| The oldest known Japanese chef knife is
over 1200 years old. However, even 1200 years ago, individual
knives and special cutting techniques were employed for cutting
different types of food. Today’s Japanese chef knives
are fashioned by techniques that were originally developed for
making katana or traditional samurai swords. The shift
from sword-crafting to knife-crafting began in the mid-nineteenth
century in response to Commodore Perry’s forced opening
of Japan’s borders to Western trade. After World War II,
General MacArthur totally banned Japanese sword-making, which
forced large numbers of highly skilled craftsmen to turn their
skills and attention to the fashioning of kitchen knives. So,
for inspiration, the dedicated sword craftsmen began to look
to the ambitious creations of creative chefs. In this way, they
soon elevated Japanese knives to a state of universal renown.
Many centuries later, the "unforgettable sharpness"
of the katana is still the distinguishing mark of the Japanese
knife. |