single-edged and double-edged

Last night, I had a small errand and stopped by Uedaya. Today, I originally intended to take care of my business and head back. However, I got caught up in a lively conversation with a friendly regular, who was slightly tipsy. We ended up discussing the essence of Japanese kitchen knives, which led to a conversation about the differences between single-edged and double-edged knives. “It’s about the cross-section, right?” It’s a topic that’s not always easy to grasp for everyone… During our conversation, Master Ueda kindly demonstrated by comparing how a new onion is cut with a single-edged Usuba and a double-edged Gyuto.

See for yourself how a single-edged knife can beautifully slice through the cross-section of ingredients! It’s so evident that you can confirm it through the photos.

The photo above showcases a cross-section of an onion cut with a double-edged Gyuto, honed with an 8:2 edge ratio.

The photo above displays a cross-section of an onion cut with a single-edged KamaUsuba. This experiment was conducted using a knife after a full day of cooking. The difference in results was quite noticeable. The Gyuto, as expected, produced a coarser cross-section, whereas the KamaUsuba yielded a clean one. Beyond appearance, the taste also presented a distinct contrast. Tasting without rinsing, the Gyuto instantly delivered a strong onion flavor, while the KamaUsuba provided a momentary sweetness, gradually releasing the onion’s essence upon chewing. Although steel type and compatibility with sharpening stones play a role, this experiment highlighted the fundamental difference in effectiveness between double-edged and single-edged blades. Even our regular customers were convinced upon seeing this, heading home in a pleasantly tipsy state. Onions cut with dull blades bring tears due to the cells being crushed. Considering the splattering onion juice, this makes sense. As a side note, with diligent sharpening, even double-edged Western knives can achieve a similar cross-section to a single-edged KamaUsuba. However, durability remains a concern. Single-edged blades may be challenging to handle, but the outcomes can be significant.

hibishugyo

• 2010-06-18