Seki · Curation

Use your Shuns as the baseline for three other Seki makers working in Western and Japanese forms.

Producers to know

Misono Cutlery

At its Seki factory, Misono makes Western-style professional knives. The UX10 range includes gyuto, petty, sujihiki and boning patterns in high-purity European stainless steel.

Seki Kanetsugu

Founded in 1918, Kanetsugu adapted the hamaguri or clam-shaped edge to kitchen knives. Its centenary Zuiun series pairs powder steel with patterned stainless cladding.

Hattori Hamono

Ichiro Hattori learned at Masahiro and later opened his own shop. He developed the Forums FH kitchen series with cooks from KnifeForums and the Seki specialist JapaneseChefsKnife.

Kai · Shun

Shun’s Classic and Premier lines cover several jobs in your cabinet. Comparing them lets you explore blade shape and handle design while staying with one manufacturer.

Knives and lines to seek

Misono UX10 Gyuto 210 mm · No. 712

A plain stainless chef’s knife with a riveted Western handle. A good comparison with a Shun when judging how the handle balances a blade over a board of onions.

Seki Kanetsugu Zuiun Petty 150 mm

An SG2 core, stainless Damascus cladding and a seven-sided handle give you three points of comparison with the TF petty. Try the narrow tip on shallots or citrus first.

Hattori Forums FH VG-10 Sujihiki 270 mm

Solid VG-10, a 50/50 edge and a maple handle on a long, narrow slicer. There is enough blade to draw through a roast or a boneless fillet in one stroke.

Shun Classic Boning & Fillet · 6 in

The upswept tip and narrow blade make this a distinct trimming tool. Pair it with your Koishi honesuki to compare two ways of working around a joint.