[New post] The Ultimate and Best Japanese Slicing Knife, the “Flesh Slicer” aka Sujihiki
Greg Taniguchi posted: " You have the Shake Weight, a George Foreman grill, and a Snuggie from your late-night infomercial purchases. Except what has been missing from your life/knife rack is the ultimate slicing-specific knife that you will not have to purchase in the next 30 m" Oishii Desu "It's Delicious"
You have the Shake Weight, a George Foreman grill, and a Snuggie from your late-night infomercial purchases. Except what has been missing from your life/knife rack is the ultimate slicing-specific knife that you will not have to purchase in the next 30 minutes.
The Slap Chop might have saved you from dicing, chopping, and mincing, but if you want the ultimate turkey, roast, chicken breast, or steak slicer, the sujihiki, a Japanese/Western knife variant is what you want. The sujihiki is a variant of the knife used by sushi chefs (a yanagiba) and it is specially designed to slice up flesh which is why they call it a sujihiki (flesh/muscle slicer).
I make it easy for you by providing you all the top sujihiki (sue-gee-he-key, and the pronunciation) Japanese knife brands and top sellers all in one place. So there is no need to worry about unscrupulous knife dealers or falling victim to deceptive Chinese knives marketed as a Japanese knife.
I have done all the vetting for you to help you find the best sujihiki for you.
Yu Kurosaki R2(SG2) is from "Echizen," the historical area in Fukui prefecture which includes Takefu city, one of the Japanese knife capitals. The kitchen knives made in the Echizen are called Echizen Uchi Hamono, and the art of making Japanese kitchen knives has a history of about 700 years.
If you already own a Ginsu knife, you are probably questioning what makes a sujihiki the ultimate all-purpose slicing knife, well here you go
Japanese steels: the use of high-quality Japanese steel and specialized steels intended for slicing (holds a sharper edge).
Japanese design with a Western influence: the sujihiki is a distinctively Japanese design with a long and thin blade that creates less friction on the blade when slicing (no need for a Granton edge like on wider knife blades).
A variant used by sushi chefs: the sujihiki is a variant of the yanagiba, a knife you will see almost all sushi chefs using for cutting fish (sashimi) to makizushi (rolls).
Ease of use: the sujihiki is a double beveled blade that allows for ambidextrous and ease of use, unlike the yanagiba's single bevel design, which requires more skill to wield proficiently.
I know most of you are not the infomercial type looking for gimmicks, and the bulk of you are very particular with your tools and how you utilize them. So I have broken down the specifics of a sujihiki into every possible detail to make it worthy of your knife rack, which already has purpose-specific knives like your boning knife, bread knife, and filleting knife.
What is a sujihiki used for?
Unlike the yanagiba (willow leaf blade) that Japanese sushi chefs use, the sujihiki is an ambidextrous version because it is a double-beveled blade versus the single bevel design of a yanagiba. So with a sujihiki, it does not matter if you are right or left-handed, and it is also what makes the sujihiki a more versatile and easier knife to use for slicing.
A sujihiki is a Japanese style slicing knife which is great for boneless protein such as slicing steaks, roasts, chicken breasts, and soft foods (that soufflé is not going to slice itself).
Also great for soft fruits, no rinds, like a melon. In that case, you better bust out your hefty German blades.
Carving vs. a slicing knife vs. a sujihiki
Lumping a sujihiki into either a slicing or carving knife classification that Western style knives are judged by would be lazy on my end because a sujihiki is a mixture of the two.
Qualities of both a carving knife and a slicing knife, but with a Japanese approach and the inherent characteristics of Japanese knives.
Carving knife: the carving knife has a pointed tip, to carve, cut up, and break down a carcass and large slabs of meat like a roast, lechon (a roasted pig), to a thanksgiving turkey. Although, in comparison to a sujihiki, the extent you will want to use a sujihiki is merely for trimming and slicing.
