Wooden handles: Maple burl vs Cherry wood
Before we can go into the details of each wood type, we must identify what makes wooden handles so good. So why opt for wooden…
What makes Japanese Kitchen Knives so good?
Japanese knives have become an essential kitchen tool for any chef or home cook. But what exactly is it that makes Japanese knives so good?…
Which Japanese kitchen knife is best for women?
When it comes to selecting a perfect Japanese knife for a woman, the truth is, there isn't a Japanese type of knife for a woman.…
What Japanese Knife To Buy?
Selecting the best Japanese kitchen knife for your needs Is it your first higher-end knife? If yes, then go for a a chef's knife, also…
Knife History – Forging Methods
A bit of a knife history... The city of Sakai is situated by the Osaka bay in Japan's main island. The foundations for knife making…
Four Knives Your Kitchen Just Can’t Live Without
Unlike several kitchen tasks, chopping, cutting, slicing and dicing is still mostly done by hand. While many of us have modernised our kitchens with high-tech…
Santoku Vs. Gyuto – What’s The Difference?
If you don't already own a Japanese kitchen knife, the exotic sounding names - gyuto, santoku, nakiri, sujihiki, deba etc. probably don't ring any bell.…
Guide: Best Kitchen Knives At Any Price Range
You should know by now that having a good kitchen knife is crucial to making cooking a pleasure, not a chore. Quality of food affects…
Ceramic Knives Vs. Steel Knives – Pros And Cons
You often ask us: how does a ceramic knife differ from a metal knife and which is better? Is ceramic knife better than a steel…
Getting Your First Japanese Kitchen Knife? Read This.
This guide is to help you select the best Japanese knife suitable for your needs. Japanese knives are famous for their beautiful and detailed design,…
Guide: How To Choose Your First Japanese Kitchen Knife
How To Choose The Best Japanese Kitchen Knife With so many shapes, sizes, steels, finishes and handle materials it can be overwhelming knowing what to…
Are Japanese Carving Knives As Good As The Western Ones?
Sujikihi knives The Sujihiki or Subihiki - as some also call them - is the Japanese version of the slicing Western knives. Sujihiki knives are…
Guide: Kitchen Knife Handle Types And Materials
Knife Handle Materials While you may already know everything about steel and different blade's components used in Japanese knives, we thought to also give a…
Tobacco, Portuguese & The Japanese Knives: The History Of Sakai Knives
What do the Portuguese and tobacco have in common with Sakai knife making a tradition in the Sakai region? More than you would think. Sakai,…
The Difference between Aogami #2 and Aogami Super Blue
The Queen of the steels - Aogami Blue Super (Hitachi Metals Ltd.) is one of the greatest Japanese Carbon Steels. In addition to containing more…
Steel Qualities Of Kitchen Knives – A Cheat Sheet
No more words than needed - today we're presenting you a quick cheat sheet to steel qualities of kitchen (and not only) knives and a…
What Is Yasugi Steel And What Makes It So Great?
Originally Yasugi (Yasuki) steel was made from the steel produced from sand iron at a plant in Yasugi City in Shimane perfecture. Tartara steel is…
What Is Rockwell Hardness (a.ka. HRC)?
Whenever possible, our knives are rated for how hard they are with what is called the Rockwell rating or measurement (HRC) of the steel. You…
Different Types of Kitchen Knives, What They’re Used For
As a dedicated cook or professional chef, it is not unusual to have big sets of more than a dozen different types of kitchen knives…
All About Cooking Knives
A coarse, dull cooking knife makes your kitchen efforts wasted and you struggle instead of enjoying the process of cooking. And that is definitely not the…
Japana Team Latest Trip To Takefu & Sakai – Japanese Knife Villages
When starting Japana we wanted more people in Europe to discover incredible sharpness and beauty of Japanese knives. Little that we knew how many obstacles…
Japanese Kitchen Knife Types And Styles
Although the art of blades-making has been long popular in Japan. The trend of manufacturing of highly specialised cooking knives became widespread only in the…
What’s the Difference Between German and Japanese Knives?
Whether Japanese, Swiss or German, each type of knife has been influenced by its culture. The Japanese believe in need of having a perfect tool…
Western Vs. Japanese Knife Types
The fundamental difference between Western style knives and their Japanese counterparts, is the fact, that the Western knife is sharpened on both sides of the…
Are Japanese Knives Worth Their Price?
While aesthetic definitely plays a part, it’s not only what can make Japanese knives so expensive. The high cost is a result of many factors: the…
Do I Need A Sashimi Or Yanagiba Knife For Sushi?
One thing that makes traditional Japanese knives different from Western ones is the fact that many types are honed only on one side; the right…
Shirogami (#1) & Aogami (#2) Steels – The Difference
In this article, we will explain the differences between Shirogami (also called #1 steel) and Aogami (also called #2 steel). The words Ao and Shiro mean…
Guide To The Best Knife Steel: VG10, Blue Steel And More
Whether you’re a professional kitchen chef or an amateur cook, Japanese knife you should pay particular attention to the type of steel used in the…
Knife steel composition chart
As an deeper analysis of our Guide to the Best Knife Steel, we’ve compiled the reference table below showing the most popular types of knife steel and…
The Difference Between A Single & A Double Edged Blade
In European tradition, knives are bevelled on both sides of the blade; coming to a point in the middle. In Japanese tradition, however, the bevel…
