At first glance, a Japanese knife may seem like just another kitchen tool. But once you hold it, you realize: this is a blade unlike any other. Its balance, its sharpness, and even its silence carry a question—"Will you treat me right?"

And no matter how beautifully crafted it is, a Japanese knife can lose its brilliance in an instant if used the wrong way. One careless move—cutting the wrong thing or storing it wet—can shorten its life drastically.

In this article, we’ll explore the essential "do nots" before you use a Japanese knife. But more importantly, we’ll explain why those rules exist. Because understanding the why behind Japanese knife care is what allows your knife to serve you faithfully for decades.

One of the most common early mistakes is cutting something you shouldn’t.
I once saw a chef drive a brand-new Japanese knife straight into a frozen piece of meat. A loud crack followed. The edge chipped instantly.

Japanese knives are designed for precision, not brute force.
Hard ingredients like frozen food, bones, or crustacean shells are too much for their fine edge.

If you need to cut something hard, use a specialized blade like a deba. Using the wrong knife for the job isn’t just inefficient—it can destroy your blade in one second.

Have you ever used a knife to pry something open—like a frozen package or even a can lid? With Western knives, you might get away with it. But with a Japanese knife, that’s a recipe for disaster.

Japanese knives are incredibly strong when slicing forward or back, but extremely weak when bent sideways or twisted. This is because of how they are forged—thin, hard, and precise.

Even chopping with a vertical motion (like a "ton ton ton" rhythm) can damage single-bevel knives like yanagiba or usuba. These knives are meant to slide, not hammer.
The true beauty of a Japanese knife lies in the gentle glide—not the brute chop.

One of the fastest ways to ruin a Japanese knife is to treat it like your Western ones—by throwing it in the dishwasher or leaving it soaking in water overnight.

Many people assume, “It’s stainless, so it should be fine.”
But dishwashers use high heat and strong alkaline detergents, which can rust the blade, crack the handle, and swell the wood.

If your knife is made with high-carbon steel like White Steel or Blue Steel, even soaking it for a few minutes can trigger rust.
Once, I left a freshly sharpened White Steel deba in a water-filled bowl overnight. By morning, red rust had already formed, and it took hours to fix.

Rust happens in seconds. Restoration takes hours.

Always wash your knife by hand, using neutral detergent, dry it immediately, and store it properly.

Many users ruin their knife not through cutting, but through improper storage.

If you store your knife while still wet, whether in a sheath or drawer, you’re creating the perfect environment for rust—especially in humid climates.

Store your knife in a well-ventilated place, and consider applying a light coat of camellia oil (tsubaki oil) from time to time. This traditional Japanese practice has been used for centuries to protect high-quality blades from moisture and air.

It’s not just about maintenance—it’s about respecting the tool.

You may not know if your first Japanese knife is “the one.” I didn’t either. I started with a Ginsan yanagiba, simply because I wasn’t confident in my maintenance skills.

But as I used it, I wanted to take better care of it. I started learning how to sharpen. I began to understand what it liked, and what made it dull.

The knife became part of my life—and my way of thinking began to change.
A mindful approach to cooking grew from the simple act of caring for a single knife.

Japanese knives can be delicate, even temperamental. But they’re also incredibly rewarding.
When treated properly, they respond with unmatched performance, beauty, and soul.

Caring for a Japanese knife isn’t just tool maintenance—it’s a reflection of how you approach your craft, your ingredients, and your time.
The small effort you make today becomes tomorrow’s perfect slice.

Believe in that—and walk this path with your Japanese knife by your side.