The Best Japanese Chef’s Knives for Chefs

Les meilleurs couteaux de chef japonais pour les chefs

Vous, les chefs, êtes un drôle de spécimen. Je le sais, car je l'ai été pendant de très nombreuses années. Je pense que « une fois chef, toujours chef ». Nous voyons le monde différemment et exigeons davantage de nos couteaux. Les chefs ont besoin de couteaux incroyablement tranchants et qui le restent longtemps. De la même manière que nous demandons parfois plus à nos meilleurs amis qu'aux autres (nous aider à déménager, nous conseiller sur notre vie amoureuse, etc.), nous voulons aussi que notre meilleur ami en cuisine travaille un peu plus et encaisse un peu plus les coups.

J'ai constaté que la taille par défaut pour les chefs est de 240 mm, parfois 270 mm et certains aiment même un couteau de 300 mm. Les lames plus longues facilitent la découpe de 90 kilos de pommes de terre en pommes de terre rissolées, car la longueur supplémentaire crée un plus grand point d'appui et vous avez besoin de moins de force pour couper… ou quelque chose de scientifique de ce genre. En gros, les grands couteaux facilitent les gros travaux. Voici ma liste de couteaux qui correspondent à ces critères et qui devraient être considérés par tout chef à la recherche d'un couteau numéro un :

 

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Some folks want a knife that has that carbon steel look, but is actually made from easy-to-care-for stainless steel. This is one of the heaviest knives we carry and is perfect if you prefer the feel of a German or American knife. The handle is very ergonomic, especially for those with larger hands. Layered Damascus stainless steel, uniquely paired with a black kurochi finish? What more could you want?

Haruyuki Mugi Gyuto 240mm from Haruyuki

Haruyuki Mugi Gyuto 240mm
Prix habituel $249.00 CAD
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Either you have a large mitt like mine and love this handle or you have a small hand and hate it. If you’re like me this rugged, good looking and slick feeling knife is what you are after. I often use this for the Cut Like a Chef classes we teach.

Fujimoto Hammer Tone SLD Gyuto 210mm from Fujimoto

Fujimoto Marteau Tone SLD Gyuto 210mm
Prix habituel $293.00 CAD
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Alright, even I can admit it; some people just prefer a small knife. This is my compromise. The Hammer Tone carries the weight and heft of a larger knife while being an extremely manageable 210mm long. The steel has a high carbon content but is stainless, so you get the best of both worlds in regards to performance v.s. maintenance.

Fujimoto Nashiji Gyuto 240mm knife showcases a polished steel blade with hammer-textured pattern and dark wood handle, designed for precision slicing in Japanese cuisine, blending carbon and stainless steel attributes.

Fujimoto Nashiji Gyuto 240mm
Prix habituel $249.00 CAD
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Let's face it, kitchens are hard on knives. When we designed this blade we choose Blue Carbon Steel for its obvious benefits; great edge retention and insane sharpness. As much as we love the steel we knew it would get terribly rusty in a professional kitchen, so we had it clad in stainless steel. Now only the edge is exposed high-carbon steel, and the knife is much easier to keep from rusting.

Masashi Kuroshu Gyuto 240mm from Masashi Yamamoto

Masashi Kuroshu Gyuto 240mm
Prix habituel $974.00 CAD
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If you’ve ever heard me talk about Masashi-san you will know I am a huge fan of his. There are many reasons for this. He likes nihon-shu as much as I do, he likes great restaurants almost as much as I do and I love how seriously he takes his craftsmanship. He is the craftsman’s craftsman. He makes knives for chefs that are rugged, mega sharp and look great.

Haruyuki Shiso Gyuto 240mm from Haruyuki

Haruyuki Shiso Gyuto 240mm
Prix habituel $355.00 CAD
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Okay, half the reason I chose this knife is purely because of its looks. But that's not all, it's also an incredible performer! Super Blue Carbon Steel cuts incredibly well, has crazy edge retention and features a layer of stainless protection to keep maintenance in check. The heavier blade and forward balance mean that this knife does some of the work for you, a serious benefit for overworked chefs.

Fujiwara Maboroshi Gyuto 210mm from Teruyasu Fujiwara

Fujiwara Maboroshi Gyuto 210mm
Prix habituel $658.00 CAD
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Okay, I had to have a bonus knife. This is the blade I recommend when a chef comes in looking for a knife that they'll take to the grave. Holding the notched blade is like getting a handshake, and it gives you incredible comfort while you cut. Fujiwara-san manages to make this steel harder than most blacksmiths can, giving it insane performance in both professional and home environments. This one is well-worth saving your pennies for. 

If none of these are quite scratching that itch for you, trust me, I get it, come see us in-store or shoot us a message here, and we'll help you find the prep tool of your dreams.

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   Kevin Kent

Kevin Kent

Knifewear owner and president Kevin Kent’s fascination with handcrafted Japanese knives began while he was working as sous-chef for the legendary chef Fergus Henderson at St. John restaurant in London, England. Back in Canada in 2007 he began selling them out of a backpack from the back of his bicycle, while working as a chef in Calgary. He considers his chef years as the best education for being an entrepreneur. Being a chef takes long hours, involves hard work, both mentally and physically, and chefs must be able to put out fires, both literal and figurative, with extreme competence. Today, Kent is still just as obsessed with Japanese knives as the day he first held one. A couple times a year, he travels to Japan to meet with his blacksmith friends and drinks far too much sake. Each visit he learns more about the ancient art of knife-making. Through this obsession Knifewear has expanded to include five Knifewear stores in Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Edmonton. Plans are also underway to open a store in Kyoto, Japan. He refuses to confess how many Japanese knives he owns … but he admits the number is rather high. Follow Kevin on Twitter at @knifenerd and find out more about the stores at knifewear.com, and if you meet him in person, ask him to tell you his Lou Reed story.

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