Handcrafted Japanese knives at HAMONO are meticulously made by skilled Japanese artisans using premium steels such as SG2, VG10, Aogami (Blue Paper Steel), and Shirogami (White Paper Steel)... Each blade is a work of art, offering exceptional hardness, superior edge retention far beyond ordinary knives, and embodying a legacy of refined craftsmanship.

Each type of steel has its own advantages and disadvantages, in general:

- Carbon steel: Extremely sharp and easy to sharpen, but requires careful maintenance to prevent rust. Best suited for professional knife enthusiasts who appreciate the art of knives and know how to properly care for them.

- Stainless steel: Highly resistant to rust, convenient, and easy to maintain while still retaining excellent sharpness. However, it is generally harder to sharpen than carbon steel. Ideal for home use, busy individuals, or those who prefer low-maintenance knives.

You can find more details in our article or watch a comparison video of representative steel types here

• Usually, when wanting to own their first Japanese kitchen knife, people often aim for a multi-purpose knife that can do many things such as: cutting, slicing, filleting, peeling, etc.
• There are many multi-purpose Japanese kitchen knives such as: Santoku, Gyuto, Kiritsuke, Utility, Nakiri, Petty, etc. Among them, Gyuto and Santoku are the most popular choices for people wanting to own their first Japanese kitchen knife. So, what are the differences between Gyuto and Santoku? And Which one should you choose between these two? Let's find out together in the video below!
  
  Watch the video for details here

What are double-edged and single-edged knives?

• There are two types of knife blade structures: "double-edged (Ryoba) and single-edged (Kataba)".
• A Ryoba is a knife with blades on both the left and right sides. On the other hand, a Kataba refers to a knife with only one blade. one blade on one side (left or right). Two-edged kitchen knives are commonly used in everyday households. Here, we will use the Santoku knife to represent the two-edged kitchen knife. The Santoku knife is the most commonly used type of knife in households because it is very easy to use with a sharp and versatile blade. On the other hand, many types of Japanese knives such as the Deba knife and Sashimi knife is a single-bladed knife.
  
  See details here

This is more accurately referred to as a Damascus-patterned steel knife. The distinctive patterns are created by layering multiple types of steel, producing a unique aesthetic effect while also enhancing the blade’s toughness. In reality, the Damascus pattern itself does not determine the sharpness of the knife; the key factor lies in the core steel inside the blade (such as VG10, Blue Steel,...).

You can explore more details in the article or video here