Japanese knives have quite a reputation for being of great quality, but what about Kamikoto knives?
Do they live up to the hype that’s around them? That’s exactly what we’re going to examine in this article today.
Basically, we’ll go over the pros and cons of this range, so you’ll know whether to spend your hard-earned cash on a Kamikoto knife.
By the time you finish reading, you should know everything that you need to know to decide for yourself.
Single Bevel Vs Double Bevel Knives
Before we start talking about the knives themselves, there’s an important difference to understand.
This is the difference between single bevel and double bevel knives. But first, what is a bevel?
Basically, a bevel is the angled section that has been ground down to form the knife’s edge. It looks like a very slight slope on the knife’s blade, ending in the cutting edge.
A knife can have a bevel on both edges or on just one. You might hear single bevel knives called “chisel blades”.
Western-style knives typically have them on both sides, making the double bevel knives.
However, it’s common for Japanese knives to be single bevel, meaning that they have a bevel on only one side. Kamikoto knives are single bevel knives.
What difference does this make? The main advantage of a single bevel knife is that it can be made extremely sharp.
This is because they only need to be honed on one of their sides, which makes it easier to create a sharper angle.
This is vital in Japanese cooking because it often requires that ingredients be sliced into extremely thin, unbroken pieces.
This includes ingredients like daikon, fish for sashimi, meat, and others.
You’ll find that you need to learn a slightly different cutting technique when using a single bevel knife.
This might be off-putting for some, but once you’ve got the hang of it (which shouldn’t take long), you’ll be up and running.
You’ll also find that you have a level of control and precision that you just don’t get from double bevel knives.
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Kuro Knife Set
This is one of Kamikoto’s higher end sets. The blades of these incredible knives aren’t made of steel, but of zirconium dioxide – a material usually used to simulate diamonds.
They’re black (hence the name Kuro – the Japanese word for black). More importantly, zirconium dioxide blades are extremely hard, sharp, and durable.
They will keep their cutting edge long after most other knives have turned dull.
They provide the highest possible level of performance that even professional chefs will be impressed by.
However, this does come with a couple of caveats.
You’ll need to be careful with the blades – don’t use them to cut through hard objects, or try to crush things with the flat of the blade.
This is because twisting or flexing the blade can damage it.
You’ll also want to wash and dry them carefully before storing. However, if you use it in the way they were intended to be used, then the value relative to the price is outstanding.
Also available on Kamikoto’s website.
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Kanpeki Knife Set
This knife set from Kamikoto is one of its most popular products. It’s the most traditional of their offerings.
If you want to use authentic Japanese cutlery blades yourself, it’s worth buying. The high-quality stainless steel knives are extremely sharp and durable.
You’ll also find that they resist corrosion excellently, meaning that they’ll be able to last for a long time. You’ll get three knives in this set. They are:
- An 8.5-inch slicing knife, and a good replacement for a chef’s large knife. It’s ideal for precise cuts of meats and fish, meaning that you’ll have a great time using this to make sashimi, or cutting meat ready for shabu-shabu.
- A 7-inch nakiri knife. These thin, flat knives are traditionally used for cutting vegetables. This one does that particularly well, and the medium-sized, ultra-sharp blade is perfect for getting the best possible control and precision. For that reason, you can also use it if you’re trying to cut your vegetables into interesting or unusual shapes.
- A 5-inch utility knife. Anything that the slicers or nakiris can’t handle can be handled by the utility knife. It’s particularly useful for mincing onions, cloves of garlic, and herbs.
<p “=”” and=”” those=”” three=”” knives=”” are=”” packaged=”” in=”” a=”” beautiful=”” wooden=”” box=”” with=”” certificate=”” of=”” authenticity=”” from=”” the=”” manufacturer.=”” pp=””>Kamikoto believes its knives are good enough to warrant offering a lifetime warranty, so your investment is safe. <p “=”” the=”” kanpeki=”” set=”” is=”” top=”” choice=”” among=”” knives=”” from=”” kamikoto.=”” it=”” gives=”” you=”” a=”” lot=”” of=”” value=”” for=”” your=”” money,=”” and=”” three=”” different=”” makes=”” very=”” versatile=”” package.=”” pp=””>You’ll be able to do most things that you’d need to do to prepare Japanese (or other) cuisine very effectively with the Kanpeki set.