Best Japanese Kitchen Knives part 5

Best Japanese Chef Knives

The funayuki
The funayuki was originally used on fishing boats, mainly as a light fillet knife to test the quality of the catch, to clean and fillet fish, and to prepare food.
Smaller and shorter than a yanagiba (the sheet of choice for preparing sashimi and other types of sushi, and for cutting raw fish and seafood), it has a delicate and delicate leaf that requires an expert hand to use it without breaking the edge.

The measurements of the blade vary from 5.5 to 8.5 inches, and can be as high as 2 inches from the heel to the spine.
The cutting edge can be beveled single or double, quite flat with a minimum belly and a very thin cross section, which makes it ideal for delicate and precise tasks.
A cat of all trades, the smaller funayukis are often used as knives for peeling and cutting, as well as for the preparation and filleting of fish.
A knife useful for multiple tasks, can be a little like a princess due to the ultra thin and fragile blade.

The Hankotsu
The hankotsu is a small and resistant knife that is used for light butchery. It is ideal for tasks such as boning, trimming meat, getting between bones, breaking poultry and entangling a grill.
Hankotsu Japanese boning knife. Photo by Mike Quinn.
These feature a sharp, pointed tip that can be inserted into a cut and run along a bone, connective tissue or fat. The hankotsu also has a short height, about 1 to 1.5 inches, which makes the blade agile enough to turn and maneuver easily while cutting.
A unique feature of the hankotsu is the avant-garde near the heel area, which does not actually have a heel.

Depending on the brand, anywhere from a quarter to a third of the length of the edge at the end of the heel remains unsharpened. This provides a great advantage for any scraping that needs to be done and offers a bit of protection for the fingers against sliding.
Keep in mind that without a heel, there is also no protection for the fingers.
The length of the blade is generally about 6 inches and the edge is technically double beveled, but is ground at an asymmetric angle, at a ratio of approximately 90/10 to the right side.
If you are left-handed, this may not be the best option. It's going to be uncomfortable for vertical boning, unless you order one for left-handed use.
Hankotsus also requires special care when sharpening and sharpening. All the sharpening action takes place in the major angle, or in the right edge, while the smallest angle is only touched to eliminate the burrs.
The hankotsu has a thick spine and a muscular cross section, and you will find that these do not have the same amount of flexion as the western-style boning knives.
Highly resistant in construction, they generally have a sturdy handle to provide a secure grip and maximum control.
The honesuki
The Honesuki is another boning knife, but this one is designed for the specific task of breaking down the birds and cutting the joints, but not for cutting bones.
With a distinctive triangular profile that extends from the heel to the tip, the blade is quite stiff with little flex and a perfectly straight edge. The length of the blade is 5.5 to 8 inches and measures approximately 1.5 inches from the heel to the spine.

Like Hankotsu, traditional Honorukis have an asymmetrical edge on the right side. But more recently, honesukis have been made available with a bevel equal to 50/50 on both sides, which makes these models a good choice for left-handed users.
Due to the compact size of this knife, it is also useful as a utility knife.

Best Japanese Kitchen Knivesn part 4

BestJapanese Chef Knives

The Chukabocho (Blade)
The Japanese version of a Chinese blade is called chukabocho. A multi-purpose cutter, each part of the blade can be used for the preparation of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.
The Shun vegetable blade. Photo by Mike Quinn.
However, these large blades are not designed to prepare or season meats with bone, so you'll want a real meat cleaver then visit www.damascus1.com.
 Large and rectangular in shape, the length of the blade is around 7 to 8 inches with a height of 4 to 5 inches.

The end is blunt and square with a thick spine that is reduced to a thin, sharp edge with scalpel that features a double bevel for versatile performance. The cutting edge is usually straight, but may have a slight curve to the tip.
Surprisingly agile, practically all cutting and cutting techniques work with a chukabocho, provided the edge has a curve to cut the rock.
Effective in reducing large vegetables such as cabbage, the thinness of the leaf also makes it adept at delicate tasks, such as chopped herbs, and trimming and peeling as well.

Use the flat part of the blade to break items such as ginger, garlic or shelled walnuts, or the spine to soften the boneless meat. And, of course, the large area of the blade makes this the best tool to collect and move mountains of food.
The Western Deba (Western Chef)
Western deba is another utility knife that is very similar to a chef's knife, but is designed for heavier performance than a gyuto.
Combining the functions of a chef's knife and a blade, the relatively thick blade generally measures between 6.5 and 10 inches, with a height of about 2 inches, although there are larger ones available.
And they have a bit of belly to the edge, which makes them suitable for cutting rocks. Dot styles also vary, some have a dropped tip, while others remain elevated closer to the spine.

