Sashimi Style: Handmade Cutlery

We can think of no other culture, where the metalurgical arts play such a dominant role than in Japan. Ruminating on the history and the importance of the sword in Samuri lore, it’s no wonder that the ancient art of sword fabrication became interwoven with that of the chef knife. The oldest known Japanese chef knife is over 1200 years old but real craftsmanship for chef knives began to develop in the mid 19th Century and continued after World War Two, when General MacArther banned the production of swords. With many craftsman out of work, the Japanese soon turned their energy to making some of the best and most highly regarded cutlery known to man. The signature of any Japanese Chef Knife is its sharpness. To achieve this, the knives are razor sharp on one side and slightly concave on the reverse side. This makes delicate knife work easy and sharpening a breeze. Once you try a handmade, traditionally crafted Japanese chef knife, you’ll never go back. Our go-to source is Korin.