Download latest Tool Catalogue as PDF - DICTUM GmbH

Japanese Kniveschoosing the right knifeChoosing the right knife depends primarily onthe intended purpose (vegetables, fish, meat,all-purpose, etc.), but you should alsoconsider how much time you are preparedto spend on looking after it. How »easy-care«a knife is depends mainly on the blade steeland the design of the handles:Blade steel - highest quality: not rustproof!a) Classic carbon steel (one or more layers):not rustproof. The blade must therefore bedried after use and regularly oiled. However,it achieves ultimate sharpness and is easy tosharpen.b) Carbon steel for the cutting edge, embeddedin stainless steel (three or more layers).The blade is largely rustproof, only the exposedcutting edge can oxidise. A good compromisebetween maintenance requirements andease of sharpening. As sharp as a).c) Stainless steel (one or more layers). Theblade is rustproof and does not need to beoiled. However, due to the high chromiumcontent, it is not as easy to sharpen (chromiumaffects the sharpening stone andcauses a larger burr). These knives are alsounfit for the dishwasher.handle construction:a) Classic design with attached woodenhandles: These can expand when wet and maybecome loose (light tapping will tighten themagain). These knives must be kept dry.b) Design with full-length tang and handlescales (integral or semi-integral design):Depending on the material, these knives arenormally hard-wearing. However, their centreof gravity is slightly further back and they areusually more heavy than a).correct carecutting padThe correct cutting pad - and this appliesto all knives, not just original Japanese ones -is made of wood or plastic. Working on porcelain,marble or glass quickly dulls the blade.StorageStore your knives in a wooden knife block, kniferest or casket. Japanese cooks wrap theirknives in individual cloths. We advise againstusing magnetic holders because they magnetisethe blade and make it harder to sharpen.cleaningClean the knife by hand, rinsing it underluke-warm water and, if required, adding alittle washing-up liquid. Do not use scouringpowder and never put the knife in the dishwasher,even if it is rustproof.SharpeningJapanese kitchen knives are exclusively sharpenedon fine-grained waterstones. Thereforeyou require at least a combination sharpeningstone. Dry grinding tools, such as sharpeningsteels, mechanical grinding tools or sharpeningmachines, should not be used.We provide instructions with each knife.Sharpening coursesThe perfect introduction to the art ofsharpening knives given by experts whowere trained in Japan.training videoDemonstrates the sharpening of Japaneseknives.Sharpening primerOur sharpening primer can be downloadedfree of charge at our webshop.Your exclusive benefitSharpening passAll knives come with a sharpeningpass for two free sharpenings. Send us yourknives and we will return them razor-sharpwithin a few days. All you pay is thepostage.high class sharpening serviceHigh classed knives include the unlimitedsharpening service. Just send us yourknife whenever you feel it is not sharpenough. You will get it back sharpenedfree of charge within a few days. All youpay is the postage.For more information on cutting steelssee page 284.Beware of fakesWidely used Japanese-looking knives fromasian low-wage countries are often onlysimilar in shape to the original hocho.all hochos from dictUM come from Japanand are of the best quality.241