The Structure of Japanese Kitchen Knife (Single-Edged) -_Nenohi Record Vol_2
Generally speaking, the theory of Japanese kitchen knives is "single-edged + Japanese handle," but in recent years, due to the diversification of food ingredients and food culture, more and more kitchen knives can be considered hybrids, such as "double-edged + Japanese handle," so the clear classification is fading away.
Two major features of the single-edged blade structure are the "hollow" and the "Shinogi".
As shown in the figure, the back side of the knife makes it easier to move the knife because the surface in contact with the food during cutting is extremely low (very little friction).
This is such an important factor that it can be said that the knife moves without resistance, which equals "sharpness".
Also, the extremely small contact surface means that the cross section of the food is not crushed, resulting in a beautifully cut surface. It can be said that this is a very important structure for Japanese knives.
By making a hollow on the front side as well as the back side, the overall weight of the knife can be reduced without compromising the strength of the knife.
The lightweight tip of the knife allows you to grip it lightly and move it as you wish without being stressed or fatigued.
In addition, the hollow on the front side(Hira) allows anyone to maintain a beautiful shinogi line when sharpening with a whetstone.
For Japanese cuisine and sushi chefs, the act of "cutting" an ingredient itself greatly affects the taste of the dish. Therefore, Japanese knives are required to be complicated and difficult to make.
Nenohi has introduced "precision grinding" into its manufacturing process to maximize the advantages of "single edge" mentioned above.
Next time, we would like to focus on this "precision grinding" and explaining on how it works