The ChefSteps Knife Collection

We’ve partnered with blade sage Daniel O’Malley—owner of the epic knife emporium the Epicurean Edge—to bring you this curated selection of handcrafted Japanese knives. 

 

O’Malley is a tried-and-true expert on selecting and maintaining the world’s best chopping-and-slicing tools. At Epicurean Edge, O’Malley sells hand-crafted tools from the best bladesmiths in the world, teaches classes on sharpening, and also sharpens and shapes his customers’ collections.

 

Knives are, without a doubt, our most important tools in the kitchen. If you want them to last a lifetime, you need to treat them right. Check out the knife sharpening class to learn how—through video demos and clever tips and tricks, O’Malley walks us through the theory and technique of sharpening knives using Japanese waterstones, those badass little blocks that master bladesmiths have used for hundreds of years.

Types of Knives

We are featuring these four essential kinds of Japanese knives.

Gyuto (chef’s knife)
Gyuto (chef’s knife)

Modeled after the French pattern chef’s knife, Gyutos are long and slim. The elongated blade makes this an ideal knife for creating the sawing motion necessary for cleanly cut meat, and it’s specially crafted to allow plenty of finger clearance—particularly helpful when you’re working over a cutting board.

Petty (paring)
Petty (paring)

Utility knives are excellent for tasks that require delicate slicing and a lot of dexterity. This workhorse will always come in handy when you need to slice up meats, vegetables, and fruit.

Sujihiki (slicer)
Sujihiki (slicer)

It takes a very precise knife to create perfect sushi and sashimi. With a thin, long blade that ensures a remarkably clean cut, these extremely sharp carving knives are well suited for slicing and portioning meats and fish.

Nakiri (veggie)
Nakiri (veggie)

The nakiri usuba is a traditional Japanese knife shape ideal for chopping fruit and vegetables. The edge is double beveled, like a Western knife. Though sometimes called a vegetable cleaver, the thin edge geometry makes it a precision tool, rather than a Japanese equivalent to meat cleavers.

Meet the Makers
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Akifusa

Akifusa is considered one of the top-shelf knife makers in the world. Their knives range from ones suited to home cooks to professional chefs to those who collect extraordinary knifes as artwork. The passion for quality at Akifusa means they have incredible aesthetic sensibilities and a drive to create knives that are durable, sharp, and have a long edge life. These knives are made by Akifusa’s knife-making partners in blacksmithing workshops across Japan.

Tadafusa
Tadafusa

Tadafusa knives have been manufactured in Sanjo, Japan since 1948. But the town has been known for its hardware production since 1681. Blacksmiths have settled in Sanjo for centuries now to make knives, sickles, saws, and then kitchen knives. Every knife is made by hand through every step of the process, from making the blades out of hard steel, coating them with stainless steel, and finishing them with a handle of semi-charcoaled chestnut wood. Some of their latest lines have been designed by a female designer named Fumie Shibata, who has added the input of women cooks and chefs into the design of the knives.

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Akaishi

Akaishi knives are created in a small workshop in Shikoku, Japan. Craftsmen have produced hand-forged knives and garden tools on this small island for centuries. This line of knives produced by Akaishi is handmade by a 3rd-generation master craftsman, along with his team of a dozen knifemakers.

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Mutsumi Hinoura

One of Japan’s elite group of bladesmiths, Mutsumi Hinoura has become famous for his craftsmanship and ability to forge knives with excellent balance, sharpness, and a start beauty that speaks to Japan’s feudal past. The son of renowned bladesmith Tsukasa Hinoura, Mutsumi Hinoura lives in the Niigata region, which is well-known for its handmade cutlery experts and is home to many other expert makers.

Ohishi Aogami Tsuchimefusa
Ohishi Aogami Tsuchimefusa

Ohishi's Aogami Tsuchime knives feature a premium Super Blue (Aogami Super) carbon steel core surrounded by protective SUS410 stainless steel. Hammer finished (tsuchime), there is probably no finer combination of durability and “sharpen-ability” than Aogami Super steel. Exceedingly tough, long lasting, and with a chip-resistant edge, these knives are relatively easy to sharpen and care for.

Other Tools

KS-85 – MAC 8½" Kitchen Shears
KS-85 – MAC 8½" Kitchen Shears
These are ridiculously tough and come apart for easy cleaning. These are our favorite shears and essential in the kitchen.
$59.95
Sharpening Set
220 Grit Medium Ceramic Coarse Stone
1000 Grit Ohishi Waterstone
3000 Grit Ohishi Waterstone
Kitayama Super Polish Stone
Holder for Sharpening Stones
$239.95
Sharpening Set
Ceramic Honing Rod
Ceramic Honing Rod
Ceramic Rod – 12" Fine
Ceramic Rod Cleaner

Ceramic rods remove very little material when honing a blade to a razor edge, providing the best touch up possible between sharpening.
$39.95