When you think of a good Japanese Knife manufacturer, a few names would probably pop into your mind. Shun Knives and Ginsu Knives are a few examples just to name a few. But when it comes to high-end Japanese blades, nothing can rival the good ol’ Kamikoto Knives.
Granted, the prices of Kamikoto Knives and cutlery items are pretty steep, even steeper than the likes of Yoshihiro Knives that are handcrafted and that use premium steel in their construction.
So, are Kamikoto Knives well-worth their price? Or should you opt for a cheaper Japanese brand? Find out through our Kamikoto knives review.
Kamikoto Knives Review Center 2021
Image | Kamikoto Knives | Rating |
---|---|---|
#1 - Kamikoto Kanpeki Knife Set | 99% | |
#2 - Kamikoto 7in. Santoku Chef Knife | 96% | |
#3 - Kamikoto Kensei Knife Set | 93% | |
#4 - Kamikoto Chuka Bocho Cleaver | 89% | |
#5 - Kamikoto Shogai Cutting Board | 85% |
Want to learn more?
Now that you’ve seen our top 5 recommendations, we’ll give you more detail on each of them, including why we liked them. When you’re ready, click the yellow button to get the best price on Amazon!
#1 – Kamikoto Kanpeki Knife Set
Are you a fan of bragging about your fancy kitchen items? If so, the Kamikoto Kanpeki Knife Set is what you need. The set comes in a beautiful wooden box, one that screams luxury and class, and it includes three blades; a Nakiri knife, slicing knife, and Kitchen Utility knife.
The wooden box isn’t the only beautiful element in the set, as the blades are equally appealing, with elegant, reserved lines and solid black handles. Just slap these Kamikoto knives on one of your Magnetic Knife Strips, and you’ll be able to show off the brand stamp and the classy, clean exterior of the blades for everything to witness how much you care about your kitchen.
The knives in this set are made of a particular type of steel that resists corrosion, which makes them easier to clean and maintain compared to other high-end blades. They’re also a bit heavier than what you’d expect from Japanese knives. In other words, while these knives won’t appeal to you if you’re looking for an authentic Japanese knife experience, they’d still get all your chopping, slicing, and dicing tasks done with ease.
As with most high-end knives, the blades in the Kamikoto Kanpeki Knife Set come razor-sharp out of the box and ready to take on any cutting task around the kitchen. To ensure longevity, make sure to hone them using a quality Knife Sharpener. If you’re not familiar with the Japanese blade sharpening techniques, do not hesitate to take your set to a local knife store.
What we like about it:
Although the wooden box could be a great selling point on its own, there are several other features that we love about the Kamikoto Kanpeki Knife Set. They are made of corrosion-resistant steel, they are well-balanced and comfortable to grip, and don’t require much maintenance, just some honing using a Sharpening Stone every now and then, and you’re good to go. Sure, the price is steep, but if you find this set on a sale, do not hesitate to get it.
#2 – Kamikoto 7in. Santoku Chef Knife
Featuring the same corrosion resistant steel used in the Kanpeki set reviewed above, the Kamikoto 7in. Santoku Chef Knife is a single beveled all-around knife that comes in a classy Natural-colored ash wooden box and that features a distinctive look that blends bold lines with classical stylings. Both the blade and the handle are satin finished to a stunning luster, which adds to the beauty of this Santoku.
Kamikoto Santoku is closed to an eastern chef’s knife than to traditional Japanese blades, with a thick, hefty blade that features a curved belly for perfect rocking motion, making this knife unsuitable for cutting veggies or chopping sausage, but well-suitable for a plethora of other applications.
As with the knives in the Kanpeki set, the Kamikoto 7in. Santoku Chef Knife is well-balanced despite being a bit heavy, giving you perfect control and maneuverability for all your chopping, slicing, and dicing tasks. What’s even more convenient is that it’s ultra-sharp out of the box, doesn’t require much maintenance and care, and food won’t stick to the blade when you’re cutting thanks to the single bevel design.
The single blade design of this knife gives you even more control of the cut for more sophisticated and precise cuts, like those needed for a perfect sushi dinner.
Again, as with other high-end blades, you have to sharpen this knife occasionally if you want it to perform well and last for years on end.
What we like about it:
The Kamikoto 7in. Santoku Chef Knife is another high-end, high-priced, and forgiving blade from the fancy Japanese manufacture, and it’s definitely worth considering if you’re looking for an all-purpose knife capable of taking care of all your cutting needs. Granted, the price is steep, but you’re getting a seamless blend of quality and class, making this knife a real bargain, especially for die-hard braggers looking to impress their guests with both aesthetics and performance.
#3 – Kamikoto Kensei Knife Set
Kamikoto knives are pure eye candy for the kitchen. Just display them on your counter, and compliments will pour down like rain. As with other Kamikoto sets, the Kensei knives don’t come in Knife Blocks. Instead, they’re delivered in a beautiful wooden box that adds to the style and elegance of the set.
