Hanzo Katana Japanese Chef Knife Review
July 8, 2019 Small Kitchen Appliances

Hanzo Katana Chef knifeThe Hanzo Katana Japanese Chef Knife is the most indispensable and and versatile knife for professional chefs and home cooks alike.

It’s unique sharp edge is ideal to cut or chop vegetables and meat.

This precision Japanese steel chef knife is hand crafted at the Hanzo foundry in Takefu, Japan  from the highest quality Japanese steel.

These knives are made by swordsmiths using centuries-old manufacturing techniques.

As a result of the quality materials and craftsmanship, this will ensure the end product is the best quality that will retain a sharp edge and last for many years.

The process to make Japaese Steel is the same centuries-old process used to make samurai swords.  Making Hanzo knives therefore, is a time-consuming art form and not a cheap mass production process.

This achieves a perfect balance, sharpness, and cutting experience, and the swordsmiths use the centuries-old Damascus tempering  process to achieve the unique lines and shapes on each Hanzo Katana knive.

 

 

Why Use Hanzo Japanese Chef Knives in Your Kitchen?

 

Hanzo believes in the desire to bring these precision Japanese steel kitchen knives into every home; and to achieve this goal, they removed the middleman and sell directly to the consumer from the factory.

The Japanese chef knife is designed to be an extension of the user’s hand, and not just a kitchen knife.  This will inspire confidence and creativity in the kitchen, whether you are cutting meat, chopping vegetables or removing fish from the bone.

 

Features:

  • PERFORMANCE – Best in class performance, durability and comfort for professional chefs, home cooks and culinary enthusiasts. Ancient craftmanship combines with modern technology.   This results in a Japanese chef knife with perfect balance and feel.
  • SHARPNESS – The Hanzo Katana Japanese steel blade is scalpel sharp out of the box. The high carbon VG10 steel stays sharp 4x longer than stainless steel knives, which prevents rusting and staining. The gyuto blade allows for smooth cutting with little effort.   The triple riveted full tang gives the knife strength durability and power.
  • COMFORT GRIP – This knife feels sturdy to hold, but not too light-weight nor too heavy. The outstanding balance and ergonomic design reduce wrist fatigue and finger strain. 
  • STUNNING – Hanzo knives are unique and individual. Handmade by craftsmen using centuries old manufacturing techniques.  The swirl marks are the artisans unique signature.  
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 VG-10 Damascus Steel

 

Hanzo knife made from Damascus steel

 

Many years ago, Damascus steel, was used to refer to the high quality hard carbon steel made in Damascus, Syria.

Today, the notation Damascus steel refers to a specific high grade of sharp Japanese steel, made in the same tradition as the high quality ancient steel.  Hanzo continues this tradition with their Katana Japanese Chef knife, which is made from high quality hard carbon Damascus steel.

VG-10 is cutlery grade stainless steel. The designation V Gold 10, or “Gold Standard” means high quality stainless steel has a high carbon content for extra strength and durability to maintain sharpness, containing the following materials:

 

  • 1% Carbon
  • 15% Chromium
  • 1% Molybdenum
  • 0.2% Vanadium
  • 1.5% Cobalt
  • 0.5% Manganese

 

VG10 stainless steel tends to hold a sharp edge that doesn’t need sharpening often and resists rust, compared to lesser quality stainless steel materials.

 

About the Blade 

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  • UltraEdg blade honed razor sharp out of the box.
  • Japanese Takefu 67 ply VG10 Core Damascus steel.
  • High carbon 1% steel for outstanding sharpness, yet won’t stain or rust.
  • 60+ Rockwell for perfect hardness.
  • Cryogenically treated blade for edge retention.
  • Polished heel and spine for comfort.

 

About the Handle:

  • UltraComfort™ G10 handle that fits your hand for precision cutting.
  • Designed to be an extension of your own hand.
  • European style handle for control.
  • Tapered bolster for cutting speed.
  • Hand Crafted using highest quality centuries-old manufacturing standards.

