set of 7 japanese knives chef tanaka

set of 7 japanese knives chef tanaka7 Piece Chef Tanaka Japanese Knife Set: Everyday Technical Versatility The expert's verdict at a glance: Material: Martensitic stainless steel 5CR15MoV. A hardness of 53 54 HRC that prioritises toughness and shock resistance. Usage: A complete 7 piece arsenal designed to cover every kitchen task, from the raw power of the boning knife to the finesse of the paring knife. Maintenance: Alloy optimised for simplified sharpening. Why choose 5CR15MoV steel

7-Piece Chef Tanaka Japanese Knife Set: Everyday Technical Versatility

The expert's verdict at a glance:

• Material: Martensitic stainless steel 5CR15MoV. A hardness of 53-54 HRC that prioritises toughness and shock resistance.
• Usage: A complete 7-piece arsenal designed to cover every kitchen task, from the raw power of the boning knife to the finesse of the paring knife.
• Maintenance: Alloy optimised for simplified sharpening.

Why choose 5CR15MoV steel for your kitchen?

Robustness, toughness and easy maintenance

In the world of cutlery, hardness isn't everything. The 5CR15MoV steel equipping the Tanaka range is a martensitic steel selected for its outstanding resilience. With a rating of 53-54 HRC, this steel is less brittle than very high carbon steels. In practical terms, this means your blade has superior "toughness": it absorbs shocks without chipping, making it the ideal ally for a dynamic, everyday kitchen. It strikes the perfect balance between sufficient chromium content to resist oxidation and a carbon level that delivers an effective cutting edge.

Unlike 10CR15-type steels (Damascus), which demand a degree of mastery with a whetstone, the 5CR15MoV stands out for its ease of maintenance. The Tanaka blade edge responds exceptionally well to a honing steel. A few seconds of regular maintenance before each cooking session is all it takes to realign the wire edge and maintain a consistent glide. A precious time-saver for professionals and passionate home cooks alike.

Chef Tanaka Set Contents: 7 Tools, 7 Technical Functions

The cutting pillars: Chef's Knife, Santoku and Nakiri

These three blades form the core of your arsenal. They share essential versatility but respond to distinct cutting techniques:

The Chef's Knife (200g): The versatile tool par excellence. Its curved profile is optimised for the rocking motion. At 200g balanced weight, it turns herb mincing and protein prep into a fluid, fatigue-free gesture.

The Santoku (191g): "Santoku" means "three virtues" (slicing, dicing, chopping). Shorter and more manoeuvrable than the chef's knife, it excels at precision cutting of vegetables and boneless proteins.

The Nakiri (217g): Recognisable by its rectangular shape, it is the vegetable specialist. Its flat blade makes full contact with the board from the very first stroke. Its width also allows you to use it as a scoop to transfer chopped ingredients directly into your cooking vessel.

Precision in action: Paring Knife, Utility Knife and Boning Knife

For tasks demanding greater dexterity, these three knives offer millimetre-precise control:

The Paring Knife (86g): Small and nimble, it is indispensable for peeling, trimming small fruits or coring vegetables with agility.

The Utility Knife (100g): Sitting between the paring and chef's knife, it is the technical choice for intermediate cutting tasks, such as slicing hard cheeses or small charcuterie.

The Boning Knife (150g): Its thin, rigid blade allows you to work as close as possible to joints and bones to separate muscle tissue without waste. Note: designed to work around the bone, not to cut through it.The specialist: Serrated Bread Knife

The Bread Knife (173g) completes this 7-piece set. Unlike smooth blades, its serrations break the surface tension of the hardest crusts without crushing the crumb. It is the essential tool for respecting the open texture of your artisan loaves.

