Yoshihiro Cutlery Guides & Tips
Japanese Knife Terminology Glossary: Key Terms & Concepts Explained
Japanese knife terms explained: steels like Shirogami and Aogami, honyaki and kasumi construction, finishes, blade parts, knife types, handles and sharpening.
Japanese Knife Terminology Glossary: Key Terms & Concepts Explained
What is Stainless Cladding?
What stainless cladding (san-mai) means on a Japanese knife, why bladesmiths wrap a carbon steel core in stainless layers, and how to care for the exposed edge.
What is Stainless Cladding?
Why a Sharp Knife Makes All the Difference: Benefits of a Fine Cut in Cooking
Why a sharp knife cuts cleaner, preserves ingredient texture and flavor, and takes less effort than a dull one — plus how often to sharpen and why it matters.
Why a Sharp Knife Makes All the Difference: Benefits of a Fine Cut in Cooking
Understanding Japanese Knife Finishes: Kurouchi, Damascus, Kasumi & More
A practical guide to Japanese knife finishes — kurouchi, nashiji, kasumi, hammered and suminagashi damascus, and mirror polish — and their real trade-offs.
Understanding Japanese Knife Finishes: Kurouchi, Damascus, Kasumi & More
Japanese vs. Western Knife Handles: What’s the Difference?
Japanese wa handles and Western knife handles are built differently for balance, weight, and grip. Here's how each is constructed and how to choose.
Japanese vs. Western Knife Handles: What’s the Difference?
How to Remove Rust from Knives
How to remove light surface rust from a high-carbon steel knife with a rust eraser and oil, when to see a professional, and how to prevent it recurring.
How to Remove Rust from Knives
How to Measure Your Japanese Knife
How Japanese knife blade length is actually measured, why the deba is measured differently, and why the same stated length can vary between brands.
How to Measure Your Japanese Knife
Japanese Knife Steel Guide: Choosing Between Carbon, Stainless, and High-Performance Steels
Compare Japanese knife steels — White, Blue, ZDP-189, Ginsan, VG-10, INOX, R2/SG2, HAP-40, SRS13 — by edge retention, hardness, and required care routine.
Japanese Knife Steel Guide: Choosing Between Carbon, Stainless, and High-Performance Steels
The Japanese Knife Making Process
How a Japanese knife is hand-forged: bonding iron and steel, shaping, annealing, quenching, tempering, grinding, and handle attachment, step by step.
The Japanese Knife Making Process