Japanese Ckef's knife

How Japanese Chef Knives are Made?

 

Hanzo Katana kitchen knife with temper marks

 

This is my personal Hanzo Katana Japanse chef knife.  The swirls and lines in the stainless steel blade are not stains or blemishes.  This is the craftsman’s signature that he  applies using clay.  Each craftsman has his own designs and none are identical.  The temper marks are baked onto the steel at high temperature.

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Each swordsmith takes pride in the centuries-old manufacturing process.  The temper marks on the blade is a form of signature of the swordsmith.

Each blade maker has their own tempering patterns, to distinguish their kitchen knives from the other swordsmiths.  No two patters are identical.

 

In this unique video, you will see a demonstration of painstaking centuries-old process to hand craft a Hanzo Katana Japanese Chef knife:

 

  • pounding and shaping the Japanese stainless steel,
  • sanding the metal to a smooth consistency,
  • seeing the swordsman apply the unique temper marks and
  • finally applying the handle.

 

Precise Gyuto Cutting Edge

Hanzo Katana Chef knife with gyuto blade

 

This precision Japanese chef knife is made with a precise gyuto cutting edge on both sides of the blade, (meaning beef sword in Japanese) , is used for cutting meat and vegetables.

The Santoku knife (translates to three-virtues or culture knife in Japanese).  It is for cutting vegetables or fish.

This Japanese knife-making technique therefore, is quite different from the German or American chef knives, in which only the tip is sharpened.

After the tempering process is complete, the knife maker sands the edges on both sides of the knife.

This helps to achieve a perfectly sharp edge on both sides of the blade, and not just the tip.

The Hanzo Katana is designed to be a extension of your hand, rather than a tool that is in your hand.  This allows the user to slice right through the meat or vegetables with one straight motion, rather than the sawing motion used with German or American steel blades.

 

You can check my Hanzo Japanese Chef Knife Video Review Here

Made with an Ergonomic Handle

Hanzo knife handleThe Hanzo Katana Japanese Chef Knife is fitted with an ergonomic designed handle, so they feels natural in the user’s hand while cutting or chopping, and won’t come lose or fall off.

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You can have the best quality knife, but if the shape of the knife or handle doesn’t feel natural in your hand, consequently may not enjoy using it,  or the knife won’t perform as well as it should.

The Hanzo Katana blade feels sturdy and balanced in your hand, but not overly heavy.

Most noteworthy, it’s not top heavy, meaning the blade is too heavy making cutting or chopping difficult, nor is the handle bulky or awkward feeling, which can affect the way you chop with it.

 

What’s in the Katana Series 

 

Hanzo Katana Series

 

The Hanzo Katana Series includes the following knives:

  • 9.5″ Gyuto Chef Knife
  • 9″ Serrated Knife
  • 8″ Gyuto Chef Knife
  • 7″ Santoku Knife
  • 3.75″ Paring Knife

 

What’s the Warranty

  • All Hanzo knives are backed up by a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects.
  • Hanzo guarantees your VG10 steel will be sharp right out of the box.
  • With proper care, the knives will remain sharp for an extended time. When the sharpness of your knife does not meet your standards please contact us for information on sharpening your knives or help finding a sharpening service.

 

Where to Buy the Hanzo Katana Japanese Chef Knife

The Hanzo Japanese chef knife is not sold in stores.  This allows the manufacturer to eliminate extra cost of shipping product to a distribution warehouse.

They sell the knife to you directly, because without the extra markup there is no large and expensive footprint or extra handing fees to increase the price.  This allow you to get a professional chef knife for under $200.

 

You can also purchase a Japaneses Chef Knife at Amazon.

 

 

How to get a 20% Discount

 

Click here to enter your email and get a special 20% discount code.

This code can be used when purchasing the Hanzo Katana Chef Knives from Hanzo and from Amazon.

 

 

"2" Comments
  1. Is this Hanzo Katana Japanese Chef knife is perfect for deboning meat? Japanese knives are perfect for cutting.

  2. I preferred any knife made of VG-10 steel

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