It should not be confused with a traditional beech, which has a single beveled edge and is specialized for cutting fish, the western has a double beveled edge. Other important features include a thick thorn and a heavier weight, and it is often used for difficult tasks such as cutting chicken or veal joints, as well as fish bones.
The edge is usually milled at a more obtuse angle than traditional Japanese blades and, together with the bilateral edge, provides greater durability and versatility. And more often, a Western libertine will have a Western-style handle.
Large and sharp with a solid weight, a Western pound can easily handle the seafood division such as crabs, shrimp and lobster, and will effortlessly tackle large fruits and vegetables like pumpkins, pumpkins or pineapples.
Although they are more resistant than the others mentioned here, they are still made of hard carbon steel, and should not be used in frozen foods or in the cutting of very hard and thick bones.
The must
Like the Western libertine, a traditional libertine is also thick and robust, but has the main application of killing and filleting fish.
The length of the leaf of a must usually measures 6.5 to 8 inches, although there are some as small as 4 inches in length.

The height of the blade is about 1.5 to 2 inches, and the edge is milled at an acute angle into a single bevel, with a flat back.
Excellent for cutting the soft flesh of fish and fish bones, some chefs use them to break down the birds and also to cut vegetables. But the unique bevel can make this expensive for those who are not familiar with the proper technique.
Completely different from a flexible western fillet knife, the debit is sturdy and heavy. A different skill set is required to use this type without crushing the meat.

Best Japanese Kitchen Knives part 3

BestJapanese Chef Knives

The Nakiri (Traditional)
The nakiri is a traditional vegetable knife designed for full and rhythmic strokes.
With a shape similar to a short blade, it has a flat profile characterized by a thin and straight blade, although some may have a slight curve towards the blunt edge. A substantial spine is reduced to a square and blunt tip, but is thin behind the edge with a symmetrical and convex routine.

Created with the main purpose of cutting, slicing and chopping vegetables, the length of the leaf is usually between 5 and 7 inches, which is enough length for most vegetables.
With a double beveled edge, food easily falls off as the blade slides through what you're preparing, and the square tip makes it one of the safest to use in the kitchen
Due to the flat edge, a rolling motion is practically impossible; instead, the nakiri uses a movement up and down, without the need to push or pull horizontally. You can make fine cuts of paper and tape cuts as the edge moves through the food to the cutting surface with clean, even cuts.
Due to their fine and refined edge, they are excellent for use on delicate plants and herbs without bruising or crushing delicate tissues. In addition, the rectangular shape and height make them ideal for collecting large amounts of food.
Very similar to a usuba, nakiri is the most used by home cooks, while the professional chef prefers usuba.
Petties and Utilities
 
A small knife has the same basic application as a Western utility knife or utility knife, with a longer blade.
The lengths of the knives for small things vary considerably, from 3.5 to 8 inches, with a height of 1 to 1.5 inches from the heel to the spine. The profile of the blade is generally triangular, it rises from the heel to the tip and the edge is sharpened in a double bevel.

Like the razor, a small one is agile and useful for small tasks that require some agility.
The main difference between the eastern and western styles is that the small blade can be used for mini chopping tasks on a cutting board, while a peeling blade is best suited for hand chores.
Paring
Again, these are similar to their western counterparts and often have Western-style handles.
Photo by Mike Quinn.
These are small, short blades designed to be used by hand in delicate jobs, such as peeling fruits and vegetables.
The peeling knife is usually less than 3.5 inches.


The bread knife
Although it is not a traditional Japanese way, some of the best bread knives in the world are designed and manufactured there.
Photo by Mike Quinn.
Not only for bread, these surprisingly versatile tools are excellent for slicing tomatoes, biscuits and other soft foods.
We are in love with the MAC version and find that it is the best in our recent tests for the Foodal bread knife.

The bunka
The bunka is a utility knife that can handle a wide range of cooking tasks. It is particularly adept at making thin slices of smaller items such as herbs, garlic, celery, shallots, carrots and the like.
The medium-sized leaf is generally about 5 to 8 inches long with a high profile, anywhere from 2 to 3 inches from the heel to the spine, which also makes it a useful tool for harvesting tasks.

The relatively flat edge of the bunka has a double bevel, and is ideal for cutting and cutting under pressure. A very subtle curve makes possible a cut of rock, but they are not particularly efficient for this blow.
Similar in many aspects to santoku, the bunka is smaller and thinner, and has a remarkable convex cross section just above the cutting edge that provides good release in vegetables and proteins.
The tip of the foot of sheep provides a good control when working with meat or fish, and gives the skill for a more delicate work, such as cutting and peeling.
And thanks to the height of the blade, a bunka will generally provide good knuckle slack when cutting or pushing, when used with a modified grip.
The bunka is NOT very common, even in Japan, and is usually manufactured in small batches using exotic steel by independent blacksmiths and small craft shops. These tend to be very expensive.