It’s not like we’re pioneers or anything like that. Of course many people here own Japanese knives…and most probably appreciate their quality. It’s just that Japanese knives have a reputation of being on the expensive side of the price spectrum…and in most cases, justifiably so. But we thought: there must be a Japanese knife out there whose quality would satisfy the discerning home cook or amateur chef without breaking the budget. And so we found Nagao, a hidden gem!

The Nagao knives are affordably priced but punches way above its weight class. These knives are produced in Tsubame-Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture. For those who are not familiar, Tsubame-Sanjo is famous for its metal craft and edged tools, including, of course, knives! Our shop has a strong bond with Tsubame-Sanjo. It is also the place where our kenzans and ikebana clippers are produced.

Though mass-produced, these knives are hand-sharpened (as opposed to machine-sharpened) by craftsmen. They are sharp and ready to work once out of the box! Molybdenum vanadium stainless steel is strong, durable, and rust resistant.

Our lineup consists of 3 types of all-purpose knives: gyuto, santoku, and petty knife.

Gyuto
The gyuto (牛刀), shaped like a chef’s knife, is the shape that people in the West would be most familiar with. The name literally translates to “cow’s sword” because apparently it was originally meant to cut up pieces of beef.

Santoku
The name santoku (三徳) translates to “three virtues”. It is said that it’s because this knife can be used for (1) meat, (2) fish, and (3) vegetables. Others say it’s because it can be used for (1) chopping, (2) dicing, and (3) mincing. It is the most popular knife in Japanese households.

Petty Knife
The so-called petty knife (ペティナイフ) actually got its name from the French word “petit” (“small”). It is a shorter blade and is often used as a utility knife used for cutting fruit, etc.

We asked our friend and master knife sharpener, Peter Nowlan, to take a look at the Nagao knives. Here’s what he had to say about them.

“These are very nice knives at a ridiculously low price. I was quite pleasantly surprised at how sharp they are as well. I hope folks take advantage of this, it’s hard to beat this deal on knives like this.

I’m always asked if I sell knives, I don’t but I steer people in a certain direction. Many don’t like to buy a knife online and also they fear the cost of a Japanese knife. They want a Japanese knife of course but that’s often not enough for them to pull the trigger. Well I’ve found a solution. I visited @theikebanashop today on Quinpool Rd and was surprised to see these Japanese knives for sale. It’s a Japanese store but they didn’t carry knives until now that is. Keep in mind that this beautiful little store has been a knife drop off location for me for 10 years so I’m quite familiar with the store and the owners. I was shocked at the price of this knife, I was also quite surprised by how sharp it was.… Also, these knives are hand sharpened with explains the level of sharpness out of the box. So how much are these knives? $59.50, I couldn’t believe it.”

— Peter Nowlan, Professional Blade Sharpener

So we hope to introduce the Nagao knife to Halifax…and maybe North America. (They are avaialbe on our online shop too.)