Japanese Knives
Sharpening
Knifewear Glossary of Japanese Kitchen Knife Terminology
We use a lot of words at Knifewear, and a lot of them aren't english. Here are some of our most commonly used Japanese words with English definitions. This is an ever growing list, so if you see something that is missing, contact us and we'll add it in!
ENGLISH TERM
KANJI
TRANSLATION / DEFINITION
WHY WE CARE
Ao
青
Blue
Used to describe Blue carbon steel.
Aogami
青紙
Blue Paper
Blue carbon steel.
Aogami Super
青紙スーパー
Super blue paper
Super blue carbon steel
Ara-to
荒砥
Coarse stone
Used to classify sharpening stones.
Banno
万能
Multipurpose / All Purpose
Knife shape from Shosui Takeda-san. Interchangeable with Santoku or Bunka.
Bocho / Hocho
包丁
Kitchen Knife
We love kitchen knives!
Bunka
文化
Culture (literal meaning)
Knife shape (Like a santoku with a pointed tip).
Carbon Steel
鋼
Steel with <10.5% Chromium
Will Patina and can rust if not taken care of.
Chuka Bocho
中華包丁
The Japanese name for Chinese cleavers, often used to describe Chinese-inspired cleavers made in Japan.
Chinese Kitchen Knife.
Damascus
ダマスカス
Damascus Steel is a famous sword material from Syria, now used to describe blades with pattern-welded steel.
Generic term for patterned welded steel.
Deba
出刃
Single-bevel fish fillet knife.
Fish Butchery 105 to 210mm.
Echizen
越前
Knives made in Echizen are called Echizen-uchi knives.
A city in Fukui prefecture.
Funayuki
舟行
ship and "go".
The term is in regards to a fishermen's knife. Multi-purpose knife for slicing and filleting. It is also a regional term for multipurpose knife, Takeda-san uses this term instead of Santoku.
Garasuki
ガラスキ
Slightly bigger version of Honesuki.
Used for butchering poultry and game.
Ginsan
銀三
Silver three.
Made by Hitachi metals. Forgeable stainless steel popularly used in Sakai.
Gyuto
牛刀
Cow sword.
Chef knife, all purpose.
Hakata
博多
Name of a ward in Fukuoka.
Refers to the Hakata shape, very similar to a bunka. Term is used because it used to be region specific shape.
Hamon
刃紋
Wavy line on Honyaki knives.
Is produced by differential heat-treatment.
Honesuki
骨スキ
Japanese poultry & boning knife.
Great for chickens, ducks, fish, & more.
Honyaki
本焼き
True-forged.
Knife made from one piece of hard steel, with differential heat treatment (with clay).
Ishime
石目
Rock Surface.
Finish on Moritaka Ishime knives, originally hunting knife finish.
Kamagata
鎌形
Sickle shaped.
A knife tip shaped like sickle.
Kamisori
剃刀
Razor.
Used to describe Japanese-style straight razors.
Kasumi
霞
Mist
Haze on the blade (hon-kasumi) like on the Hado Sakai Junpaku. Also referring to the knives made with cladding technique.
Kasumi-Uchi
Hammered Kasumi, very drunk Kasumi
Making sure you actually read this.
Kataba
片刃
Single bevel edge.
Single bevel knife.
Kiritsuke
切付け
Cut at.
Slightly wider blade with a flatter edge & angled tip. Originally single bevel, also available double bevel. Kiritsuke can be used to describe a tip style on other knives, also called 'k-tip'.
Ko
小
Prefix meaning small.
Ko-bunka (small bunka), Ko-nakiri (small nakiri), etc.
Koba
小刃
Small edge.
Secondary edge meant to strengthen the primary edge of a knife.
Kurouchi
黒打ち
Black Hammered.
Black finish left on the blade instead of polished. It will prevent from rusting.
Kyomen
鏡面
Mirror surface.
Mirror finished knives. If the finish is applied to carbon steel knife, it will prevent from rusting.
Maguro
鮪
Tuna
Maguro bocho
鮪包丁
Tuna knife.
Tuna butchering knife often from 40cm to 110cm.
Menkiri
麺切り
Noodle cutting.
General term for noodle cutting knife for Udon and Soba.
Migaki
磨き
Polished.
Matte polished finish on knives, but not as polished as mirror.
Mioroshi
身卸
Fish fillet
Slightly narrower and thinner deba. Fishermen carry this knife for butchering & slicing fish. Hybrid of Yanagiba and Deba.
Miyabi
雅
Elegant, Graceful.
Japanese knife brand owned by Henckels.
Nagura
名倉
Name of a specific type of natural stones.
Natural nagura are used for created slurry on natural stones, synthetic nagura are used to clean synthetic stones.
Nakiri
菜切り
Leafy Veggie cutter.
Knife shape great for vegetables, especially cabbage, lettuce and green onions.
Nashiji
梨地
Pear skin finish.
Finish on blades inspired by the skin of asian pears.
Ni-Mai
二枚
Two layers.
Construction method used for single bevel knives. One piece of soft steel forge-welded onto hard steel.
Patina
Protective oxidation on high-carbon steel (dark & cool colours).
This will happen on all carbon knives with time and proper care, and should be encouraged to protect the steel.
Petty
ペティ
Small from French language (Petite).
Small knife shape, great utility/ paring knife.
Rockwell Scale
Rating of hardness, abbreviated to HRC.
Kitchen knives usually vary from 52-68, higher rockwell usually means longer edge retention & higher likelihood of chipping.
Ryoba
両刃
Double bevel edge.
Knife that is equally sharpened from both sides, the most common way of sharpening a knife.
Sakai
堺
City in Osaka
Famous for single bevel knives. Most professional chefs in Japan use at least a knife from this city.
Sakimaru
先丸
Round tip.
Refers to a yanagiba, takobiki or sujihiki with a rounded tip, looks like the tip of a Japanese sword.
San-mai
三枚
Three layers.
A knife making technique. A piece of softer steel is forge welded onto either side of a billet of hard steel to protect it. Most of our knives are made this way.
Sanjo
三条
City in Niigata prefecture.
Famouse for manufacture of handmade steel products, including knives. Masashi, Hinoura, Tadafusa, Iwasaki etc.
Santoku
三徳
Three virtues.
Toku also means benefit. Knife shape, great for everyday use.
