Aogami – Japanese term for a type of Japanese high-carbon steel (Hagane), manufactured by Hitachi Metals Ltd. Graded at Blue Steel #1, Blue Steel #2, and Blue Super. Named for the blue paper put on the steel at Hitachi factory. Commonly used for Honyaki knives.
AUS-10 – A very common, tested and tried stainless steel for kitchen knives. Is a great introduction steel to Japanese knives, in which, it is easy to sharpen, very durable, rust resistant, and is usually reasonably priced.
Blue Steel #1 – It is called Aogami #1 (Aogami translates to blue) and it also can be called blue paper #1. Some people think that the blue is the color of the steel but this is not true. The steel has been wrapped in blue colored paper for decades and this is why it’s called blue.
Blue Steel #2 – Blue Steel No.2 (Hitachi Metals Ltd.) is made by adding Chromium and Tungsten / Wolfram to White Steel No.2. This results in increased toughness and the production of hard carbide molecules which improve edge retention. Many knife users have noted that while Blue Steel No.2 is very similar to White Steel No.2 in terms of edge sharpness, it has slightly superior edge retention.
Blue Super – Aogami Super Blue steel is considered to be the best carbon steel for knife making if you want insanely sharp knives. Japanese steels are commonly known by the colour that the label wrapped around the steel happens to be (white, blue, super blue). In this case it’s super blue steel, also known as Aogami Super Blue.
Bocho – Japanese term for “knife”. Pronounced Bōchō and written in Japanese as 包丁. Usually added as a suffix following the name of a type of knife (e.g. Deba Bōchō). Also called Hocho.
Brunoise – a mixture of finely diced vegetables fried in butter and used to flavour soups and sauces.
Burr – Is a (plastic like) deformation of metal at the apex of the cutting edge. In other words, the burr is a small fold of metal on the other side of the edge you are grinding.
Cai Dao – A Chinese vegetable cleaver, often regarded as the Chinese chef’s knife due to its multi-functional use in a Chinese kitchen. The Cai Dao is the original inspiration of the Chukabocho knife.
Carbon Steel – A popular material for making the blade of a Japanese knife, due to its ability to hold an extremely sharp edge. Carbon steel is made through the process of adding carbon to steel made from iron ore.
Double Bevel – Refers to a knife blade that is ground (sharpened) on both sides, usually at a ratio of 50:50 on each side of the blade for most Western-style knives. Commonly ground at angles between 15 to 30 degrees, and typically not as sharp as Single Bevel knives. Ambidextrous. Also called Ryoba in Japanese.
Echizen – Echizen is a city located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2018, the city had an estimated population of 83,078 in 20.341 households and the population density of 360 persons per km². The total area of the city was 230.70 square kilometres (89.07 sq mi). The modern city of Echizen was established on October 1, 2005, from the merger of the city of Takefu and the town of Imadate (from Imadate District); although the Echizen Basin has been an important regional center for over 1,500 years. The city is home to the largest number of cultural assets in Fukui Prefecture and has many former castle sites and prehistoric archeological sites.
Edo – is the period between 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country’s 300 regional daimyō. The period was characterized by economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies, a stable population, “no more wars”, and popular enjoyment of arts and culture. The shogunate was officially established in Edo on March 24, 1603, by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The period came to an end with the Meiji Restoration on May 3, 1868, after the fall of Edo.
Gingami No.3 – is a very fine-grained Stainless Steel that can attain edge sharpness and edge retention comparable to some High Carbon Steels. It has even been used to create corrosion-resistant versions of Japanese traditional single bevel knives.
Grantons – Typically seen on Santoku knives, the Granton edge is a series of oval dimples along the knife blade. Grantons are also known as dimples, indents, divots, scallops and kullens and alternate down the blade. A Granton edge on a kitchen knife forms a slight air pocket between the blade and the food when cutting.
Hagane – Japanese term for the hard high-carbon steel core that forms the cutting edge of the blade. Unless it is a Honyaki knife, the Hagane is supported by an outer layer of Jigane.
