Number Fifth Brand of Japanese Kitchen Knife
in Entire Japan
Jikko Cutlery
 JIKKO, Blue steel Honyaki blade 300mm Yanagiba $890 |
 JIKKO, Blue steel Honyaki blade 210mm DEBA $1,350 |
 JIKKO, White steel Honyaki blade 300mm Yanagiba $720 |
 JIKKO, White steel Honyaki blade 210mm DEBA $950 |
The knives shown in these four pictures are made by Jikko. Jikko was started in 1901 and now has over 100 years of knife making experience. These knives are made either with blue or white steel and are built for use with Japanese cooking, so they are extremely hard.
In the 90s I used Jikko knives for about five years. The production process on these knives is performed very well. I remember that after about eight weeks of use, the knives became very easier to use. In Japan, they are sold for a very reasonable price. About 95% of high quality Japanese knives are made in Sakai, Osaka and bottom lines are made in Shokoku Island called NAMIMONO (Kazu-Uchi) in Japan. Unfortunately, Jikko knives are not sold in the U.S.
I personally think that Jikko knives cannot even be compared to many of the most popular knives being used here in the L.A. area. In L.A., most of the chefs use an old of NAMIMONO, outdated knives that are not of very good quality, but it is hard to find a chef at a top restaurant in Tokyo using that kind of knife these days. Many of an old brand knife companies that make the knives that are popular in the U.S. still have not refined their techniques.