As far as the knives themselves go, you get a Boning knife, that you can add to your Boning and Fillet Knives, and a Kiritsuke knife, which can be used as a Food Chopper or a Bread Slicer. Just like other Kamikoto knives, these blades have a certain heft to them, but they’re still well-balanced and easy to control.
The Kamikoto Kensei Knife Set offers an authentic traditional Japanese blade experience, with a single-bevel design that allows for precise and delicate cuts every time. Add that to the razor-sharp edge and the thin cutting angle, and you’ve got yourself a winner when it comes to high-precision cuts.
Like other high-end blades, you’ll have to hone these knives occasionally to extend their longevity. It’s simple, the edges in Kamikoto’s Kensei Knife Set will stay sharp for as long as you maintain them. If you don’t have experience with Japanese honing techniques, simply take your set to a local knife shop. The premium quality steel used in the Kensei Knife Set can last for years on end, so make sure to take maintenance seriously for the best results.
What we like about it
The main selling point of Kamikoto knives is their classy aesthetic and their brand name. The Kamikoto Kensei Knife Set is no different, as it packs a couple of aesthetically-appealing blades that are not only beautiful, but also razor sharp, efficient, and durable. The Kensei Knife Set includes a boning knife and a Kiritsuke knife, which means that it’s perfect for someone interested in the eastern cuisine, and can be a great addition to your Sushi Making Kits.
#4 – Kamikoto Chuka Bocho Cleaver
Although the Chuka Bocho is designed to be the perfect Meat Cleaver, there’s actually more to it, as it can be used for slicing vegetables and fruits as well. The Kamikoto Chuka Bocho Cleaver comes in a beautiful natural colored wooden box, which is the same you get with other Kamikoto knives. The same box that you can display on your kitchen counter to impress your guests.
This knife feels sturdy and firm in hand, all thanks to its high-grade steel construction, perfect balance, 9.3-ounce weight point, and secure non-slip handle. The material used in this cleaver is the same used in other Kamikoto knives, which is known for its durability and excellent resistance to corrosion.
Thanks to its 7.5-inch cutting edge, the Kamikoto Chuka Bocho Cleaver is suitable for all your cutting tasks, including slicing, mincing, chopping, and crushing.
Just like with other Kamikoto knives, the blade in this cleaver is easy to maintain and clean. You just need a good whetstone or an efficient local knife store, and your knife can last for a lifetime.
What we like about it:
The Kamikoto Chuka Bocho Cleaver blends Asian culinary tradition and legendary Japanese craftsmanship to give you the best of both worlds and deliver a unique experience that’s hard to rival. Thanks to its corrosion-resistant construction, non-slip handle, and razor-sharp, 7.5-inch cutting edge, this cleaver can turn meal prepping into a real pleasure. No matter which task you have at hand, be it chopping, slicing, or dicing, just get the Kamikoto Chuka Bocho Cleaver, and you’re good to go.
#5 – Kamikoto Shogai Cutting Board
What’s a kitchen cutlery arsenal without a good Cutting Board, huh?
Although it’s mainly known for its beautiful blades, Kamikoto offers an array of different cutlery items, including its equally elegant and classy Shogai Cutting Board that measures 17.5 x 10 x 1 inches and weighs 5.4 pounds.
Now, you may be wondering “Isn’t the price a bit steep for a cutting board?”
Well, the price is indeed steep, but is it too much for this particular board? Not really, as the Shogai cutting board is designed for those who don’t want to cut corners even for slightest details in their kitchen. If you already have a Kamikoto arsenal or looking to build one, you really can’t go wrong with the Shogai board.
Kamikoto’s high-end cutting board is made of ashweed that goes through an extensive manufacturing process before hitting the market. Basically, it gets submitted to high temperatures that exceed 390°F for up to seven hours to smooth it and infuse it with a smoky, rich scent. The end result is a surface that won’t ruin your nicely-honed Kamikoto edge.
What we like about it
The Shogai Cutting Board is elegant and durable, and it reflects the excellence of the Komikoto brand perfectly. If you don’t have a Kamikoto set and not looking to get one, don’t bother with the Shogai board, but if you have some Kamikoto blades in your kitchen drawer and you want to expand your collection and preserve the quality and sharpness of your edges, then this board is worth every penny.
How We Chose the Top Kamikoto Knives in Our List
Although Kamikoto has an extensive kitchen knife and cutlery catalog, we had to pick a few that we can feature in our Kamikoto knives reviews. Our selection was based on a set of features, including:
Sharpness
Kamikoto produces Japanese knives that are manufactured in China, thus giving you the best of both worlds. As with other Japanese blades, Kamikoto’s come razor sharp out of the box, all thanks to the traditional handcrafting techniques used in making them. They score 60-61 on the Rockwell scale of hardness, which means that they can slice through anything with ease.
