Sakai Takayuki SK4, the Best Carbon Steel Knives for Chefs
Price: $ 34.00
4.5(318)
I want you to think about your favourite knife—nope, not that one—not your prettiest knife, the one with the funky acrylic handle and beautiful raindrop damascus. I’m not talking about the one with the most romantic story either. I want you to think about the knife you use the most; the one that got you through culinary school and into your first kitchen, the one that makes you think about cooking with your grandma, and the one you used to teach your kid how to cut up a pepper for the first time. The one that has an awesome story that YOU wrote with it. We all have a knife that we will never part with, no matter what we acquire afterwards, and I think that the Sakai Takayuki SK4 line is that knife for a lot of people. These.
I want you to think about your favourite knife—nope, not that one—not your prettiest knife, the one with the funky acrylic handle and beautiful raindrop damascus. I’m not talking about the one with the most romantic story either. I want you to think about the knife you use the most; the one that got you through culinary school and into your first kitchen, the one that makes you think about cooking with your grandma, and the one you used to teach your kid how to cut up a pepper for the first time. The one that has an awesome story that YOU wrote with it. We all have a knife that we will never part with, no matter what we acquire afterwards, and I think that the Sakai Takayuki SK4 line is that knife for a lot of people.
These beauties from Sakai Takayuki are built for someone who wants a no-nonsense-all-business workhorse and isn’t afraid of trying out carbon steel. When putting these knives together, Sakai Takayuki decided to use a single piece of SK4 carbon steel instead of using the more often seen san mai (three layers of steel) technique. This makes a knife that’s a touch more flexible and keeps the cost down while not affecting performance (sharpness and edge retention). SK4 blows the socks off of most stainless steels but comes with a very easy going price tag. The European-style handle is going to feel familiar to the hands of cooks and chefs in the west, and the variety of shapes this line offers ensures that you grab the right knife for the job. One thing you might notice is that the knives are sharpened with a slight bias favouring the right-handed—it’s not enough to dissuade a lefty, like me, from using them but it's worth mentioning. Most folks won’t even notice the difference.
Let’s be honest, I could make a pretty good argument for filling your entire knife bag with these guys but I have a few favourites:.
About the Shape - “Sujihiki” translates to “Flesh Slicer” and it does exactly what the name suggests, perfect for carving and slicing roasts, turkey, raw meats, fish, and all other proteins! The extended blade allows you to slice with one long stroke instead of jerking the knife back and forth in a sawing motion. This makes clean slices of brisket or ultra-thin applications like Carpaccio a breeze to execute.
This knife has a slight right-hand bias along the edge. It can still be used by lefties, and sharpened with a left-hand bias.
About Sakai Takayuki: Sakai Takayuki is well-known as the largest knife maker in Sakai. The company hosts many blacksmiths and craftspeople who work together to create a vast array of knives. Although the Sakai region traditionally specializes in single-bevel blades, Sakai Takayuki makes many different shapes.
About the Knife Line: The SK4 series from Sakai Takayuki is the perfect gateway to high-carbon steel knives for both home cooks and professional chefs. The European-style handle gives them a confident, familiar feel for western cooks, while the carbon steel blade cuts like crazy! We love this line for professionals as they are super high performance but more rugged and less flashy than some of our fancier knives.
.About the Shape: Inspired by the profile of a traditional European chef knife, Gyutos are a multi-purpose knife with a slight meat cutting bias. 'Gyuto' translates to 'cow sword.' If you want one knife to do it all, this is it. The belly is perfect for both rocking and push or pull cuts, while the tip can handle precise scoring work with ease. The gyuto is even long enough to slice larger cuts of meat!
The Komakiri has a taller blade than your average gyuto, making it perfect for tall folks with big hands.
This knife has a slight right-hand bias along the edge. It can still be used by lefties, and sharpened with a left-hand bias.
About Sakai Takayuki: Sakai Takayuki is well-known as the largest knife maker in Sakai. The company hosts many blacksmiths and craftspeople who work together to create a vast array of knives. Although the Sakai region traditionally specializes in single-bevel blades, Sakai Takayuki makes many different shapes.
About the Knife Line: The SK4 series from Sakai Takayuki is the perfect gateway to high-carbon steel knives for both home cooks and professional chefs. The European-style handle gives them a confident, familiar feel for western cooks, while the carbon steel blade cuts like crazy! We love this line for professionals as they are super high performance but more rugged and less flashy than some of our fancier knives.
.About the shape: The Honesuki Maru is a Japanese-style boning knife. It excels at most butchery, from large hanging sides of beef to fish filleting work and even smaller poultry and game. The blade is quite rigid and excellent for working around bones but lacks a guard, so watch your fingers! You don't want to force this knife through bone, but it's perfect for cutting through cartilage and tendons.
This knife has a slight right-hand bias along the edge. It can still be used by lefties, and sharpened with a left-hand bias.
About Sakai Takayuki: Sakai Takayuki is well-known as the largest knife maker in Sakai. The company hosts many blacksmiths and craftspeople who work together to create a vast array of knives. Although the Sakai region traditionally specializes in single-bevel blades, Sakai Takayuki makes many different shapes.
About the Knife Line: The SK4 series from Sakai Takayuki is the perfect gateway to high-carbon steel knives for both home cooks and professional chefs. The European-style handle gives them a confident, familiar feel for western cooks, while the carbon steel blade cuts like crazy! We love this line for professionals as they are super high performance but more rugged and less flashy than some of our fancier knives.
.About the Shape: This is the knife for smaller jobs that are done on a cutting board, or work in your hand. Perfect for slicing shallots, cutting herbs, and boning smaller proteins. Additionally, Petty knives are an indispensable tool for those who feel uncomfortable wielding a larger chef knife.
This knife has a slight right-hand bias along the edge. It can still be used by lefties, and sharpened with a left-hand bias.
About Sakai Takayuki: Sakai Takayuki is well-known as the largest knife maker in Sakai. The company hosts many blacksmiths and craftspeople who work together to create a vast array of knives. Although the Sakai region traditionally specializes in single-bevel blades, Sakai Takayuki makes many different shapes.
About the Knife Line: The SK4 series from Sakai Takayuki is the perfect gateway to high-carbon steel knives for both home cooks and professional chefs. The European-style handle gives them a confident, familiar feel for western cooks, while the carbon steel blade cuts like crazy! We love this line for professionals as they are super high performance but more rugged and less flashy than some of our fancier knives.
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