Tojiro Knives Review
By Bobby B. | July 6, 2020 | Knife Brands
Tojiro produced and sold their first knife in 1955. They originally set out to prove that stainless steel was worthy of being used in good kitchen knives. You see, at the time, in the Japanese culture it was thought that it was far inferior to using carbon steel. Things have changed over time at Tojiro. Today they focus on merging the traditions of Japanese knife making with modern technology, using automated machines to produce knives much more efficiently than they could in the past. It’s this balance between traditional processes and innovation that allow them to run full-scale production on kitchen knives made in Japan, but still sell them at prices similar to those made in other countries from around the word, namely China.
The Knives
Tojiro knives are known as some of THE SHARPEST slicing knives known to man. The best part? They’re not really that expensive! in fact, because they are not handmade like some of the other top knife brands are, their production is more efficient and technology helps them keep their costs down. Tojiro knives are a great way to get a great knife made with world-class materials for an affordable price.
Tojiro does make a few different lines of kitchen knives, but only a couple are readily available for retail sale here in the United States. These are the ones we’ll focus on for this knife review.
Tojiro DP Series Knives
Tojiro DP Knives Review:
The Tojiro DP Series of knives is far and away the most popular in the U.S. The blade’s core is made from VG-10 Japanese super steel (one of the best), forged, full-tang and has a triple-riveted handle made from composite wood. Although they are Japanese-style knives and made in Japan, they are double bevel, meaning the blade is sharpened on both sides like normal Western-style knives.
Don’t be surprised to not see the blade shapes you’re used to. They don’t make a “chef’s knife”. They make a “gyuto”, which is basically the Japanese knife type that correlates to a Western chef’s knife. Similarly, you won’t find a “utility” knife, you’ll find the Japanese equivalent, a “petty” knife.
It’s always important to us here at BladeAdvisor that knives have good social proof. In other words, a history of consumers loving a knife before we’ll call it great. The Tojiro DP knives are the epitome just this. Check out the reviews on these knives. No one regrets buying these slicers!
Top 3 Most Popular Tojiro DP Series Knives:
DP Gyuto (9.4″)
DP Santoku
DP Nakiri
Tojiro Flash Series Knives
Tojiro Flash Knives Review:
Tojiro’s Flash Series of knives also uses a Japanese super steel (VG-10) core, but it’s wrapped in 63-layers of alternating high and low carbon stainless steel that makes a beautiful Damascus pattern on the blades. This process makes the blade very hard, roughly 61 on the Rockwell Hardness scale, and helps it retain a sharper edge longer.
This is a forged knife with a Micarta handle with inlaid stainless steel accents. Micarta is a combination of synthetic resin and linen put together under intense heat and pressure to create a material that resembles wood, but is ultra-durable and very professional-looking.
The Tojiro Flash knives would be an awesome addition to any chef’s kitchen. They are an amazing deal for the quality of knife you get at this price, also made in Japan!
Top 3 Most Popular Tojiro Flash Series Knives:
Chef Knife
Utility Knife
Boning Knife
How Tojiro Knives Are Made
Like most traditional Japanese knives, it’s important to Tojiro that they manufacture their knives locally right in Japan. Their traditions and techniques have been passed down through generations in the metal-processing area known as Tsubame-Sanjo.
As mentioned above, Tojiro has introduced automated machinery into the knife making process in order to produce world-class products at affordable prices, leaving many other kitchen knife makers selling knives at much higher prices.
But it’s certainly not all about the machines. If it weren’t for the passion and skill of their craftsmen, they wouldn’t be able to produce such great knives and continually have some of the sharpest kitchen knife blades, something Tojiro is known for world-wide, not just in Japan or the United States.
Tojiro Knife Maintenance
Washing and sharpening your good kitchen knives is very important to making them last. Not only doing it, but doing it correctly and following the manufacturer’s recommendations will extend the life of any knife.
Tojiro suggests hand-washing your knives immediately after each use with warm water and a soft sponge. If you’ve been cutting any foods containing salt or acids, be sure to rinse it of as soon as possible so that corrosion doesn’t begin to form and never soak your knives in water as it could promote rust or corrosion as well.
As for sharpening the blades, it’s recommended that you do this once or twice per month using a Japanese whetstone. Tojiro has provided some nice instructions with pictures on their maintenance page.
BladeAdivsor’s Tojiro Knives Review Summary
So, are Tojiro knives any good? Of course they are! They’re a great value for you what you’re getting at their price-point. As a brief reminder, you’re getting forged knives, full-tang with world-class materials (VG-10 clad blades with Micarta handles), ultra-sharp edges, and lots of knife options. They’re also made in Japan by skilled craftsmen that have learned from previous generations, but have added some automation in order to reduce the manufacturing costs and passed the savings on to the consumer!
Are they perfect? Heck no, but higher-end Japanese knives (no knife is perfect of course) would cost 3 or 4 times as much, if not more. Also, Tojiro knives aren’t handmade like some other, more expensive Japanese knives: Shun Cutlery or Miyabi knives for instance.