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Reviews tell you that something works. They don’t tell you why. Origin, steel, edge geometry, and service are the parts you cannot see directly in a knife.
Every ISSHO TABERU knife is created in Japan, in small workshops in Seki, Tokyo, Echizen, and Kashiwa. The 69-layer series is forged by Saruwata Hideaki in Seki, where work has been carried out in the same location for 13 generations. The Izutsuki line comes from Toshiki Nanbu in Echizen, the Gyuto line from Murakami Fumio in Tokyo. Each line is assigned to a specific workshop, not a factory.
This is not romanticism about origin, but the reason for the consistency. Someone who has forged the same blade for decades knows the steel well enough to grind the edge thin without it failing during use. This experience cannot be written into a process; it is in their hands.
The history of our brand began in a professional kitchen. The first knives from Japan were tested at the Restaurant Magdalena by Dominik Hartmann, awarded two Michelin stars. Sharpness, balance, and precision were immediately convincing. Since then, ISSHO TABERU has grown primarily through top-tier Swiss gastronomy and personal recommendations.
Today, we work closely with chefs whose kitchens hold two Michelin stars: Marco Campanella (La Brezza, Arosa and Ascona), Dominik Hartmann (Magdalena, Schwyz), Pascal Steffen (roots, Basel), Silvio Germann (Mammertsberg, Freidorf), and Patrick Mahler (focus Atelier, Vitznau). Their feedback flows directly into our selection and further development. The Slicer was created at the request of Pascal Steffen, the Wabasami at the request of Patrick Mahler and his team.
Furthermore, our knives are in daily use in numerous professional kitchens, including those of Tanja Grandits at Stucki in Basel and at IGNIV by Caminada in Zurich. These are the same knives you will find here in the shop. The difference lies in the number of cuts per day.
The most striking difference is the edge. Our blades are honed by hand at an angle of 12 to 15 degrees per side. European kitchen knives are generally significantly duller. Add to this a hard core—in the 69-layer series, a special VG10 core from Takefu, surrounded by 69 layers of Damascus steel. A hard core allows for a thin grind, and a thin grind retains its sharpness longer than a soft standard blade.
You will notice this the first time you cut a tomato or chop herbs that would otherwise be crushed instead of sliced.
The second difference lies in the handle. Many of our models combine a Japanese blade with a European-shaped handle, such as our bestseller, the 69-layer Kamagata, made with wenge wood. This combination is rare on the market and is the reason why the knives feel immediately familiar to many people, even though the blade is built according to different principles. In addition, we carry the classic Japanese design: the Izutsuki line follows the Sashigara construction, where the blade is inserted into a handle made of magnolia wood. The result is a very lightweight knife that can be guided directly and precisely.
A Japanese knife requires a bit more attention than a European one. Clean by hand and dry immediately; never put it in the dishwasher. Use a natural wood cutting board—no glass, no stone, no ceramic. Bones and frozen food have no place on this edge. The lines made of pure carbon steel, such as the Gyuto line or the Masamoto knives, will develop a patina over time. Small rust spots can be removed with a wine cork and cream soap. If you prefer to avoid this, choose the Carbon line, whose steel is made rust-resistant through nitrogen and nitride.
When the sharpness eventually fades, we will resharpen it. This is free of charge for ISSHO TABERU knives, using Japanese water stones and including minor repairs. If you would like, you can learn to do it yourself in our sharpening workshop. The philosophy behind this: a knife that works for decades, rather than one that is replaced after three years.
