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The history
behind Global
Knives and how they are made...
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Samurai Tradition A
thousand years ago, Japanese swordsmiths developed the high art
of sword making to provide strong, sharp blades for the Samurai, the
feared warrior caste. Today, continuing the Samurai sword
tradition, Japanese craftsmen are producing knives of the highest
qualityGlobal knives are manufactured by Yoshikin in Niigata,
Japan. |
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In the beginning
Global knives were first designed in 1985 by Komin Yamada. When
Komin Yamada was commissioned for this task his mandate was to
develop a range of knives that was truly new and revolutionary,
using the best materials available and the latest manufacturing
techniques. He was to fashion a series of kitchen knives which
would appeal to the professional and amateur chef alike, be
comfortable and easy to handle, and meet their most demanding
requirements. |
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Global features - The
two most innovative features of Global knives are their edge and the
way they are balanced. The most important feature of any knife is
its edge, and the Global edge is truly its signature. The majority
of the Global knives are sharpened or ground on both sides of the
blade, just like Western style knives. However, their edges are
ground steeply to a point as illustrated in Fig. 1
below, and to an acute angle. This is in contrast to Western or European knives that
use a bevelled edge (Fig. 2) - the straight edge results in a
dramatically sharper knife which stays sharper longer. The edge on a
Global knife is
so large and prominent that it is easily seen with the naked eye and
extends a quarter of an inch or more up from the tip of the knife. |
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To balance
their knives, Global uses a hollow handle which is then filled with
just the right amount of sand to create the correct balance. Global
uses this method rather than using a full tang and a bolster to
balance their knives for two reasons. First, it is far more
precise than using a tang and a bolster. Second, Asian knives
typically do not have bolsters, since they only serve as a hindrance
to cutting and sharpening.
Other unique features of Global knives are their smooth contours and
seamless, all stainless steel construction which eliminates food and
dirt traps offering the ultimate in safety and hygiene. |
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Fig. 1 -
Steep, acute edge |
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Fig. 2 -
Bevelled edge |
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How they are made - Global knives are made
from the finest high carbon stainless steel available for producing
professional quality kitchen knives. Yoshikin uses its own
proprietary stainless steel called CROMOVA 18 Stainless
Steel and this material has been designed exclusively for Global
knives. This steel is hard enough for Global knives to hold the
steep, acute cutting edge and keep their
edge for a long time...but soft enough so that it is not too
difficult to sharpen them. The CRO in CROMOVA 18 stands for
chromium and the 18 is the percentage of chromium in the steel. This
high percentage of chromium contributes to Global's excellent stain
resistance. Care should be taken to keep your Global knives stain
and rust free. To learn how to care for your Global knives, please
click on the Care Guide button above. The MO and VA in CROMOVA
18 stand for molybdenum and vanadium and these are two metallic
elements that give a knife good edge retention.
It is often asked why Global knives stay sharp so long without
sharpening. The combination of the elements molybdenum and vanadium
is one reason, but also refer back to the diagrams above of the
straight edge vs. the beveled edge. Now take a piece of paper and
gradually push it up your screen, slowly covering the tips of the
two edge types, simulating the knives getting dull after use. Even
as the Global straight edge gets dull it is still much thinner, and,
therefore, much sharper than the knife with the beveled edge. |
