The History of Japanese Knives
Every Ginsu Katana knife was built with intention and purpose. Learn how we bring both beauty and function to the kitchen with our knives all while staying true to the essence of Japanese tradition.
The name âGinsu Katanaâ derives from century old techniques developed by highly skilled craftsmen who created the Katana. Like the samurai who wielded these tools of art, we now find ourselves using these same skills hundreds of years later to develop top-quality Japanese kitchen knives. The shift to knife making began when the production and possession of Katanas was banned. This led the skilled craftsmen to adapt their skills into the production and crafting of kitchen knives.
Japanese Steel
- 420J2 is stainless steel with excellent corrosion resistance due to high chromium content, making it ideal for use in corrosive conditions. It can be hardened up to 56 HRC Rockwell or higher, and is commonly used in surgical and dive knives that require durability in harsh environments.
- 440A is a 400 series Martensitic stainless steel with a 0.7% carbon and 17% chromium content. The high levels of chromium give it excellent corrosion resistance, while carbon is one of the major factors that gives the steel its character and hardness of 55 - 58 HRC.
- Damascus steel is created by hammer-welding multiple layers of steel and iron through repeated heating and forging. This multi-layered structure increases carbon density in the core blade, making it exceptionally strong and long-lasting. The process creates a unique ripple pattern on the surface. Modern Damascus steel is made by either forge-welding different steel types together before twisting and manipulating the metal, or by folding a single steel type to produce visible layers. Both techniques create the distinctive wavy pattern characteristic of Damascus steel kitchen knives.
Japanese Style - Single Bevel
Single bevel knives, favored in Japanese cooking, offer exceptional sharpness since they're honed on only one side, creating a smaller, sharper angle. This enables the precision slicing essential for sushi and allows chefs to make long, unbroken, wafer-like cuts when preparing Japanese vegetablesâcuts that are difficult to achieve with double-bevel knives.
Knife Handles
- Maple Blonde: Maple wood is incredibly strong, looks great, and stains nicely. Knife makers gravitate towards maple for its light, creamy color, smooth grain pattern, and impressive durability.
- Rosewood: Rosewood has a sturdy composition that makes it suitable for the most demanding uses. Rosewood, is a premium wood with excellent durability, rich color, and a fragrant scent, making it a sought after material for expertly crafted tools â but especially knives.
- G10: G10 is a composite material made from layers of fiberglass and epoxy resin pressed together under high pressure and heat. It's an excellent choice for knives designed to last a lifetime. G10 handles are extremely durable and strong, performing well in both wet and dry conditions. Unlike traditional materials like wood, G10 won't crack, break, chip, or scratch easily, and it provides outstanding lateral support to prevent flexing during use.
- Black Pakka: Our D-Shape Black Pakka handles are extremely resistant to water and bacteria, making it an ideal choice for use in the kitchen. Our handles are very rigid and smooth while also providing an easy grip. D-Shape Black Pakka is an excellent choice for a knife handle as it retains the authentic look of wood, but offers far better strength and durability.