Japanese Knife Glossary: Terms & Anatomy

Blade anatomy

Edge: The sharpened cutting part of the blade, where the two faces meet at the apex. See single vs double bevel.
Bevel: The angled face ground into the blade to form the edge. Japanese knives are either single- or double-bevel. See single vs double bevel.
Spine: The thick, unsharpened top of the blade, opposite the edge; its thickness affects weight and how the knife wedges.
Tip: The pointed front of the blade, used for detail work and piercing.
Heel: The rear corner of the edge nearest the handle, used for heavier cuts with more force.
Belly: The curved part of the edge; more belly suits rocking, a flatter profile suits straight chopping.
Tang: The part of the blade steel that extends into the handle. Full/partial tangs are riveted (yo); a hidden tang is friction-fitted (wa). See wa vs yo handle.
Choil: The unsharpened notch or curve where the edge ends and the heel meets the handle.
Urasuki裏すき: The concave hollow on the back of a single-bevel knife that makes the edge keen and food release cleanly. See single vs double bevel.

Gyuto牛刀: The Japanese chef's knife — a long, pointed, curved all-rounder for almost everything. See gyuto vs santoku.
Santoku三徳: A shorter, flatter home all-rounder with a rounded tip; nimble and easy to control. See gyuto vs santoku.
Bunka文化: A santoku-sized all-rounder finished with an angular k-tip (reverse tanto) for detail work. See bunka guide.
Nakiri菜切: A tall, flat, double-bevel vegetable knife for clean straight-down chopping. See nakiri guide.
Usuba薄刃: The traditional single-bevel vegetable knife — the professional, harder-to-use cousin of the nakiri.
Pettyペティ: A small utility knife for peeling, trimming and detail — part paring knife, part mini chef's knife. See petty guide.
Sujihiki筋引: A long, thin, double-bevel slicer for carving meat and portioning fish. See sujihiki guide.
Yanagiba柳刃: A long single-bevel slicer for cutting sashimi in one clean pull. See yanagiba guide.
Deba出刃: A thick, heavy single-bevel knife for breaking down whole fish. See deba guide.
Honesuki骨スキ: A stiff, pointed boning knife, most associated with breaking down poultry.
Kiritsuke切付: A hybrid shape with an angular tip; a double-bevel version works as a stylish all-rounder.
Pankiriパン切り: A serrated Japanese bread knife that saws through crust without crushing the crumb. See bread knife guide.

Carbon steel: Non-stainless steel that takes a very keen edge and sharpens easily, but rusts and reacts unless cared for. See carbon steel care.
Stainless steel: Chromium-rich steel that resists rust and needs little maintenance; slightly harder to get screaming sharp than carbon. See steel guide.
Shirogami白紙: "White" carbon steel — very pure, takes an exceptionally keen edge, sharpens easily, but reactive. See steel guide.
Aogami青紙: "Blue" carbon steel — white steel plus tungsten/chromium for better edge retention and toughness. See steel guide.
VG10: A popular Japanese stainless steel — sharp, holds an edge well, easy to care for and to sharpen. See steel guide.
SG2 / R2: A powder (particle-metallurgy) stainless with a fine grain, long edge retention and stainless convenience. See SG2 / R2 guide.
HRC (hardness): Rockwell hardness. Japanese knives typically run ~60–63 HRC — harder than Western knives, so sharper and more edge-stable but more chip-prone. See hardness explained.
Patina: The stable grey-blue oxide layer a carbon blade develops with use, which protects it from red rust. See carbon steel care.
Reactivity: How readily a steel reacts with acidic food and moisture — high in carbon steels, negligible in stainless. See carbon steel care.

San mai三枚: "Three layers" — a hard steel core clad in two softer outer layers for a keen edge with more forgiveness.
Damascus墨流し: A layered, patterned cladding (suminagashi) that is largely decorative; the cutting core is a single steel.
Kurouchi黒打ち: The rustic black forge-scale finish left on the blade; traditional and low-cost, it also adds some rust resistance.
Tsuchime槌目: A hammered, dimpled finish that looks striking and can help food release from the blade.
Nashiji梨地: A textured "pear-skin" finish on the blade's cladding.
Honyaki本焼: A knife forged from a single piece of steel and differentially hardened — the most demanding, prized construction.
Single bevel: Ground on one side only; extremely keen and food-releasing, but handed and harder to sharpen. See single vs double bevel.
Double bevel: Ground on both sides like a Western knife; works in either hand and is easy to sharpen. See single vs double bevel.

Whetstone: A water stone used to sharpen Japanese knives, in progressive grits from coarse to fine. See how to sharpen.
Grit: The abrasiveness of a stone; low grit removes metal fast, high grit refines and polishes the edge. See how to sharpen.
Honing: Realigning a rolled edge with little metal removal — frequent upkeep, distinct from sharpening. See honing vs sharpening.
Stropping: Polishing and lightly realigning the edge on leather or a fine surface; a gentle way to maintain a hard edge. See honing vs sharpening.
Burr (wire edge): The tiny lip of metal raised on the far side of an edge as you sharpen; removing it finishes the edge. See how to sharpen.
Uraoshi裏押し: Lightly flattening the back of a single-bevel knife to remove the burr after sharpening the bevel. See single vs double bevel.

Wa handle和: The traditional Japanese wooden handle — light, often octagonal, friction-fitted, and replaceable. See wa vs yo handle.
Yo handle洋: The Western-style handle — heavier, riveted to the tang, often with a bolster; robust and secure. See wa vs yo handle.
Ho wood朴: Magnolia wood, the light, traditional material for many wa handles and saya (blade covers).

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