What It Takes to Make the Perfect Japanese Santoku Knives
A great Japanese santoku knife is like a copper cookware set — it’s
not like terrific cooking can’t be done without one, they just make
cooking that much better, easier, and more professional. Santoku knives
have become as popular as they are because they’re perfect for making
thinner, precise cuts of meat, fish, and vegetables. They are also known
for world-renowned craftsmanship. The 7-inch santoku from the Miyabi
Artisan 10 Piece Knife Block Set is the example that will be focused on
here as it’s a blend of traditional, artisanal Japanese knife-making and
modern material and technology.
The Japanese Santoku Blade-Forging Process
There are three famous, historical centers of bladesmithing in the Western world: Toledo, Spain; Sheffield, UK; and likely the most distinguished, Solingen, Germany—The City of Blades. For the Eastern world, there’s just one—Seki, Japan—where blades have been forged for samurai for generations. Miyabi’s knives are hand-forged in Seki using methods perfected over centuries, with the benefits of modern technology.
For instance, the blades themselves are layered SG2 micro-carbide powder steel, one of the finest and most durable in the world. The thin blade profile is initially forged at a great temperature, given a momentary quench at room temperature, and then ice-hardened at -196 degrees Celsius—the CRYODUR® method. The result is a blade that ranks a stunning 63 on the Rockwell hardness scale. That is among the strongest steel found in any knife, while retaining enough suppleness to preclude over-brittle.
The Traditional Japanese Sharpening and Finish
Every Miyabi Artisan santoku knife is honed to a razor’s edge (at least) with the traditional three-part “Honbazuke” honing method. It is first coarsely ground on a spinning sharpening stone, and the edge is then refined on a finer rotating sharpening stone. To lend it an incomparably sharp edge, the blade is then polished and finished with a hone on a leather stropping block. It is then that a santoku knife is imbued with a true samurai edge like a scalpel.
The Miyabi Artisan knives are also given a “Tsuchime” or hammered finish. The hammered effect of the finish gives the blade a contoured surface, contributing to its unique beauty and individuality. The finish is not purely an aesthetic touch, however. The contouring of the Tsuchime finish acts like the “hollow ground” divots now so common above the edge of many kitchen knives, which helps to prevent food from sticking to the blade.
The Iconic Santoku Knife Handle
The beautiful, hammered, scalpel-sharp, incredibly strong blades are seated in an artful and utilitarian handle. D-shaped for superior ergonomic comfort, the handle is made from cocobolo wood. Cocobolo is an extremely beautiful, aromatic, super-tough, water-resistant tropical hardwood prized as a component for knife (and gun) handles due to its toughness and water-resistance.
To increase the handle’s toughness further, the cocobolo is processed as “pakkawood.” Pakkawood is wood that’s undergone a process of pressing, sanding, and polishing, cocobolo in this case, and impregnating the wood with an epoxy that increases its strength and durability considerably. It is then set with high heat and pressure, ground to shape, sealed, and polished to a silky sheen. The result is a knife handle that can take anything the kitchen environment can dish out.
About CHEFS Catalog
Since their founding in 1979, CHEFS Catalog has provided the culinary world, amateur and professional, with the highest quality cookware and kitchen equipment available. CHEFS Catalog features an incredible selection of the most reliable and dependable kitchen solutions. That selection includes the finest cutlery, cookware sets, a top-tier saute pan line, bakeware, cooking appliances, recipes, advice, and much more. Originally a cookware catalog—with Julia Child featured on an early CHEFS Catalog cover—they launched a leading-edge e-commerce site in 2017 to further share the finest-quality cookware and culinary accessories with the world.
Sharpen your skills and hone the craft of a true gourmet with the help of CHEFS Catalog, at Chefscatalog.com
The Japanese Santoku Blade-Forging Process
There are three famous, historical centers of bladesmithing in the Western world: Toledo, Spain; Sheffield, UK; and likely the most distinguished, Solingen, Germany—The City of Blades. For the Eastern world, there’s just one—Seki, Japan—where blades have been forged for samurai for generations. Miyabi’s knives are hand-forged in Seki using methods perfected over centuries, with the benefits of modern technology.
For instance, the blades themselves are layered SG2 micro-carbide powder steel, one of the finest and most durable in the world. The thin blade profile is initially forged at a great temperature, given a momentary quench at room temperature, and then ice-hardened at -196 degrees Celsius—the CRYODUR® method. The result is a blade that ranks a stunning 63 on the Rockwell hardness scale. That is among the strongest steel found in any knife, while retaining enough suppleness to preclude over-brittle.
The Traditional Japanese Sharpening and Finish
Every Miyabi Artisan santoku knife is honed to a razor’s edge (at least) with the traditional three-part “Honbazuke” honing method. It is first coarsely ground on a spinning sharpening stone, and the edge is then refined on a finer rotating sharpening stone. To lend it an incomparably sharp edge, the blade is then polished and finished with a hone on a leather stropping block. It is then that a santoku knife is imbued with a true samurai edge like a scalpel.
The Miyabi Artisan knives are also given a “Tsuchime” or hammered finish. The hammered effect of the finish gives the blade a contoured surface, contributing to its unique beauty and individuality. The finish is not purely an aesthetic touch, however. The contouring of the Tsuchime finish acts like the “hollow ground” divots now so common above the edge of many kitchen knives, which helps to prevent food from sticking to the blade.
The Iconic Santoku Knife Handle
The beautiful, hammered, scalpel-sharp, incredibly strong blades are seated in an artful and utilitarian handle. D-shaped for superior ergonomic comfort, the handle is made from cocobolo wood. Cocobolo is an extremely beautiful, aromatic, super-tough, water-resistant tropical hardwood prized as a component for knife (and gun) handles due to its toughness and water-resistance.
To increase the handle’s toughness further, the cocobolo is processed as “pakkawood.” Pakkawood is wood that’s undergone a process of pressing, sanding, and polishing, cocobolo in this case, and impregnating the wood with an epoxy that increases its strength and durability considerably. It is then set with high heat and pressure, ground to shape, sealed, and polished to a silky sheen. The result is a knife handle that can take anything the kitchen environment can dish out.
About CHEFS Catalog
Since their founding in 1979, CHEFS Catalog has provided the culinary world, amateur and professional, with the highest quality cookware and kitchen equipment available. CHEFS Catalog features an incredible selection of the most reliable and dependable kitchen solutions. That selection includes the finest cutlery, cookware sets, a top-tier saute pan line, bakeware, cooking appliances, recipes, advice, and much more. Originally a cookware catalog—with Julia Child featured on an early CHEFS Catalog cover—they launched a leading-edge e-commerce site in 2017 to further share the finest-quality cookware and culinary accessories with the world.
Sharpen your skills and hone the craft of a true gourmet with the help of CHEFS Catalog, at Chefscatalog.com
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