Design, Ergonomics and Construction

The Tanaka set comes with two handle types, each selected for its technical properties:

• Pakkawood (reserved for the Forest Wood colour): a composite of wood and resin compressed under heat. Rot-proof, it is unaffected by moisture or temperature fluctuations and retains its dimensional stability over time. Its finish reveals the wood grain beneath a resin coating.
• Epoxy resin (Ocean Blue, Land of Fire, Ivory and Sumi Black colours): a synthetic material that allows uniform chromatic depth, provides a non-slip grip and remains unaffected by moisture and temperature changes.

The handles have been designed for optimal comfort, even during prolonged use. The ergonomic shape ensures a non-slip, secure grip, essential for controlling technical cutting movements such as push-cutting.

Laser finish and colour variants: personalise your workspace

The 5CR15MoV steel blade features a technical finish achieved through laser engraving, replicating traditional patterns. Each blade undergoes a rigorous heat treatment to achieve a stable hardness of 53-54 HRC, guaranteeing a homogeneous molecular structure and outstanding resistance to daily mechanical stress. Every batch is subject to strict quality control to ensure blades with an impeccable finish.

Laser engraving is a sublimation technique we use exclusively on Tanaka knives.

We offer this set in five colour variants to match your kitchen aesthetic: Land of Fire for a mineral warmth, Ocean Blue for intense reflections, Sumi Black for absolute sobriety, Ivory for luminous elegance, and Forest Wood for the authentic warmth of Pakkawood.

Maintenance guide for a lasting edge

Cleaning and drying: The craftsman's golden rules

The dishwasher is a technical sacrilege: aggressive chemical agents and repeated thermal shocks degrade the edge structure, dull the blade finish and ultimately weaken the blade-handle junction. Hand-washing with warm soapy water, followed by immediate drying with a soft cloth, remains the only method that extends the life of your knife. Never use the abrasive side of a sponge, which could scratch the steel surface and damage the laser finish.

Preserving the edge daily: The right habits

Good maintenance goes beyond cleaning - it also means using your blade with respect:

• Cutting surfaces: Cut exclusively on a wooden or soft plastic board. Never cut directly in a pan, a baking dish or on a marble surface, as this would instantly crush the steel edge.
• The technical gesture: Never use the cutting edge to push or gather ingredients on the board. This lateral friction is one of the main causes of premature dulling. Always use the spine of the blade for this purpose.

Sharpening and longevity

• Daily: Use a honing steel to realign the edge, or a manual sharpener for quick touch-ups.
• Periodic sharpening: Use a whetstone as soon as cutting loses its fluidity.

Rigorous maintenance following these principles considerably extends the life of your tools and allows you to maintain a high-performing edge year after year.

The Kaitsuko Expert Verdict

The Chef Tanaka 7-piece knife set is the rational investment par excellence for the cook who wants efficiency without complexity. Where harder steels demand an extremely rigid cutting technique to avoid breakage, the Chef Tanaka range offers superior technical tolerance.

This is a set we particularly recommend to passionate home cooks looking to kit themselves out with their first complete knife set. The lightness of the blades reduces fatigue during long prep sessions, while the variety of profiles allows every technique — push-cutting, rocking motion or trimming — to be approached with the right tool.

Technical Specifications

• Steel: Martensitic 5CR15MoV
• Hardness: 53-54 HRC
• Sharpening angle: 15°
• Handle: Pakkawood or high-density epoxy resin
• Construction: Rigorous material selection for an optimised performance-to-price ratio.

Accessories and complements: optimise your technical experience

To maintain the performance of your Tanaka set and guarantee its longevity, we have selected accessories perfectly calibrated for 5CR15MoV steel:

• Honing Steel (Wooden Handle): The essential accessory for daily maintenance. It removes no material but realigns the blade edge to maintain a clean cut between sharpening sessions.
• Double-sided whetstones: To restore the factory edge. We recommend grit 1000 for regular maintenance and grit 400 for blades that have undergone significant wear.
• Whetstone with handle: An ergonomic alternative for those new to the art of sharpening, making it easier to maintain a consistent angle.
• Knife transport roll: The technical solution for protecting your blades from knocks and moisture during travel or for secure storage out of reach.