Nigara SG2 – Sujihiki 240mm
R6,400.00
Nigara Knives
Nigara Knives are produced in a northern region in Japan which was and still is home to many skilful Blacksmiths that made various weapons and tools that date back 350 years. After WWII, sword-making was banned and many blacksmiths had to start producing cutlery and gardening tools. Nigara knives thus started manufacturing chefs knives of various shapes and sizes with exceptional quality and materials whilst still utilising the traditional crafting methods used throughout their rich history.
The Nigara Sujihiki is constructed using an SG2 core steel which is cladded in softer stainless steel. SG2 is a powdered steel which can hold a very fine, Super sharp edge for prolonged periods of time, due to its exceptional hardness. The stainless steel cladding sports a beautiful Tsuchime finish which gives this knife its beautiful aesthetic and aids in preventing corrosion. The stunning octagonal handle is made from Wenge with a Buffalo Horn ferrule and is incredibly durable and comfortable in the hand.
Sujihiki
Sujihiki Knife (筋引き出刃 – pronounced: Sujihiki Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘flesh slicer’. The name insinuates that it is perfect for slicing or carving meat which it was designed for initially. This is a composite between a Yanagiba and a Western-style carving knife.
The Sujihiki’s long, double bevelled blade allows for pull cutting in one clean motion using the blade from heel to tip. The length of the blade is perfect to cut up, carve or even butcher small to medium size animals or cuts of meat. The Sujihiki is also perfect for trimming sinew and fat from meat and filleting and skinning fish.
The Sujihiki has a relatively long and narrow blade with an acute edge angle with a narrow heel height. These components reduce the effort to cut through ingredients. For this reason, it is best to use a blade that is as long as your workspace will allow. The combination of cutting technique, acute blade angle, and sharp edge result in very little cellular damage in the cut surface.
Type: Western Style
Best for: Meat, Fish
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: Specialist – Easy to use but applies to specific food types
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Out of stock
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Tojiro Shirogami – Nakiri 165mm
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As knives are tools that people directly take into their hands to use, Tojiro values the skills of producers, which are the foundation of manufacturing, and keep a close eye on all processes until each craftsman at TOJIRO is completely satisfied. Our knives that are produced by traditional techniques and modern industrial technology are held in the highest regard not only in Japan, but around the world.
Nakiri
Nakiri Knife (菜切り包丁 – pronounced: Nakiri Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘knife for cutting greens’ or ‘leaf-cutter’. Most Japanese households make use of the Nakiri and in general, it is loved by vegetarians.
The Nakiri’s broad rectangular blade allows for quick and efficient chopping, dicing and mincing of large vegetables. The height of the blade also allows cutting through harder root vegetables with a straight down chopping motion. The Nakiri may also be turned upside down to use the spine of the blade to scrape ingredients across the chopping board without damaging the blade. The blade profile with its straight, flat edge works best when using an up and down chopping motion.
The Nakiri knife has a long, thin, and rectangular-shaped blade with a straight edge, and a flat, blunt tip. The Nakiri’s shape can be mistaken for a cleaver but be warned that it is not made for heavy-duty work like cutting bones or frozen foods. The thinness of the blade also ensures that delicate vegetables can be cleanly cut without ripping the skin, and helps to achieve crisp edges on each slice.
Type: Western Style
Best for: Vegetables
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: Specialist – Easy to use but applies to specific food types
Shirogami #2 or White Carbon Steel #2:
Shirogami or White Carbon steel is one of the most pure types of carbon steel. Its made from Iron sand made in Japan.
White Carbon steel is most definitely the easiest steel to sharpen and to achieve an incredible smooth “silky” cutting edge.
These knives do however require special care as they are the most reactive of the carbon steels, after a strong patina has formed on the blade they are less likely to rust.
Knife Specifications
Knife Shape: Nakiri
Blade Length: 165mm
Steel Type: Shirogami #2 / White Carbon # 2
Rockwell Hardness: 61:63
Handle Material: Wa (Japanese) Handle
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Tojiro DP – Gyuto 210mm
Tojiro Knives
Tojiro is one of the few manufactures in Japan that performs all of its manufacturing processes in-house. They choose this path of integrated in-house production, from the careful selection of materials to after sale service. The reason why they are able to deliver high quality lies in their commitment to being directly involved in every aspect of making their knives.
