The bevel of a knife is considered to be one of the most important aspects as it defines the sharpness, strength, durability, and purpose of the blade. In short, the bevel is the angle and shape of the blade when it is ground, and depending on the material and the way it is ground, it can determine the type of knife you have. Traditionally, Japanese knives have been divided into two types of bevels: double bevel or single bevel. It is also commonly heard as a double-edged blade/両刃 or a single-edged blade/片刃.
As a representative of Japanese knives, Okingjoy will explain the difference between single bevel and double bevel for you:
Single Bevel (Single-Edged Blade)/片刃:
A single-edged knife is characterized by a precise grinding on one side, which makes it ideal for tasks that require extreme precision cutting, such as cutting sashimi or other ingredients that require absolute precision. Because only one side is specially treated, a single-edged knife requires a higher level of skill to use and grind, and requires more careful maintenance to keep the blade sharp.
In practice, we have found that most chefs in Europe and the United States do not use Japanese knives with single bevels, but are accustomed to using traditional knives with bevels on both sides.
If you are not sure, it is usually safe to assume that your knife has bevels on both sides. For most chefs, using a single-bevel knife requires learning new knife skills and techniques, which is a bit demanding for a chef. If you are left-handed, it may also mean customizing a special blade so that you can use the knife correctly. However, once you can use it proficiently, a single-edged knife can cut much thinner, especially vegetables, which is very useful for sushi chefs.
Double-bevel (double-edged blade)/両刃:
In contrast, a double-bevel knife has a design with bevel grinding on both sides, which makes it more suitable for most kitchen jobs, such as cutting meat and vegetables. The design of a double-bevel knife makes it more versatile and relatively easy to use and grind, which requires a higher level of skill than a single-bevel knife and therefore is more suitable for general home kitchen use.
Okingjoy knives are the best Japanese knives combining tradition with modernity, using carefully selected Japanese Sakai steel and time-honored forging techniques to forge and grind the best double-bevel Japanese knives. While the cheapest Western-style knives have a blade angle of 25°, Okingjoy uses a sharper 15° angle to obtain a significantly sharper cutting surface. The ruthlessly sharp, scalpel-like blade is hand polished and mirror polished at an amazing 15° angle using the traditional 3-step "Honbazuke" method. Double-bevel knives are the most common, especially European and American-style knives.
Okingjoy offers many double-edged knives, such as nakiri knives, chef knives, and carving knives. When it comes to double-edged knives, you can mainly assume that the angles of the two sides of the blade are 50-50 ratio, which means that if one side is ground to 15 degrees, then the other side is also ground to 15 degrees, and the total angle of the blade is 30 degrees. Whether you choose a single-bevel or double-bevel knife, depends on your needs and usage habits.