Japanese Knives Buying Guide

Gyuto – Chef’s Knife

If you are looking for a multipurpose knife, this chef’s knife is the one for you. It can be used for a wide range of different culinary tasks and can be used to chop meats, fish, fruits and vegetables.

Featuring a slightly curved blade, you can rock this knife in a backward and forward motion. This makes it perfect for dicing, chopping and slicing a variety of ingredients. It also has a sharp pointed tip that makes it easy to cut in small spaces. If you are a beginner and need one quality knife to begin your collection, the Gyuto (Chef’s Knife) is a great place to start.

Santoku – Multipurpose Knife

For those looking for a knife with versatility, the Santoku knife is a great choice. If you are wondering what the main difference is between the Santoku knife and the Gyoto knife, it would probably be the blade shape. With a straight or slightly curved cutting edge, it is slightly less suited to the rocking chopping motion of the chef's knife.

Similar to the Gyoto knife, the Santoku knife is another great option for beginners or amateur chefs. Use it to chop, slice or dice with ease and efficiency.

Nakiri – Vegetable Knife

As the name suggests, the Nakiri knife is primarily used for cutting vegetables. With a straight, symmetrical edge, this Japanese knife is more specialised for vegetables alone.

Petty – Paring Knife

If you need a knife for peeling and cutting vegetables, a paring knife is your match made in heaven. It is considered a smaller Japanese utility knife, with a short blade that makes it ideal for precise knife work and thin slicing.

Deba – Butcher Knife

Traditionally, the Deba knife was used for cutting and filleting fish. These days, you’ll find that this butcher knife is also used for other meats and poultry. When you hold it in your hand, you’ll notice that it is rather heavy, with a thick wide blade and pointed tip.

Sujihiki – Carving Knife

The Sujihiki carving knife is thin and elongated, designed for slicing raw or cooked protein. Some prime examples include trimming fat off meat or finely slicing, skinning or filleting fish. Because the blade is so long, you can easily cut the meat in one fluid motion.

Usuba – Professional vegetable knife

If you are a professional chef, you may want a knife that can create paper-thin slices and decorative vegetable carvings. The main difference between the Nakiri knife and the Usuba knife is that the Usuba has a single bevel blade whilst the Nakiri has a double bevel blade. The Usuba is best for those with excellent knife skills, working in a professional setting.

How to care for Japanese knives

Once you have purchased your brand-new Japanese knife set, the last thing you want is for them to become rusty, damaged, blunt or unusable. To avoid this less-than-ideal outcome, you’ll want to make sure you are looking after your knives every step of the way. Here’s how:

Hand-wash and dry your Japanese knives

Whatever you do, do not put your new knives in the dishwasher. Dishwashers can cause damage to your knife's edge, as they aren’t gentle enough. In particular, your knife may get knocked around, banging into other objects that damage the blade. Not to mention, the dishwashing liquid and lack of hand drying may lead to rust and corrosion.

Instead, choose to hand wash your Japanese knives and make sure to dry them with a soft cloth immediately afterward to avoid rust spots.

Store your Japanese knives correctly

Make sure to store your knives properly to keep them protected when not in use. A great way to keep them sharp and safe is to store them in a knife block or opt for a magnetic wall rack. If you aren’t a fan of either of those options, you should at least make sure the blade is covered in a sheath before you place it in your utensil drawer.

Sharpen your Japanese knives frequently and carefully

To keep the blade edge razor sharp, you should make the effort to sharpen your knives regularly. Make sure you’re only using the highest quality knife sharpener or whetstone, as you don’t want to end up damaging the blade in the process.

Keeping your knife sharp is not only beneficial for efficient, easy slicing – but it also makes chopping a lot safer. A blunt knife can lead to accidents, so it pays to be aware of safe knife-handling practices.

Use your Japanese knives properly

There are a few things to consider when trying to keep your Japanese knives in good condition:

• Don’t scrape your knife across your cutting board with the sharp side down – unless you want to blunt your knife edge. This one is pretty self-explanatory but extremely important.
• Ensure you are chopping on a quality wooden chopping board that won’t damage your knife.
• Avoid using your Japanese knives to cut anything other than food. This means no slashing of packagings such as plastic or cardboard!

Tips for finding the best Japanese knife for you

With so many different knives to choose from, figuring out which knife you need can be a little daunting. To make it a little easier, we have created a checklist that can help you with making your final decision.

Determine what kind of food you like to cook frequently

The first step is choosing a knife that you’ll get a lot of use out of. For example, if you are an avid fisherman, you may want to invest in a quality filleting knife like the Deba Butcher Knife. However, if you are a steadfast vegetarian, the Nakiri Vegetable Knife is probably a good choice.

If this is your first Japanese knife, you may want to opt for the Santoku knife or Gyoto knife, as they can be used for a wide variety of different foods.

Determine whether you are a beginner or advanced chef

If you are a professional chef, you may want to opt for some more specialised knives to add to your collection. For instance, the Usuba knife is best suited to professionals. Similarly, the Sujihiki knife is a rather specialised carving knife that can be used for extremely precise work.

As we mentioned prior, the Gyoto Chef’s Knife and Santoku Knife are best suited for beginners looking for a high-quality multi-purpose knife.

Consider what kind of knives you have used in the past

When choosing which Japanese knife you want to purchase, you’ll want to think about knives you have purchased in the past that you liked. Take a second to think about the shape, the weight and the blade length. If you are extremely comfortable using a particular type of knife, your best bet is to get something similar to replace it.

The range of Japanese Knives at Laine Home

At Laine Home, we have a wide range of Japanese Knives that you’ll love. Here are a few of our favourites that we stock:

• Miyabi Kitchen Knives
• Furi Knives
• Zwilling Knive