Coutelier Blog

Everything we've learned about Japanese knives, from the cooks and craftspeople who use them. Whether you're buying your first gyuto, learning to sharpen on a whetstone, or going deep on steel and makers, our guides are here to help you choose well and care for what you own.

Guides

Sujihiki and yanagiba slicing knives side by side on slate with a block of sashimi-grade tuna

Sujihiki vs. Yanagiba: Which Japanese Slicing Knife Do You Actually Need?

Two long, narrow Japanese knives sit next to each other in our case. Both are slicers. Both run 240mm to 300mm. From across the room they look like the same...

Sujihiki vs. Yanagiba: Which Japanese Slicing Knife Do You Actually Need?

Two long, narrow Japanese knives sit next to each other in our case. Both are slicers. Both run 240mm to 300mm. From across the room they look like the same...

Bunka knife with a tall blade and angled reverse-tanto tip on a maple cutting board beside a halved red onion

What Is a Bunka? The Japanese All-Rounder With the Sharp Tip

If you've looked at Japanese knives in the last few years, you've seen the bunka. It's the one that looks like a santoku someone sharpened to a point: same compact...

What Is a Bunka? The Japanese All-Rounder With the Sharp Tip

If you've looked at Japanese knives in the last few years, you've seen the bunka. It's the one that looks like a santoku someone sharpened to a point: same compact...

Kiritsuke knife with a flat profile and angled tip on a cutting board

What Is a Kiritsuke? The Head Chef's Knife, Explained

Every Japanese knife shape has a job. The gyuto is the all-rounder, the petty handles detail work, the nakiri is for vegetables. The kiritsuke is different: it's the shape with...

What Is a Kiritsuke? The Head Chef's Knife, Explained

Every Japanese knife shape has a job. The gyuto is the all-rounder, the petty handles detail work, the nakiri is for vegetables. The kiritsuke is different: it's the shape with...

Stainless steel yakumi pan with six compartments holding prepped garnishes

What Is a Yakumi Pan? The Mise en Place Tool Pro Kitchens Swear By

Walk the line in a sushi bar or a serious Japanese restaurant and you'll notice the same object at every station: a low stainless steel tray with a lift-off lid,...

What Is a Yakumi Pan? The Mise en Place Tool Pro Kitchens Swear By

Walk the line in a sushi bar or a serious Japanese restaurant and you'll notice the same object at every station: a low stainless steel tray with a lift-off lid,...

Moritaka Aogami Super kurouchi knife showing the dark blacksmith finish

Aogami Super: The Steel Behind Moritaka's 700-Year-Old Forge

Spend any time researching Japanese knives and one steel name keeps surfacing: Aogami Super. It shows up in forums, in reviews, and all over our own shop — most notably...

Aogami Super: The Steel Behind Moritaka's 700-Year-Old Forge

Spend any time researching Japanese knives and one steel name keeps surfacing: Aogami Super. It shows up in forums, in reviews, and all over our own shop — most notably...

Close-up of the layered Damascus pattern on a Japanese knife blade

Damascus Steel Knives: What the Pattern Really Means (and Whether It's Worth It)

Few words sell knives like "Damascus." The flowing, water-like pattern in the steel looks like something out of a legend, and listings lean on it hard, often with prices to...

Damascus Steel Knives: What the Pattern Really Means (and Whether It's Worth It)

Few words sell knives like "Damascus." The flowing, water-like pattern in the steel looks like something out of a legend, and listings lean on it hard, often with prices to...