Santoku

The Gen series is a stainless-clad VG10 knife made in Seki, and happens to be a very enjoyable version of VG10 to use and sharpen. The d-shaped handle is right-handed and made of pakkawood with a stainless insert at the top that helps prevent water from getting into the handle without overlapping the ferrule and increase the resistance to bending at the handle. The fit and finish on this series is very nice, and the kurouchi hammered damascus aesthetic is excellent. They are relatively thin, and yet still retain decent toughness and durability. We think they will work well for both home cooks and working professionals alike. The boxes are also very nice and are made in the “shihouchitsu” style, with clasps to hold the box closed.

The Gen series is a stainless-clad VG10 knife made in Seki, and happens to be a very enjoyable version of VG10 to use and sharpen. The d-shaped handle is right-handed and made of pakkawood with a stainless insert at the top that helps prevent water from getting into the handle without overlapping the ferrule and increase the resistance to bending at the handle. The fit and finish on this series is very nice, and the kurouchi hammered damascus aesthetic is excellent. They are relatively thin, and yet still retain decent toughness and durability. We think they will work well for both home cooks and working professionals alike. The boxes are also very nice and are made in the “shihouchitsu” style, with clasps to hold the box closed.

Tsukasa Hinoura is the third generation of blacksmiths carrying on the Ajikataya brand, working with his son Mutsumi-san. Hinoura-san is well known for the quality of his work, especially his "Tsukasa" line. We brought in this line so that more people could try Hinoura-san's work. Moreover, whenever we get a chance, we do our best to support young craftsmen, such as his son.

Hinoura-san's heat treatment is top notch, and his style reflects a lot of the regional attributes. These knives have an exceptional distal taper, and wonderful wide bevel, which facilitates thinning and sharpening.

Tsukasa Hinoura is the third generation of blacksmiths carrying on the Ajikataya brand, working with his son Mutsumi-san. Hinoura-san is well known for the quality of his work, especially his "Tsukasa" line. We brought in this line so that more people could try Hinoura-san's work. Moreover, whenever we get a chance, we do our best to support young craftsmen, such as his son.

Hinoura-san's heat treatment is top notch, and his style reflects a lot of the regional attributes. These knives have an exceptional distal taper, and wonderful wide bevel, which facilitates thinning and sharpening.

The Kochi line is exclusive to Japanese Knife Imports.  These knives have a great in-hand feel... not too heavy, but not super light.  Near the spine they seem to be more substantial, however, behind the edge, the are EXTREMELY thin.  They are awesome cutters.  Near the heel, they have a nice flat spot, and towards the tip, a gentle curve.  The octagon burnt chestnut handles are very comfortable and retain grip very well when wet.  These are carbon knives, so they will need to be cared for as such.  They can rust if left wet and/or dirty and will develop a patina over time.  The cladding on these knives is reactive, but not as reactive as many I have seen.

When I began testing this knife, I was really impressed with the cutting ability of these knives and how easy they were to sharpen.  We are very excited to introduce you to Kochi knives.

The Kochi line is an exclusive to Japanese Knife Imports.  These knives have a great in-hand feel... not too heavy, but not super light.  Near the spine they seems to be more substantial, however, behind the edge, the are very thin.  They are awesome cutters.  Near the heel, they have a nice flat spot, and towards the tip, a gentle curve.  The octagon burnt chestnut handles are very comfortable and retain grip very well when wet.  These are clad in stainless, but the core is carbon, so they will need to be cared for as such.  The exposed carbon core can rust if left wet and/or dirty and will develop a patina over time. 

Though we are not sharing the exact steel, the core steel is a very pure, high carbon steel with a very fine grain structure.  It sharpens very easily and takes an amazing edge.

These White #1 knives are amazingly thin. They feature a wide bevel design and kurouchi finish. There’s a stark visual contrast between the upper section of the knife and the polished bevels. The spine and choil are also nicely faceted to provide some comfort. As with most wide bevel knives, these should have great food release, but will be slightly more prone to wedging in taller/denser foods. However, in this case, that is quite well balanced by the knives being so thin.

The Tangetsu series is made in Sakai. The sharpener has selected blacksmiths with whom he feels comfortable working with. He is a 3rd generation sharpener, and focuses on double bevel knives. We met some years ago, through an introduction by a good mutual friend. Our friend thought I might be interested in the knives this craftsman was making, and that he happened to be on the younger side of craftsmen in the area was an added bonus. This is the result of a couple of years of conversations, but I think you will be as happy with this series as we are.

This is a carbon steel knife and requires care to manage oxidization, including rust. Its also on the thinner and harder side of things, and may be brittle for users not accustomed to Japanese knives.

Yoshimi Echizen knives are designed, forged, and sharpened in one workshop; closely handled and overseen by certified craftsmen in Echizen. They are committed to great quality and inherit and pass down knife-making philosophy and skill-set. This brand is a great example of craftsmanship from Echizen.

These knives have an excellent profile, grind, and distal taper, as well as clean fit and finish. Both the kurouchi and migaki models are clad in stainless steel. The stainless cladding reduces the reactive surface area of the knives to the few millimeters in between the cutting edge and lamination line.

The core is Blue Super carbon steel and clad in a kurouchi stainless steel. This model will have better edge retention and corrosion resistance than the White #2 model. Conversely, it will not get quite as sharp, will be more time-consuming to sharpen, and will be a bit more brittle than the White #2 model.  They are also a tiny bit thicker at the spine than the White #2.

Recently, the maker has decided to rebrand as Yoshimi Echizen to be more consistent with their brand and company name.  In this transitional period, you may see knives with different markings on the box and different engravings on the knife.