Japanese cutlery

Much high-quality Japanese cutlery originates from Sakai, the capital of samurai sword manufacturing since the 14th century.

A classic santoku will incorporate the Western-style, bilateral cutting edge, but maintain a more extreme 12 to 15 degree shoulder, akin to Japanese cutlery.

Japanese cutlery is known for sharpness due to its acute blade geometry, and the hardness of the steel used, sometimes exceeding 60 HRC on the Rockwell scale.

In Japanese cutlery, the main cleaver used is the light-duty deba bocho, primarily for cutting the head off fish (fish are the main meat in traditional Japanese cuisine).

Once known for samurai swords, Sakai is now famous for the quality of its kitchen knives; most high-quality Japanese cutlery originates in Sakai, and its production is a major industry in the city.