Best Japanese Knife Tips and Tricks for Beginners!

Learning the best Japanese knife techniques is part of being a good chef. Made with the same traditional Japanese methods used for katana, hōchō will last you many years if you know how to take care of and use them properly.

With so much online information, it’s easy to get confused, especially if you’re more familiar with Western knives. Don’t worry, we’re here to narrow everything down for you. Here are the most essential tips and tricks for the best Japanese knife practices!

Be precise and sharp with your cuts.

First and most importantly, NEVER use a dull knife. Even the best Japanese-style steel blades will blunt over time. Besides jagged edges and compromised taste, they force cooks to use more pressure, leading to a higher risk of accidents. We suggest sharpening them frequently and learning how to hold them correctly. 

Using your dominant hand’s index finger and thumb, grip the chef’s knife at the balance point instead of the handle. Keep those fingers off the spine unless you’re slicing diagonally. Curl your other hand on the food item, keeping the middle finger as a guide. And always be gentle, especially if you want to keep your digits intact. 

Do not cut bone, frozen foods, or hard seeds. 

Even the most cutting-edge knives will get damaged when used for the wrong things. Use a meat cleaver or a heavy-duty blade if you’re making something involving bone. Remove hard seeds with a spoon; nick the shells with a small, thin knife, and peel the rest off if that’s not an option.

Never cut frozen foods since it’s difficult to gauge the ingredient’s firmness accurately and easy to chip the blade and hurt yourself. We recommend always thawing freezer items first before cutting them, especially root vegetables or meat. Use a cleaver or a meat saw if you’re short on time.

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Use the correct cutting boards. 

Another secret to a good knife? Using the right cutting board. Materials make a difference; boards made of wood or plastic, especially polyvinyl acetate (PVA), are easier on the blades and clean better. Use different boards for different ingredients (you can use the classic color-coding method) and always clean after use. 

What about metal or glass cutting boards? The answer is a hard no. Metal boards will dull and/or scratch stainless steel blades, and glass boards have the same issue, but they have an added risk of injury from the knives sliding on their slippery surfaces. Finally, there’s a higher risk of food contamination from metal chips in both cases.

Choose the right knife for the right job.

A good Japanese chef knows which tools to use for which task. Cleavers and heftier Japanese blades like the gyuto (beef knife) should be reserved for larger items like big slabs of meat or tough vegetables. Use them for rougher chops or oversized pieces in stews, soups, pickling, or other less detailed recipes.

We recommend the usuba (thin blade) or the yanagiba (willow leaf blade) for jobs involving small or delicate items such as herbs and fish. Finally, the petty knife is excellent if you want something more versatile and easier to handle, especially for beginners. 

Take proper care of your knife. 

It’s easy to think of all knives as the same, but that’s not true. The hōchōs’ high carbon steel blades make them both sharper and more fragile than their Western counterparts. We’ve already mentioned a few tips, including only using knives for their assigned tasks and regularly sharpening them, but here are a few more. 

Keep your knives clean and dry to avoid contamination and iron oxidation (which will eventually lead to rust). Hand-wash your knives as much as possible; the hot temperatures and high-pressure water jets will knock them about, causing chips and damage to wooden handles. It’s better to take action now and save them rather than spend time and money replacing them later.

Why should I know how to use a Japanese knife correctly? 

Made by craftsmen using Japanese steels and traditional techniques, hōchō need to be handled with care and attention. Not only will these tips increase the blades’ longevity, but it will keep both the chefs using them and the people tasting their meals safe.  

Finally, learning the uses and needs of specific utensils is best practice for a chef, whether a beginner or a professional. Knowing which board to pair with a petty or when to use a gyuto will help the cook make informed decisions and improve their expertise. Everyone impacted by well-maintained hōchō will be happy in the long run.

The best Japanese knife will last longer if you use it correctly. Whether it’s choosing the right cutting surface, what foods to avoid chopping, or how to hold it properly, knowing these techniques makes all the difference. Once you master and use them regularly, you’re halfway to becoming a skilled chef. How do you take care of your Japanese knives? Share your tips in the comments.