Slicing knife: a Western-style slicing knife typically has a rounded tip (to not pierce the meat), Granton edges (minimizes surface friction), is long (10"+) and not tapered, with some flexibility to the blade. In comparison to the sujihiki, the firm blade allows you to gently pull it through, and the slicing knife you move back and forth with a downward motion.
Sujihiki: the main difference between a sujihiki and a carving knife is that the sujihiki is for working with boneless protein (fillets), and the sujihiki is like the carving knife. Although, the sujihiki is thinner and utilizes specific steels to provide and hold a super-sharp edge for slicing (edge retention), more so than most slicing knives.
I really do want a knife that matches the color of some Emo persons soul.
Types of steel/brands used by Japanese knife makers
Aside from the production methods, the type and quality of Japanese steel used by Japanese knife makers are partially why Japanese knives are popular.
Japanese steelsare known globally for their quality and it is partially what sets Japanese knives apart from all other knife makers.
The steels used are not exclusively Japanese, and some producers such as Misono have sought out and utilized Swedish Stainless Steel for their line of products, although most use Japanese steel.
The top Japanese knife makers use steel from the leading Japanese steel producers, from Aichi Steel Corp, Hitachi Metals Ltd., to Takefu Special Steel Co. Ltd.
The types of steels used(the spectrum)by Japanese knife makers: on one end is stainless steel (where chromium is added for corrosion resistance/prevent rusting). The other end are high carbon knives which are prone to rusting, but are very hard (sharper and longer lasting edge retention).
Here are a few of the Japanese steelsused by Japanese knife makers: SLD (by Hitachi), VG-1, VG-10 (by Takefu), AUS-10, ACUTO440 (Aichi), Shirogami 1/2/3 and Aogami 1/2 (white and blue steel by Hitachi), and ZDP-189 (also by Hitachi), a Japanese super steel made of a powder metallurgy, R-2 (Kobelco).
These are all the top sellers of Japanese sujihiki knives
I round up the top online Japanese and American online knife dealers and aggregate them all into one page (I also add in dealers for harder to find products).
For us Americans, you are looking at the Mandingo 11.8", 10.6", and modest yet confident 9.4" sujihiki.
Size matters when you have a large pork butt to contend with
A yanagiba and sujihiki are used primarily for slicing boneless protein such as beef (roasts and steaks) and pork (shoulders), although they have limitations. Like in South Park, they know American slicing blades are very, very, very large, whereas a Japanese knife is more petite (typically 9.4" and up to 12.9"). So slicing up larger roasts will benefit from the longer and typical 12"-14" and more bulbous Western-style slicing knives (although some can really work a sujihiki).
Deciding on the best size for a sujihiki
The appropriate size all comes down to personal preference although there are a number of generalizations that I will provide below to help make it easier for you to decide on the right size blade.
A very utilitarian size is a 240mm (9.4") although if you have similar sized gyuto, petty, or chef knife, you may want to go bigger to round out your arsenal.
A popular size for a yanagiba and sujihiki is 270mm (10.6").
For novices, it is good to start on the smaller side 240-270mm (9.4"-10.6") although for seasoned pro's this is also a popular size range.
If you plan on cutting large roasts, a magnum sized 300mm (11.8") is probably your best bet, unless you have a tiny kitchen or confined workstation, then it will harder to wield.
Deciding on a sujihiki
With Japanese products, you get what you pay for and the products are priced accordingly. There is no shell game of sales or was $2,700, now only $299 (like Chinese brands).
The bulk, if not all of these knives are made in Japan. Why does that matter? Culturally, you are getting a product that reflects Japans culture which emphasizes craft (many of the individuals and companies who produce these products having been doing it for decades and are often multi-generational), quality (consistency is why most Japanese car brands lead on reliability), and value (as stated above, you get a fair price for what you are getting).
You just need to decide on a product you like in a price range you can afford because regardless if it is a $95 or a $1,382, you are a getting a quality knife with a ton of value either in its durability or the craftsmanship that went into the product.
