can vary depending on the specific stainless steel, in general they are softer than high-carbon steel, making them easier to maintain. However, their softness also means they will lose their edge more quickly, thus requiring more frequent sharpening. Due to their trusty durability and easier maintenance, stainless steels make for good entry-level knives, and are great for those who just want a simple but robust knife experience for general kitchen use.
HIGH-CARBON STEEL
High-carbon steels, as their name suggests, contain more carbon in their molecular makeup. They are built to last, holding a sharp, formidable edge for longer stretches of time, assuming they are cared for and stored properly. Because they lack chromium and other elements present in stainless steels, they are prone to rusting. Their high levels of hardness, owing to their high-carbon content, also makes them more brittle and susceptible to chipping. With the right care and proper use, high-carbon steel knives serve their users incredibly well, and are especially liked by industry professionals and those who seek the utmost precision in their cutting work.
A high-carbon steel knife (left) and stainless steel knife (right). Stainless steel knives contain chromium, which gives them their corrosion-resistant properties and a generally shinier look!
That’s a lot to take in, so let’s look at these steels side-by-side and review their pros and cons:
STAINLESS STEEL |
HIGH-CARBON STEEL |
PROS Easier to maintain Rust resistant More durable overall CONS Limited sharpness Shorter edge retention More frequent sharpening necessary |
PROS Sharper edge Longer edge retention Less frequent sharpening needed CONS Higher maintenance Prone to rusting Brittle, can chip |
What this ultimately comes down to is personal preference! For a low-maintenance, more forgiving, and more beginner-friendly knife experience, stainless steel is an excellent choice. For someone who feels comfortable with a more intensive level of knife care and maintenance, high-carbon steel can be very rewarding. Either way, with the right usage and care, both steel types can perform phenomenally.
Now that you’ve determined your knife style and steel type, the next step is figuring out which handle you like the most. In Japanese kitchen knives, there are generally two handle types: Western-style and Japanese-style (also known as yo- and wa-handles, respectively). The two types are pictured below this section!
Western-style handles have a curvy, asymmetrical profile and metal rivets. They also tend to be weightier due to their full tang, meaning the part of the blade that resides within the handle runs all the way through it. While handle choice simply comes down to personal preference, Western-style handles are widely praised for their ergonomics, as their curvature is made to fit peoples’ hands more naturally.
Japanese-style handles are symmetrical and more cylindrical than Western-style handles, with some sporting a distinct ferrule just before the blade. These handles are typically half tang; that is, the blademetal within the handle only runs about halfway through. This makes for a lighter knife overall, with weight situated more towards the blade tip.
As I’ve said earlier, whichever handle you pick depends entirely on your own personal preference, style, sense of comfort, and so forth. Many love the hefty, strong feeling of a Western-style handle while others prefer the lighter, more graceful experience offered by a Japanese-style handle. Both handles come in a variety of wood types like oak, elm, magnolia, mahogany, and many more.
Western-style handle (left) and a Japanese-style handle (right). Octagonal/oval shapes are common with the latter.
After finalizing your decision, you should also consider what sort of storage would be best for your new knife in order to extend its longevity and prevent damage or accidents. If you purchase from Seisuke, the box that comes with your knife will serve as an adequate short-term storage device. A sheath, also known as a saya, is even better if you want something durable and less cumbersome than a box. A saya also comes with a pin to prevent the knife from falling out. A knife rack, knife block, or even a magnetic rack are also great options for kitchen settings. Whichever way you go about it, the main idea is to keep the knife away from places where it may clatter against other objects. A hidden knife might hurt someone rummaging through a cabinet, too! For high-carbon steel knives, storing it in a moisture-free area is also important to prevent oxidation.
Knives fit snugly into a saya with a holding pin.
Knife racks can make for easier knife access and also make for neat displays!
I have hopefully, by the end of this entry, made the knife-selection process more approachable and easy! Let's quickly review each step:
1. Select a knife style suited to the type of work you'll be doing.
2. Determine which steel type is more suitable to your preferences.
3. Figure out which handle-style you like the most.
4. Consider a storage device to protect your knife.
By following these steps, you'll ensure that you are picking the right knife for you!
-Jun
]]>
Stainless or non-stainless that is the question.
We usually break down steel types into two categories - Stainless Steels & Non-Stainless, or High Carbon Steels. It's what they say on the tin: stainless steels contain properties that allow them to be stain resistant and unlikely to rust. High carbon steels, as the name implies, have a larger ratio of carbons to allow for better sharpness and edge retention, though leave the blade prone to rusting and chipping.
Generally, stainless steels are easier to maintain and are softer and more durable. High carbon steels require more care due to their ability to easily rust and chip, but can also achieve a sharper edge for a longer period of time.
Stainless steels are very good at resisting the formation of rust and preventing discoloration. This does not mean that this will never happen though, if a stainless steel is mistreated it will rust. Some stainless steels will also discolor more easily than others. To do this, chromium is added to the steel to give it the stainless property. The higher the amount of chromium the more stainless a steel will become, at the cost of increasing the grain size.
Today, with the advancement in steel technology, there are many high quality stainless steels that have a very fine grain structure and will compare and even go beyond some of the properties of non-stainless steels.
Non-stainless steel, also referred to as high carbon steel, will rust if not properly cared for and is guaranteed to discolor over time. These steels will have a very fine grain structure and will typically be less prone to chipping compared to a stainless steel of equal hardness.
Many people love these steels because of these properties as well as appreciating the unique patina that will develop on the blade. The patina is the discoloration that happens and can come in a range of colors. Most likely you will get a dark greyish to blackish patina from general kitchen use. This will also help the blade resist rusting after it forms, so developing a good patina across the entire blade is very beneficial.
Note: The term high carbon refers to a steel that has a carbon content above .55% and most steels, including stainless steels, now have a carbon content of .55%.