Wiki-Single-edged blade
It refers to the structure of a kitchen knife characterized by having the blade attached to only one side, as opposed to a double-edged kitchen knife, which has the blade attached symmetrically on the axis of the cutting edge. This structure is mainly used in Japanese knives. The bladed side has a flat, shinogi, or kiribei blade. Thereby, single-edged knives are thicker on the side of the peak and thinner on the side of the cutting edge. The unground side of the knife has an indentation called "ura-suki" and a process called "ura-oshi" (back-pressing). These processes reduce the area in contact with the food while maintaining a straight line from the tip of the blade to the peak. These structures enable single-edged knives to achieve high sharpness.
<Western knife / Japanese knife>
The main difference between Western and Japanese knife is that Western knife is double-edged, while Japanese knife is based on single-edged blades. The reason why many Japanese knife has single-edged blades is because when the material is cut off, the tip of the blade cuts slightly to the left, which makes it easier for the cutter to separate from the material, allowing for a quick chopping motion. Since the cut can be made without destroying the structure of the material cross section, a beautiful cut surface can be obtained. Also, the single-edged blade has a thinner and sharper cutting edge compared to the double-edged blade.
Related websites
Single vs. Double-Edged Japanese Knives: A Comparative Guide | KIREAJI
Japanese Knife vs. Western Knife: Features and Differences | KIREAJI
Why are Japanese knives sharpened on one side? | KIREAJI