Comfort
The solid black handles that Kamikoto knives boast are both beautiful and comfortable. They’re also well-balanced, offering you an unmatchable control and sturdiness when you’re winging your knife around like a Samurai.
Durability
Kamikoto knives use special steel that’s durable and corrosion-resistant, meaning that they can last for as long as you’re taking care of them properly.
Edge Retention
Being sharpened to a wide angle, and thanks to their durable material, Kamikoto blades can hold their edge for quite some time before needing any extra maintenance.
Aesthetics
There’s no send denying it; you don’t get high-end kitchen knives only for efficiency, you do it to show off as well. When it comes to aesthetics and elegance, nothing can rival a beautiful natural-colored wooden box filled with classy Kamikoto blades.
Granted, Kamikoto knives are expensive, but that’s totally normal considering that they’re designed to be high-end blades that boast efficiency, durability, and beauty.
Different Types of Kamikoto Knives
There are a few different types of Kamikoto knives
Santoku Vs. Chef’s Knife
Chef’s knives are usually longer than Santoku knives, with approximately 8 inches in length in general. They come with a high blade to allow you to place the hand you’re using to hold the ingredients you’re cutting against the side of the blade, which results in a quick and safe cutting. Chef’s knives feature a slightly curved edge, which is characteristic of the western general-purpose blade. When using a chef’s knife, you move the knife in a rocking motion up and down alongside the finder while the tip never leaves the Cutting Board.
Santoku knives are the Japanese version of western Chef’s knives, with a straight shape alongside the entirety of the blade and a slight curve towards the spine just a few centimeters from the tip. Because of the flat blade, Santoku knives cannot give the rocking motion of chef’s knives. Instead, you cut with a movement from back-up to down-front, while losing contact with the cutting board with every cut, making them suitable for delicate tasks.
It’s also worth noting that Japanese knives require special techniques for honing and maintenance, so make sure to use proper equipment and learn how to sharpen them effectively and safely if you decide to opt for a Santoku.
Santoku Vs. Kiritsuke knife
Both Santoku knives and Kiritsukes are all-purpose Japanese knives with a few differences that make its blade better suited for specific tasks.
A Santoku knife, as mentioned above, has a straight shape alongside the entirety of the blade with a slight curve towards the tip, and it can be used for chopping, slicing, and dicing.
A kiritsuke, on the other hand, is a single-bevel Japanese blade featuring minimal heel and that serves as a hybrid between an Usuba, or a vegetable knife, and a Yanagi fish slicer. You guessed it right. A Kiritsuke would be a godsend for an eastern kitchen or cooks trying to delve into the Asian cuisine, as it allows you to make perfect Sushi cuts, but would be an awful general-purpose knife for a western kitchen. There are double-bevel Kiritsukes as well, with clipped points, lower tips, and flat profiles, but they’re basically a Gyuto at heart, which is a tale for another day.
No matter which type you choose, remember that it’s all about practice and dedication.
Why You Need the Best Kamikoto Knives in Your Kitchen
Dull and uncomfortable blades can render any culinary activity, be it a hobbyist or a professional one, into an awful experience, one that can make you hate your time in the kitchen altogether. Thankfully, Kamikoto knives are anything but dull and comfortable, which makes them a necessity in your kitchen.
There are a few reasons that make filling your kitchen drawer with Kamikoto knives an essential part of a successful culinary journey. First, the hardness factor. Kamikoto knives use unique steel that’s handcrafted by expert artisans with hardness and strength in mind. They score 60-61 on the Rockwell hardness scale, meaning that they can cut through virtually anything, which explains the high price point of these blades. Not only that, but the material used is also corrosion resistant, which adds to the longevity.
Second, Kamikoto knives feature single-bevel edge. That means that only one side of the blade is sharpened to a wide angle. The single bevel design makes slicing much easier using a Kamikoto knife, and it defects the cuts away from the edge as they’re sliced. If you’re a fan of sushi and sashimi, you won’t find any better knives than Kamikoto’s.
Also, Kamikoto knives reflect the excellence of the Japanese craftsmanship. They are handcrafted using the same traditional methods and tools involved in the making of Samurai swords. When you get a Kamikoto knife set, you’re not buying a product; you’re getting into a whole platform, one that has a wealth of experience passed down through generations.
And finally, Kamikoto knives are exquisite. Should you place your wooden Kamikoto box on your kitchen counter, you’re bound to get the praise you’ve ever wanted from your biggest critiques.
While you’re here, check out some of our other kitchen accessories and knives! As always, we recommend you keep your knives sharp with an electric knife sharpener, as well as safely kept in either a knife block or on a magnetic knife strip held safely in your kitchen pantry or kitchen island.
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