Kikuichi Elite Carbon Knives

Kikuichi Carbon Elite 7-Piece Knife Block Set The Kikuichi Carbon Elite 7-Piece Knife Block Set equips a kitchen with a complete range of carbon steel knives, from detail work to long slicing, along with the block to store them and the rod to maintain them. It suits experienced home cooks and professionals who want the sharpness and easy resharpening of carbon steel across every task, with matching handles and balance throughout. The Knives 120mm Parer: Peeling, trimming and detail work in the hand or on the board. 150mm Honesuki: A Japanese boning knife for breaking down poultry and separating meat at the joints. 180mm Santoku: A compact all-purpose knife for slicing, dicing and mincing vegetables, fish and boneless meat. 210mm Gyuto: The Japanese chef’s knife and the workhorse of the set, with a thin profile that moves through dense vegetables without wedging. 240mm Sujihiki: A long, narrow slicer for carving roasts and portioning fish in a single stroke. Why Carbon Elite Every knife in the set is made from SK-4 high-carbon steel, a single steel throughout rather than a clad blade. SK-4 takes a keen edge and is easy to restore on a waterstone, which makes the set a practical introduction to carbon steel for cooks who sharpen their own knives. The included Kikuichi 10.5-inch Ceramic Honing Rod realigns the edges between sharpenings, and the Kikuichi 6-Slot Knife Block keeps the edges protected, with one slot free for an additional knife such as the Carbon Elite 150mm Petty. Learn More

A honesuki is the Japanese knife for breaking down poultry. Its triangular blade and pointed tip slip into joints and around the thigh bone, separating meat cleanly. Kikuichi’s 5.9-inch (150mm) GC Series honesuki is a carbon steel version, and Kikuichi cautions that it should not be used to chop through bone, so cut through the joints instead.The tall heel gives knuckle clearance and room for a firm grip when working on a slippery bird. It suits butchers, restaurant cooks who break down whole birds and home cooks who buy whole chickens. Raw poultry is wet work, so wipe and dry the blade promptly to prevent rust, and hone it lightly between birds. It works equally well on duck and game birds.
Honesuki or Hankotsu?The 5.9-inch (150mm) Hankotsu is the GC Series boning knife for larger cuts of meat. For trimming after the breakdown, see the 5.9-inch (150mm) Petty. Learn More

Kikuichi calls the HC15 a hankotsu, a Japanese boning knife for separating meat from bone on larger cuts, and describes it as sharp, light and tough. Shoppers find it by its model number, and some retailers sell it as a sakabone.The 5.9-inch (150mm) blade has a pointed tip for working along bones and into joints, and Kikuichi calls it the right combination for small and large butchering. Kikuichi warns against chopping through bone with it, so it is a knife for cutting around bones and through joints. It suits butchers trimming primal cuts and restaurant cooks breaking down lamb and pork shoulders, and hunters use it on venison. The carbon steel sharpens easily, which helps on a knife that works against bone surfaces all day. Dry it promptly after use and hone it before each session.
Hankotsu or Honesuki?For poultry, the lighter, triangular 5.9-inch (150mm) Honesuki is the specialist. Learn More

The 5.9-inch (150mm) petty is the utility knife of Kikuichi’s GC Series, sized between a paring knife and a gyuto. It handles the small jobs that a large knife makes awkward, such as slicing a single shallot, trimming silver skin or cutting a sandwich, and it pairs naturally with a gyuto on a professional station.The thin carbon blade holds a fine edge and is quick to touch up on a stone, and it will patina with use. A home cook building a Japanese knife kit can start with a gyuto and add this petty second.
Petty Knife SizesFor finer paring work, the 4.7-inch (120mm) Petty is easier to control in the hand. It pairs well with the 8.25-inch (210mm) Gyuto. Learn More