OnlyKnives' Best $1000 Kitchen Knives
FromShun Classic Knives, the blade is made up of a VG-10 steel core, wrapped by layers of stainless steel. This allows the edge to be extremely sharp, to retain its edge over time and yet still be stain-resistant.
VG-10 is one of the premier steels being used in high-end Japanese knives today. It allows this blade to be sharpened to a Rockwell hardness of 60-61, making it among the sharpest blades available.
What puts these knives over the top, however, is the gorgeous Damascus pattern on the blade. Evoking the image of centuries-old Japanese blade making techniques, the "wave" pattern is a result of the layering used to make the knife. Each blade is also hand-engraved with the Hattori signature. You'll want to store these knives on a magnetic knife strip so they can be seen anywhere in your kitchen.
The handles are made of pakkawood, a resin-infused hardwood that is durable, lightweight and comfortable to hold.
As with all high-end sharp knives, these require a bit of extra care. You should hand-clean them immediately after use, store them in a knife block or magnetic strip, and keep the blades sharp. If you're not prepared to do those extra tasks, these knives are probably not the right choice.
Since Hattori is such a craftsman, these knives can be tricky to find. They're not impossible to track down, but you may find that a vendor has them one week and then has a two-month waiting list the next.
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May 13th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
[...] choosing one is really a personal decision. Nevertheless, you can’t go wrong with the basic 5-piece set from Hattori. Hattori knives are works of art, are exceptionally sharp and have centuries-old tradition to back [...]
August 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
One can only dream of owning a set of these one day! Until I have practiced maintenance and care with my much cheaper knives I think I will just admire them from a far! Isn’t it funny that the more you pay for knives, the more care they need – for $1000 you’d think they’d clean and sharpen themselves! Beautiful looking stainless knife.