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Knife Styles
• SUJIHIKI Japanese style double bevel slicing knife with a very thin blade. • GYUTO Japanese style double bevel chef knife with less curve than the European chef knife. Works well as an all purpose knife. • PETTY Japanese style paring knife with a longer more functional blade. A multi-purpose utility knife. • YANAGIBA Traditional Japanese single bevel fish slicing knife. • SAKIMARU TAKOBIKI Traditional Japanese single bevel fish slicing knife with a round tip. • DEBA Traditional Japanese single bevel fish butchering knife with a very thick blade. • USUBA Traditional Japanese single bevel vegetable knife with a flat edge profile. Kanto or Tokyo style has a square tip. • KAMAGATA USUBA Traditional Japanese single bevel vegetable knife with a flat edge profile. Kansai or Osaka style has a round / pointed tip. |
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Steel Types
• AO-KO (Blue Steel) White steel with added elements (tungsten and chromium) for added durabilty. Great edge retention. Does rust and corrode easily. • SHIRO-KO (White Steel) Very pure high carbon steel for the ultimate edge. Does rust and corrode easily. • GINSAN-KO (Stain Resistant) Carbon steel with more chromium added to the alloy. Does not tarnish or corrode like carbon steel but can take a razor sharp edge and hold it well. • GINICHI-KO (Stain Resistant) Similar to Ginsan-ko with more corrosion and wear resistance. • SWEDISH STAINLESS STEEL High quality stainless steel with great edge taking ability. • ZDP-189 STEEL High hardness powder tool steel with great durability and stain resistance. Prone to chipping but has great edge retention. |
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Blade Types
• KASUMI Kasumi knives are forge welded from hard steel (Hagane) and soft iron (Jigane). This is the traditional method of Sakai Uchi Hamono or Sakai forged blades. This gives a knife strength and flexibility while allowing the edge to stay very hard and sharp. Kasumi means "mist or haze" because of the dark appearance of the bevel with only the hard steel edge being shiny. Best for beginners or professionals. • HONYAKI Honyaki blades are true forged blades made entirely of hard steel (Hagane). A beautiful wavy line called "Hamon" is visible along the spine of the blade showing the different heat treatment on the knife. This allows the body of the blade to be less brittle while the edge remains very hard for a super sharp edge. These style blades hold an incredible edge for a very long time but are very difficult to sharpen. Best for professionals or experienced sharpeners. |
Japanese Knife Parts
Japanese Knife Angles
Whetstone Grits
• ARA-TOISHI (#140-700) - Rough stones are intended for experienced sharpeners as they are ideal for repairing damaged knives but can easily ruin a blade edge if improperly used. • NAKA-TOISHI (#800-2,000) - Medium stones are required for establishing an edge and for bringing up an even burr necessary for sharpening. Larger stones provide a wider sharpening area. • SHIAGE-TOISHI (#3,000-12,000+) - Fine and super fine stones will remove surface scratches created by the medium stone and will polish the edge to a mirror-finish. A fine stone is necessary to sharpen traditional Japanese blades. |
Certified Craftsman Sticker - Dento Kougeishi
The government of Japan recognizes certain craftsmen who are continuing traditional crafts at a high level of skill using traditional methods. In Sakai City there are very few certified masters of knife making left. Only those craftsmen can put the traditional craft sticker on their knives and only on those made entirely of traditional materials (i.e. carbon steel, natural wood, buffalo horn, etc...). CTS Knives™ is very honored to be working with some of these masters of knife making. |