The Fujiwara Kanefusa, the blade an average salaryman could afford from a 25 generations old Japanese swordsmith.
The Fujiwara(FKH) is a Japanese made blade for only $63.99 (pictured above). This knife is also an example of Japanese brands which represent value and why the Acura/Honda NSX is legendary (NA1/2). The car was 3x's ($62k) cheaper than a Ferrari TR ($195k), yet had the reliability, performance, and drivability of a Honda (I can keep on going with cars, but I will stop here).
Sujihiki knives from $50-$150
If you work BOH and you are just starting out, or you are an avid cook, this price range offers up and solid range of products with ton of value that the Japanese are known for.
Top Row: The first two are the same knives, but I wanted to include the two different dealers imagery, Lower Left: Kanetsugu Pro M, Lower Right: Tojiro DP3.
I can bet you that the knives featured here in this price segment are the ones preparing your food around the globe in kitchens to the back of the house of restaurants of all sizes.
270mm (10.6") Hitachi SK-4 Japanese high carbon steel. The material makes extreme sharpness, HRC 58-59, very good edge holding and high working hardness.
240mm (9.4") White #2 carbon steel, the knife is then clad with reactive Damascus steel for a beautiful-looking blade that will gain character as patina forms on the blade with use.
Pricing and availability are subject to change.
Sujihiki knives from $150-$350
You do not have to spend much and all price ranges offer up a quality product, and the higher you go, the more attention to detail are given. Those details are in the handle and ferrule materials, along with the types of steels used will match the price point.
240mm (9.4") made with SRK8 steel which is an alloy that boasts some similarities to Hitachi Shirogami #2. In the case of SRK8, chrome and nickel are added for extra toughness and resilience. The steel is heat-treated to HRC 63+.
240mm (9.4") - Hocho or 240mm (9.4") - CKTG Non-Stick Coating VG10 "KUROKAGE" knives are coated with fluorine resin on VG10 core blade to prevent being adhered and to get extreme surface smoothness.
240mm (9.4") R2(Super Gold 2 or R2) micro carbide powder stainless steel. *Please be noted that the hand crafted stock is extremely limited.
Pricing and availability are subject to change.
Sujihiki knives from $350-$650
In Japan, you really do not have to pay much to get stellar service or great food, so when you do pay, you get a world-class service and a product that is usually beyond that of most competing products.
Top Left: Masamoto SW, Top Right: Yu Kurosaki Shizuku, Bottom Left: Misono UX10, Bottom Right: Yu Kurosaki Senko.
270mm (10.6") Crafted out of SG2 (Super Gold 2 or R2) micro carbide powder stainless steel, one of the hardest blade steel in the world, which provides excellent rust resistance and a long-lasting edge as well as its beautifulness.
240mm (9.4") Kurosaki-san has used SG2 powdered metallurgical stainless steel as the core steel. This is covered, san-mai style, with a stainless steel cladding. The core steel is hardened to 62 HRC.
Pricing and availability are subject to change.
Sujihiki knives from $650-$1,250+
At this price point, it would not be odd to mount your knife to your wall as a showpiece due to the craftsmanship and as an appreciation to metallurgy.
There are some brands who hype the box their knife comes in, but this is the modest box you get for a $1K Japanese knife.
270mm (10.6") Limited edition custom series SMT-187 R-2 custom damascus powdered metallurgy high speed tool steel, called "R-2" (manufactured by Kobelco, a subsidiary of Kobe Steel ltd).
275mm (10.8") R-2 Powdered High Speed Tool Steel for the cutting edge of his knives (HRc. 62). Each one of Mr. Itou's knives is a unique 'one-off', or 'one-of-a-kind' knife, that is 100% custom handmade and hammer forged.
240mm (9.4") 33 Layered Damascus blade is comprised of a Japanese R2 (SG2 or Super Gold 2) micro carbide powder stainless steel. It is one of the hardest blade steels in the world, min.63 Rockwell scale (HRC).
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