As knives are tools that people directly take into their hands to use, Tojiro values the skills of producers, which are the foundation of manufacturing, and keep a close eye on all processes until each craftsman at TOJIRO is completely satisfied. Our knives that are produced by traditional techniques and modern industrial technology are held in the highest regard not only in Japan, but around the world.
Gyuto
Gyuto (Chef’s) Knife (牛刀包丁 – pronounced: Gyūtō Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘Cow Blade’. ‘Gyu’ means Cow and ‘to’ means blade. The name stems from its original use to slice and disjoint large cuts of beef. These days the Gyuto is comparable to the Western-styled chef knife and is viewed as an all-rounder in the kitchen.
The Gyuto is the ultimate multi-purpose kitchen knife and is perfect for chopping, slicing, mincing and dicing boneless meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and herbs. The blade profile is well suited for tap-chop or thrust-cut. The slight curve from the middle of the blade leading to its pointed edge is used to rock-chop. Its name also suggests that it is perfect for cutting meat and doing light butcher work. It can be used to pull-cut softer meats or to push-cut more muscular cuts of meat.
The Gyuto features a longer blade providing versatility for cutting larger produce while the tip of the blade allows it to be nimble enough for precision work. The edge is flat from the heel to the belly with a slightly rounded profile from the belly to the tip. The hard steel used in manufacturing makes the double-bevel edge much sharper than Western chef’s knives and retains the ultra-sharp edge for much longer.
Type: Western Style
Best for: Meat, Fish, Herbs, Vegetables
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: All-Rounder – Easy to use and applies to most food types
VG10 Stainless
The blade is made from VG10 Stainless. Its a very popular stainless steel for knife makers in Japan. It is produced by Takefu Special steel Co. Ltd. VG10 is specifically designed for kitchen knife making. Its’s relatively easy to work, has great edge retention, hardness and ductility. VG10 is usually hardened to 60-61 HRC.
Knife Specifications
Knife Shape: Gyuto
Blade Length: 210mm
Steel Type: VG10 Stainless
Rockwell Hardness: 60:61
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Tojiro DP – Honesuki 150mm (Right Handed)
Tojiro is one of the few manufactures in Japan that performs all of its manufacturing processes in-house. They choose this path of integrated in-house production, from the careful selection of materials to after sale service. The reason why they are able to deliver high quality lies in their commitment to being directly involved in every aspect of making their knives.
As knives are tools that people directly take into their hands to use, Tojiro values the skills of producers, which are the foundation of manufacturing, and keep a close eye on all processes until each craftsman at TOJIRO is completely satisfied.
Tojiro is exclusively distributed in South Africa by Kitchen Samurai.
The blade is made from VG10 Stainless. Its a very popular stainless steel for knife makers in Japan. It is produced by Takefu Special steel Co. Ltd. VG10 is specifically designed for kitchen knife making. Its’s relatively easy to work, has great edge retention, hardness and ductility. VG10 is usually hardened to 60-61 HRC.
Honesuki:
Honesukis are boning knives specifically designed for parting out poultry. These knives are stiff and robust with pointed tips and a triangular profile. Honesukis are often single bevel knives so users should be aware of how to maintain knives with this type of grind. While honesukis are very robust knives they are intended to cut through the joints of a bird, not cleave through the bone. To split a bird consider either a heavier cleaver or a western deba.
Care Instructions:
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food. I’m sure you have a 4×4 somewhere in your kitchen for this job.
- Never twist, cleave or prise the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Narihira Saku – Yanagiba 300mm
Narihira
Narihira knives are manufactured by Fuji Cutlery Co., Ltd.
The sister company of Tojiro applies advanced construction techniques and modern materials, combined with high quality Japanese quality control to obtain great knives suitable for chefs, home cooks and professionals at a great price.
Yanagiba
Yanagiba Knife (柳刃包丁 – pronounced: Yanagi-ba Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘willow leaf blade’. The name refers to its blade shape being long, slender in a leaf shape. An alternative name Shobu refers to the Iris shaped leaf in the Kansai region.
The Yanagiba knife is best for slicing raw fish, especially for the preparation of sashimi and nigiri sushi dishes. The thinness and length of the blade profile allow for Japanese pull-cutting techniques. The sharpness of the blade makes it possible to do so in one clean sweep preventing tearing or bruising of the fish. The cut surfaces stay smooth, fresh, shiny and deliver delicate flavours and soft textures.
