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  • Knifewear Glossary of Japanese Kitchen Knife Terminology

    January 31, 2023 1 min read

    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! 
    Naoto Fujimoto
    Naoto Fujimoto

    Naoto came to Canada in 2007 and we aren't letting him go back. After getting angry with his roommate's dull knives, he started to dream of sharp Japanese knives. Naoto graduated from the University of Calgary with a bachelor degree of art, majoring International Relations and finds that selling Japanese knives is his own way of doing international relations. Naoto is our Cultural Ambassador bridging Japan and Canada. You can also see him in SpringHammer looking cool and holding it all together.

    ENGLISH TERM
    KANJI
    TRANSLATION / DEFINITION
    WHY WE CARE
    Ao
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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.
       Naoto Fujimoto
    Naoto Fujimoto

    Naoto came to Canada several years ago and we aren't letting him go back. After getting angry with his roommate's dull knives, he started to dream of sharp Japanese knives. Naoto graduated from University of Calgary with a bachelor degree of art, majoring International Relations and finds that selling Japanese knives is his own way of doing international relations. Naoto is our Head of Shipping and receiving. You can also see him in SpringHammer looking cool and holding it all together.

    Naoto's Knife Sharpening Instagram