Your cart
There are no more items in your cart
.png)
How to care for your Japanese knife
It's a common misconception that the more expensive a knife, the stronger it will be. But often, the more expensive a knife, the more "fragile" it is and the more maintenance it requires. You may think this is wrong, but it's also true of many other things: cars, fabrics, even pens!
Anentry-level knife will often have a thick, hard-wearing blade and fairly soft steel. While the knife is unlikely to break, it does have a rather weak cutting edge and a recurrent need for sharpening.
On the other hand, a top-of-the-range knife, such as a good Japanese knife, will have the finest blade and the hardest steel available. This ensures the best possible cutting edge coupled with infrequent sharpening. The cutting sensation is indescribable.
These two enormous advantages imply two "disadvantages": greater fragility against "risky" cutting, and greater vulnerability to oxidation, since Japanese steels contain much more carbon.
Discover our tips for making the most of your Japanese knives and ensuring they last a lifetime without problems.
Should I avoid cutting certain foods?
Yes, the blades of Japanese knives don't like to come into contact with food that's too hard, and they don't like to be twisted.
1. Butternut squash, pumpkin and other very hard vegetables should not be cut with such a knife. These vegetables are very popular in winter for concocting tasty soups, but remember that they arepublic enemy n°1 of your Japanese knives. That's how you cause splinters in the cutting edge.
Our advice: use a vegetable peeler to peel it (not a knife), then use a thick-bladed chef's or Santoku knife to cut it. That way, there's no risk of breakage!
Cutting hard-skinned fruit such as watermelon or melon is also not recommended (not to say forbidden...).
Indeed, if you use a knife with a thin blade, or very hard steel, the blade is very likely to be damaged when cutting such vegetables, as the slightest bending will create a very strong tension on the cutting edge and may break a small part of it. Repair is often possible, but you will lose several millimeters of blade height at a time, which is equivalent to several years of sharpening your knife.
2. Cutting where you come into contact with a bone (such as lard, for example) or an edge should also be avoided.
Our advice: Simply prepare your food by removing any bones with a basic knife, boner or fillet of sole, then use your razor-sharp Japanese knife.
3. Do not cutfrozen food. Your Japanese knife will not stand up to such hardness.
Our advice: Use a special frozen-food knife, or one with a thick blade that you're not too keen on!
4. Be careful with fruit containing pits (e.g. peach, mango, plum, avocado, etc.). If the blade comes into contact with the stone, which is very hard, the impact may cause the cutting edge to shatter.
5. Be careful when cutting hard cheeses: you'll tend to twist the blade from left to right, and that's a MISTAKE! Always cut your cheese from front to back to preserve the blade of your knife, or use a cheese knife.
Japanese knives are preferable for cutting all other vegetables, boneless meats and boneless fish. Even so, these are the vast majority of the cuts we make every day.
Blade guards
Les Découpeurs universal protective sheath for kitchen knives - Blades up to 30cm
In stock
Which cutting board is best?
Wooden or plastic boards are preferred. With this type of board, you won't risk damaging the cutting edge of your knife, as these materials are fairly "flexible".
Glass boards and "hard" surfaces (marble, etc.) should be avoided. These materials will only damage the edge of the cutting edge, to the point of splintering if you use too much force.
Caution: Never scrape the board with the blade of a knife. By using your knife as a "shovel" to remove food from the board, the fine, fragile cutting edge undergoes multiple micro-shocks and twists as it gets caught in the scratches of the cutting board (scratches due to normal wear and tear of the board, created by cutting). This can lead directly to splintering, or simply weaken the cutting edge, with splinters appearing later.
How do I clean my Japanese knife?
Never use a dishwasher! Wash the knife by hand with a little soap and wipe dry with a soft cloth immediately afterwards. Even a so-called "stainless" blade will show rust spots or colored stains (oxidation) if left to air dry. In fact, even if the top layer is made of stainless steel, the heart of the blade often has a high carbon content, which is oxidizable (e.g. Wusaki Nogami BS2 knives in Aogami).
Japanese knives without a stainless steel protective layer are all the more susceptible to oxidation. These include carbon steel knives (e.g. Murata Buho knives), and knives with an iron top layer. It's natural for the blade of these knives to discolor from the first use; it's unavoidable, even with careful maintenance.Small spots may form on the blade over time, and this is perfectly normal (they may be due, for example, to the acidity of the food being cut). The carbon blade is therefore recommended for connoisseurs who appreciate the qualities of this particular steel, while being aware of the specifics of its care. Remember, there is no health risk if rust spots appear.
You can grease the blade of your Japanese knife with mineral oil from time to time to protect it against oxidation (especially if you don't use your knife every day).
We advise you to store your Japanese knife in a dry place, away from humidity.
If the handle is made of wood, avoid getting it wet, as it could absorb water, causing the wood to move and eventually crack.
Finally, if, despite all these precautions, stains do appear on the blade of your knife, although they may not be "aesthetically pleasing", please note that they do not represent a health hazard. Find out more about how to remove rust from your knife by clicking here !
How to sharpen a Japanese knife?
A Japanese knife differs from a Western knife in that its sharpening angle is sharper and its steel harder. In general, the angle of a Japanese knife is 15° (30° cumulative), whereas the angle of a Western knife is 18° to 20° (36° to 40° cumulative).
You can use a sharpening steel to straighten the edge of your Japanese knife: just remember to adjust the angle to suit your knife. Please note that a sharpening steel sharpens, but not as the name suggests. If your blade is dull, you won't need a sharpening steel.
We advise against the use of manual or electric sharpeners on Japanese knives, as they have too great an angle and remove too much material with each sharpening: it's a shame to shorten the life of such a valuable knife!
The whetstone remains the method of choice for sharpening any knife, but even more so for Japanese knives. There are several reasons for this:
With stone sharpening, the resulting edge can easily last several months.
Sharpening stones can be used to repair a knife: a chip along the edge, a bent or broken tip.
A whetstone gives a razor-sharp edge that is impossible to achieve with other sharpening methods.