Heel – The very back section of the blade’s cutting edge (opposite the tip) where it meets the bolster or handle of the knife. The heel of the knife is usually used for chopping tougher ingredients.
Hirazukuri – Sashimi slicing technique, the knife is held perpendicular to the fish and pulled back at approximately 45° angle.
Hocho – Japanese term for “kitchen knife”. Also called Bocho.
Hon Kasumi – Japanese term for the highest grade of Kasumi knives. Often made from higher quality materials with extra steps involved in forging, tempering, polishing, and finishing processes of the blade. Also called Hongasumi.
Hongasumi – Japanese term for the highest grade of Kasumi knives. Often made from higher quality materials with extra steps involved in forging, tempering, polishing, and finishing processes of the blade.. Also called Hon Kasumi.
Honyaki – Japanese term for “true-forged” knives that are forged solely from one material: high-carbon steel, also called Hagane. Generally, the Hagane of a Honyaki knife is Aogami or Shirogami.
Jigane – Japanese term for soft iron that is clad over Hagane, the hard steel core. The Jigane allows the knife to be sharpened more easily and absorb shock.
Kansai – The Kansai region or the Kinki region, lies in the southern-central region of Japan’s main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. While the use of the terms “Kansai” and “Kinki” have changed over history, in most modern contexts the use of the two terms is interchangeable. The metropolitan region of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto (Keihanshin region) is the second-most populated in Japan after the Greater Tokyo Area.
Kanto – The Kanto region is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 45 percent of the land area is the Kanto Plain. The rest consists of the hills and mountains that form the land borders. According to the official census on October 1, 2010, by the Japan Statistics Bureau, the population was 42,607,376, amounting to approximately one third of the total population of Japan.
Kasumi – Japanese term for “mist”. Kasumi knife blades are made by forging high-carbon steel Hagane and soft iron Jigane together. The name Kasumi refers to the hazy (or misty) appearance of the soft iron in contrast with the glossy carbon steel. Kataba – Japanese term for Single Bevel blades. Commonly found on traditional Japanese knives. Also sometimes called “chisel edge” or “chisel grind” in English.
Katana – Japanese term for a Japanese long sword used by samurai warriors. Written in Japanese as 刀 or かたな.
Katsuramuki – Japanese term for a rotary peeling technique that creates long, continuous, paper-thin sheets from cylindrical vegetables, most commonly a daikon. Written in Japanese as 桂剥き.
Kazarigiri – Japanese term for “decorative cutting”. Commonly used on vegetables and roots to cut into miniature flowers, leaves, and the like.
Meiji – is an era of Japanese history which extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. This era represents the first half of the Empire of Japan, during which period the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonisation by European powers to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialised nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western scientific, technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically-different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound, and affected its social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign relations. The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji. It was preceded by the Keiō era and was succeeded by the Taishō era, upon the accession of Emperor Taishō.
Nigiri – Thin slices of raw fish served on top of rice.
Osaka – Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Japan and among the largest in the world with more than 20 million inhabitants.
Reverse Tanto – The reverse tanto sharply angles down to the blade, instead of up to the spine.
Ryoba – Japanese term for Double Bevel blades. Commonly found in western-style Japanese knives. Also called Double Bevel in English.
Sakai – An old industrial town south of Osaka city, in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Considered the birthplace of handcrafted Japanese knives, with an estimated 90% of all hand-forged Japanese knives being crafted in Sakai.
Sashimi – A Japanese dish of fresh raw fish or meat that is sliced into thin, bite-sized pieces. Often eaten with soy sauce and wasabi.
Seki – A small town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Historically famous as the center of swordsmithing for samurais since the 13th century. Now regarded as one of the prominent centers of modern Japanese kitchen cutlery manufacturing, including knives.
