Global Yoshikin, located in the Tsubame/Sanjo district of Japan’s Niigata Prefecture, introduced stainless steel blades to the Japanese cutlery world in 1960. Rust-resistant blades with edge-holding abilities equal to traditional Japanese steel were just the first step. Decades of experience and years of intensive research and development resulted in an award-winning all-stainless steel knife that’s the favorite of many world-class chefs as well as a standard feature in many home kitchens.
Yoshida Metal Industry Company, Ltd., or Yoshikin, began manufacturing stainless steel products in Niigata Prefecture in 1954. At first the company specialized in tableware, but saw the potential for stainless steel kitchen knives and introduced the Bunmei Gincho product line of traditionally styled Japanese knives with high carbon stainless steel blades in 1960. Other manufacturing techniques developed for tableware also seemed well suited to professional cutlery, but Yoshikin planned something special instead of simply copying old styles with new materials.
In 1978 a development team led by industrial designer Komin Yamada set out to create an entirely new knife concept. Yoshikin requested a combination of Italian design, Germany reliability, and Japanese precision. The knife would be formed from a single piece of high carbon stainless steel. Perfecting the design and manufacturing processes took Komin Yamada’s team five years.
At present Global Yoshikin manufactures three main product lines including the original Bunmei Gincho series with traditional Japanese blade styles and handle builds. The defining feature of the Bunmei Gincho line is the high carbon stainless steel — otherwise these knives match the familiar Japanese patterns many Asian chefs prefer. The Global series — more familiar to western chefs — offers a complete selection of prep and serving cutlery with acutely ground blade edges, perfectly balanced blades, and dimpled stainless steel handles. Many Global knives sport the dovetail handle that consumers often recognize as the company’s trademark feature, but more conventional grips are available for many of the knife styles.
Yoshikin’s professional series, Global-Pro, is currently a limited production enterprise and only available in Japan. Knife construction and style closely match the original Global series but refinements include sharper blades finished with the “honbazuke” honing process.
