Knives Chefs Use - Our Clients Recommendations

What Knives Do Our Professional Chef Clients Actually Use?

At Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide, we work closely with professional chefs who use our knives every day. From sushi masters to French cuisine chefs, each has a knife they trusts above all others—one that has become an essential part of their craft.

Whenever we interview a chef, we always ask which Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide knives they use and why. Below, you'll find the Japanese chef knives our professional chef clients rely on, along with their own recommendations and links to the full interviews. Whether you're a professional chef or a passionate home cook searching for the best Japanese kitchen knife, these real-world insights offer a rare look at the tools trusted in professional kitchens.

Chef Maeda (JAZZ BERRY) Uses...

White Steel #1 Montanren Sakimaru Takobiki

"The Ichimonji staff suggested the right steel and blade length for me."

Chef Hayashi (Tenjinbashi O-Sakana Shokudō) Uses...

White Steel Mizuyaki Honyaki Honyaki Yanagiba Knife 300mm

"I bought my first Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide knife when I was twenty years old [over 20 years ago]."

Chef Shimamura (Japanese Cuisine UNKAKU) Uses...

Blue Steel Montanren Hamo Honekiri Knife 270mm Carbon Steel Eel

"I look for kitchen knives that have a sense of unity, which aren't only sharp, but feel good in the hand."

Chef Asada (Sushidokoro Kazuya) Uses...

"When I use Ichimonji knives, I feel the steel to be very good."

Barmaster Ayukawa (Bar 7th) Uses...

Powdered High speed Stainless Damascus Petty Knife 150mm

"I enjoy how sharp it is, but the blade’s edge retention is also fantastic."

Chef Imagawa (Utsubo-gaku) Uses...

"Ichimonji knives are known for their hardness and excellent edge retention"

Chef Sasaki (La Terasse Irisse) Uses...

"I think Ichimonji's knives have the finest balance and cutting ability. They are a part of me."

Chef Uhei (Sake Bar Uhei) Uses...

"It makes sense that the person using the knife would notice the difference when cutting, but I was really surprised that the customer also noticed a difference in the taste of the exact same dish."

Chef Onishi (Onishitei) Uses...

"I’ve found the Sakai Ichimonji FV10 kitchen knives to offer the right balance of durability and sharpness for me, I can cut hundreds of onions without needing to resharpen."

Head Chef Komaji (La Veduta) Uses...

"Not only the does it have a stylish appearance, but also the sharpness and balance of the blade were wonderful and just right for my needs. Their knives are always sharp."

Chef Ogusu (Le Pont De Ciel) Uses...

"Hardness can often equate to difficulty to sharpen, but Sakai Ichimonji takes extra care during the heat treatment process to make knives easier to maintain."

Head Chef Hamaguchi (Macauda) Uses...

"When I have my knives sharpened at Sakai Ichimonji, they feel totally different to when I do it myself."

Chef Kiyoyama (Sushi Kaiba) Uses...

"The first thing I bought was the Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide Montanren Yanagiba. I like the weight of the blade and the overall sharpness."

Chef Yoshimura (Sake & Sakana Yoshimasa) Uses...

"The knives I bought at the time were a White Steel Deba and a White Steel Yanagiba. They were both wonderful."