The Yanagiba’s long, thin and narrow blade allows the user to cut through a fish fillet using just one single long stroke instead of back and forth “sawing”. The weight of the blade is enough to ensure minimum pressure while slicing fresh fish fillets. The Yanagiba has a single-bevel edge allowing it to be extremely sharp. Traditional Japanese knives characteristically have single-bevel edges. Most single-bevel knives are right-handed so if you are left-handed make sure to request.
Type: Traditional
Best for: Fish
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: Precise – Knowledge of the knife and limited use cases
Molybdenum Vanadium Stainless steel:
AUS 8 is a high carbon, low chromium stainless steel that has proven, over time, to be a very good compromise between toughness, strength, edge holding and resistance to corrosion.
It has added Vanadium to give the steel more hardness. This steel is very easy to sharpen to a razor edge but it will dull relatively quickly compared to high-carbon.
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Tsunehisa AS Kurouchi Santoku 165mm
Tsunehisa
Tsunehisa is a Japanese knife company that sources their knives from various OEMs in Tosa, Japan. They are well known for there outstanding quality steels and amazing sharpness out of the box.
The Tsunehisa AS Kurouchi is made from Aogami Super ( Blue Super Steel ). Its an improved version of Blue # 1. Blue Super (Aogami Super or AS) they add more carbon for hardness. The extra added Vanadium gives extra toughness and creates smaller carbides. Blue Super is often considered by blacksmiths, to be the best carbon steel for knife making in Japan.
Santoku
Santoku Knife (三徳包丁 – pronounced: Santoku Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘Three Virtues’. Three Virtues refers to the three methods of using a knife namely slicing, dicing and chopping or the three types of fresh produce that is meat, fish and vegetables.
The Santoku’s multi-purpose and versatility nature leads it to be compared with a Western chef’s knife or the Gyuto. As the Three Virtues suggests it’s perfect for chopping, mincing and slicing the three main fresh produces. It excels easily through the fresh produce and creates thin slices of meat, seafood, cheese, fruits, and vegetables. The wide blade is handy for scooping food off the cutting board. The blade profile is well suited for up-and-down motion or using a tap-chop or a push-cut.
The Santoku thin blade is shorter than Western chef’s or Gyuto knives making it lighter, easier to handle and less strenuous for long periods of work. The flatter cutting edge is nearly straight from heel to tip. The Santoku is perfect for users with smaller hands and a bit more limited working space. The double-bevel, thin, sharp edge prioritises finesse instead of power.
Type: Western Style
Best for: Meat, Fish, Vegetables
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: All-Rounder – Easy to use and applies to most food types
Knife Specifications
Knife Shape: Santoku
Blade Length: 165 mm
Steel Type: Aogami Super
Rockwell Hardness: 63:64
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Sakai Kikumori NDH AUS10 – Sujihiki 240mm
Sakai Kikumori
With a passionate devotion to knife-making as well as working with some of the most skilled craftsman in Japan, Sakai Kikumori has been making cutlery of incredible quality and performance since its inception in 1926.
The Sakai Kikumori NDH series is constructed using a core steel of AUS-10, a stainless steel with a high carbon content that is easy to sharpen and will hold a sharper edge for longer periods of time. AUS-10 is hard yet flexible making it a good compromise between edge retention and durability. The core steel is cladded in softer stainless steel with a hammered and Damascus finish. The handle is a Dark Oak Octagonal shape.
Sujihiki
Sujihiki Knife (筋引き出刃 – pronounced: Sujihiki Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘flesh slicer’. The name insinuates that it is perfect for slicing or carving meat which it was designed for initially. This is a composite between a Yanagiba and a Western-style carving knife.
The Sujihiki’s long, double bevelled blade allows for pull cutting in one clean motion using the blade from heel to tip. The length of the blade is perfect to cut up, carve or even butcher small to medium size animals or cuts of meat. The Sujihiki is also perfect for trimming sinew and fat from meat and filleting and skinning fish.
The Sujihiki has a relatively long and narrow blade with an acute edge angle with a narrow heel height. These components reduce the effort to cut through ingredients. For this reason, it is best to use a blade that is as long as your workspace will allow. The combination of cutting technique, acute blade angle, and sharp edge result in very little cellular damage in the cut surface.
Type: Western Style
Best for: Meat, Fish
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: Specialist – Easy to use but applies to specific food types
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Sakai Kikumori Nihonko – Yo Deba 180mm
Sakai Kikumori
With a passionate devotion to knife-making as well as working with some of the most skilled craftsman in Japan, Sakai Kikumori has been making cutlery of incredible quality and performance since its inception in 1926.
