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Western Knives

Styles and Uses of Western-Style Knives

Gyutou Gyutou Lightweight chef knife appropriate for slicing meat, fish, vegetables, and bread.
sujihiki Sujihiki Slicing knife.
Yo-Deba Yo-Deba Heavy chef knife for fish and meat butchery, and chopping hard vegetables.
Santoku Santoku Literally, "Three Virtues." For slicing fish, meat, and vegetables.
Lightweight, multipurpose knife popular for both home and professional use.
Nakiri Nakiri Double-sided vegetable knife.
Garasuki Garasuki Poultry butchering knife.
Honesuki Honesuki Poultry boning knife.
Hankotsu Hankotsu All-purpose boning knife ideal for French-style hanging butchery.
Petty Petty Peeling, paring, and carving knife or vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other delicate work.
Paring Paring Paring knife for paring, peeling and trimming fruits and vegetables.
Peeling Peeling Peeling knife for fruits and vegetables.
Western-style knives are created using mainly mechanized, automated processes with more expensive knives receiving a hand finish. Most Western style knives are constructed entirely out of high-carbon stain-resistant steel or just high-carbon steel. Western-style knives are often sharpened on both sides of the blade. The smaller reverse edge provides durability and extends edge life. In general, Japanese knives tend to have a sharper but more delicate edge than other kitchen knives. Left-handed knives must be specially ordered.


Parts of a Western-Style Knife

Parts of a Western-Style Knife

The Western Edge
Western-style knives have a blade edge that is sharpened on both sides of the blade. This edge style is commonly referred to as a double-edged, doubleground or double beveled blade. It is a stronger blade configuration than the singleedged blades of traditional Japanese knives, and Western-style knives are perfectly suited for any kitchen.

These unevenly beveled edges are made possible by innovations in steel-making, tempering and edge crafting employed by Japanese manufacturers; a lower grade steel would not hold this angled edge design and would soon dull, and a blade formed with less flexibility would chip or crack when sharpened so thinly.

The majority of Western knives on the market today have a 50:50, or symmetrical “V”-shaped blade that is sharpened the same way on both sides. Although the 50:50 edge is convenient to re-sharpen, many Japanese Western-style knives are sharpened to a thinner, asymmetrical edge. By concentrating the sharpening on the face of the blade at a steeper angle than on the back side, a thin cutting edge is created that approaches the sharpness of the traditional singleedge design.

The angles on this uniquely Japanese edge style can be expressed in ratios such as 70:30, 60:40, and 90:10, comparing the angle of the bevel and the amount of sharpening performed on the face of the knife to the back.The most common edge shape in the Korin Collection of Western-style knives is in the range of 70:30 for right-handed users. Many models can be re-ground for left-handed use by Korin’s resident knife master for a minimal charge. Please see ‘Left-Handed knife’ section in the price list for more details.