SG-2 – R2/SG2 is a high-carbon high alloy content stainless steel that has been powderized into a very fine grain and then sintered back together. This process allows for a very consistent gran structure in the steel which makes the blade easier to sharpen and very durable. The steel does not rust and will work great in fast paced kitchen environments. Has a 64 HRC
Sheepsfoot – A sheepsfoot blade has a straight cutting edge and an unsharpened curved back spine that curves down to meet the straight edge and make a false point. The main purpose of a sheepsfoot is for cutting and slicing where a point is not wanted or needed.
Shirogami – Japanese term for a type of Japanese high-carbon steel (Hagane) manufactured by Hitachi Metals Ltd. Graded at White Steel #1, White Steel #2, and White Steel #3. Named for the white paper put on the steel at Hitachi factory. Commonly used for Honyaki knives.
Single Bevel – Refers to the blade of a knife that is ground (sharpened) on only one side along the cutting edge, usually at an acute angle between 10 to 15 degrees for Japanese knives. This gives the knife a razor-sharp edge, but also makes it only suitable for either right-handed users or left-handed users. Also known as “chisel edge” or “chisel grind” in English. Also called Kataba in Japanese.
Sogizukuri – Sashimi slicing technique, the knife is held at around 40° angle from fish and pulled back.
Stainless Steel – A popular material for making the blade of a knife due to its resistance to corrosion and eay maintenance. Stainless steel is made through the process of mixing carbon and chrome to steel made from iron ore, preventing it from rusting.
Sushi – A Japanese food of vinegar-seasoned rice with a variety of ingredients (usually raw or cooked seafood and vegetables) rolled together with seaweed or with the ingredients placed on top of the rice.
Usuzukuri – Sashimi slicing technique, same as Sogizukuri, except the slices are ~1mm thick, translucent slices.
VG-1 – Precursor of VG10, another popular stainless steel choice for making Japanese knives. Typically has an HRC of 58+, and has great edge retention. Originally made by Takefu Special Steel Company in Japan.A high-carbon molybdenum stainless steel that contains 0.95–1.05% carbon, 13–15% chromium, 0.2–0.4% molybdenum, and less than 0.25% nickel.
VG-10 – Also called V Gold 10. A stainless steel with high-carbon content which is very hard and very tough, with great edge retention. Typically has an HRC of 60-61. Originally made by Takefu Special Steel Company in Japan.Contains 1% carbon, 15% chromium, 1% molybdenum, 0.2% vanadium, and 1.5% cobalt.
Wa-Handle – Traditional Japanese knife handle, typically made from wood. Most commonly categorised into D-shape, oval, or octagonal handles. Usually tends to have an overall lighter feel and blade-forward balance.
Wagyu – A Japanese term meaning Japanese beef cattle. ‘Wa’ means Japanese and ‘gyu’ means cow. Characterized by tender, marbled beef that typically contains a high percentage of saturated fat.
White Steel #1 – Made up of Carbon: 1.25 – 1.35%, Manganese: .20 – .30%, Phosphorus: .025%, Sulfur: .004%, Silicon: .10 – .20% Almost identical to Blue #1 steel except for the absence of Chromium and Tungsten, this is a very pure Carbon steel alloy. Also known as Shiro-ko, this is very popular steel for high end Japanese cutlery especially in Honyaki blades. These knives take an extremely fine edge, but do not tend to have the edge retention of other alloys. It is very reactive so wiping down and drying should be done after every use.
White Steel #2 – White Steel No.2 has minimal impurities and a very fine grain structure, so it is ideal for fine cutting tools such as Japanese traditional-style knives. Despite being a ‘simple’ carbon steel, White Steel No.2 has very good edge retention and it is also very easy to re-sharpen. Recommended for first-time users of Japanese traditional-style knives.
White Steel #3 – Of the 3 white steel grades #3 has the lowest carbon content, making it the toughest (chip resistant), with the shortest edge life
ZDP-189 – ZDP-189 is a Japanese made steel by Hitachi that has an insanely high carbon percentage at 3.0% and a chromium content of 20% with most of it being pulled into developing carbides (hard, wear-resistant particles) instead of fighting corrosion. … All this makes for high wear resistance and impressive cutting performance.