The Kikumori Nihonko Yo Deba is a mono-steel blade made from SK Carbon Steel. SK Rusts slower than other Japanese Carbon Steels such as Aogami and Shirogami and has notable toughness for a blade of HRC 63. The blade on this deba is thick yet easy to sharpen and will hold edges for respectable periods of time. The handle is a Western Style Handle made from Pakka Wood with a half bolster. Similar to the Single beveled Japanese Deba, the Yo Deba is its western counterpart with a double beveled blade. These knives are incredibly thick offering durability and therefore allowing these knives to be used for cutting meats with minor bones and even semi-frozen food without chipping.
Deba
Deba Knife (出刃包丁 – pronounced: Deba Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘pointed carving knife’. The Deba is not a carving knife though but rather a ‘carver’ of fish and mainly applied to breaking down whole fish.
The Deba Knife is traditionally used for cleaning, filleting and beheading whole fish but the sturdy blade and heavier weight allows it to break down other meats and poultries with small bones but is not suited for cutting through thick bones. Like with most Traditional Japanese knives the Deba is best designed for a single or specific purpose, fish filleting.
The Deba knife is a heavy, robust knife featuring a thick, wide blade with a pointed tip. The thick blade and heavyweight on the heel allow for heavier duty work while the middle of the blade creates clean cuts. The pointed tip is used for precision work and helps you to feel the bones of the fish when filleting. The Deba has a single-bevel edge allowing it to be extremely sharp. Traditional Japanese knives characteristically have single-bevel edges. Most single-bevel knives are right-handed so if you are left-handed make sure to request.
Type: Traditional
Best for: Fish
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: Precise – Knowledge of the knife and limited use cases
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Sakai Kikumori AUS10 – Santoku 180mm
Sakai Kikumori
With a passionate devotion to knife-making as well as working with some of the most skilled craftsman in Japan, Sakai Kikumori has been making cutlery of incredible quality and performance since its inception in 1926.
The Kikumori Aus10 Hammered Damascus 180mm Wa-Santoku is constructed using a core steel of AUS-10, a stainless steel with a high carbon content that is easy to sharpen and will hold a sharper edge for longer periods of time. AUS-10 is hard yet flexible making it a good compromise between edge retention and durability. The core steel is cladded in softer stainless steel with a polished hammered and Damascus finish giving this blade its striking appearance and aids in further preventing corrosion. The handle is octagonal in shape made from magnolia with a buffalo horn ferrule.
Santoku
Santoku Knife (三徳包丁 – pronounced: Santoku Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘Three Virtues’. Three Virtues refers to the three methods of using a knife namely slicing, dicing and chopping or the three types of fresh produce that is meat, fish and vegetables.
The Santoku’s multi-purpose and versatility nature leads it to be compared with a Western chef’s knife or the Gyuto. As the Three Virtues suggests it’s perfect for chopping, mincing and slicing the three main fresh produces. It excels easily through the fresh produce and creates thin slices of meat, seafood, cheese, fruits, and vegetables. The wide blade is handy for scooping food off the cutting board. The blade profile is well suited for up-and-down motion or using a tap-chop or a push-cut.
The Santoku thin blade is shorter than Western chef’s or Gyuto knives making it lighter, easier to handle and less strenuous for long periods of work. The flatter cutting edge is nearly straight from heel to tip. The Santoku is perfect for users with smaller hands and a bit more limited working space. The double-bevel, thin, sharp edge prioritises finesse instead of power.
Type: Western Style
Best for: Meat, Fish, Vegetables
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: All-Rounder – Easy to use and applies to most food types
Care Instructions
- Wash and dry the blade by hand immediately after use. Dishwashers are very bad for all knives.
- Use a soft cloth to wash the blade. Avoid abrasive dish scrubbers and powders as these can damage the finish of your beautiful knife.
- Do not cut through bones. You can certainly cut along/beside bones, but do not cut into bones. This can, at worst, chip the blade.
- Never use this knife to cut frozen food.
- Never twist or cleave the blade.
- Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Never cut on bamboo, glass, marble, slate, a plate, china, marble, arborite or anything harder than steel.
- Store knives in a way that the blades will not knock into each other.
- Never transport knives unprotected.
Devon –
Love this knife! It’s my go-to carving knife. Cuts through meat like butter.