These knives are completely handmade by a small group of highly skilled artisan nokaji whose skills have been passed down for 4 generations.
The classic 3 layers warikome construction have allowed us to use a material usually reserved for very high-grade industrial applications such as the creation of dentist drill bits. The material is high-speed steel which unusually has the capacity to be hardened to HRC 63+/-1. This great hardness has two major advantages; firstly it means the cutting edge can be taken to a high degree of thinness thus resulting in an exceptionally fine silky smooth sharpness. Secondly, the hardened high-speed steel will have considerably longer edge retention than a traditional high carbon core. Such hard durable material must be sandwiched between soft outer layers which imbue the blade with its third major benefit, easy resharpening.
The handles are triple-riveted using laminated rosewood which is smooth yet ergonomic to hold and wield.
The Artisan Collection proved a powerful contributing factor in making Japanese Knife Company popular amongst hard-working chefs and knife collectors alike when the company was in its infancy. The knives of the JKC Artisan Collection have long been favoured by committed knife enthusiasts for their superb balance and classic sleek look.
SANTOKU (San – 3 & Toku – benefit): This is the classic Japanese chef’s knife. It is flat from the handle end for about ½ way to the tip and then gently curves to a point. It is ideal for straight vertical chopping, horizontal slicing and roll cutting. Function – Multi-purpose chef knife. For Slicing, Dicing and Mincing of vegetables, meat and fish. Normal length – 165mm to 180mm (smaller 140mm are available in a few collections) Tip: The 170mm/180mm is the most popular multipurpose knife.
