Anryu Katsushige Knife & Reviews

A serious blacksmith whose sole purpose is to keep the traditions of forging knives alive. He has over 50 years of experience and is fourth generation of the Echizen traditional artisan. According to him, iron is alive and continues to live or die with the blacksmith.

He is the continuing bloodline of Echizen Katsushinge who aims to satisfy the chef intending to use his knives. Back in 1959, he graduated high school and immediately took refuge under his father’s wing as an apprentice. His family tradition of forging knives started back in 1870 and he continues the legacy today.

Today, Anryu-san has aged but that has not been a setback. He continues to work today teaching and passing on hundreds of years of knowledge to other crafts-men in the Takefu Knife Village. Several artisans today look up to him for guidance and work every single day to preserve the art of forging knives.

Anryu Katsushige Knife Brand History

The knife-making workshop started in Echizen by Katsushinge’s great grandfather Hansaburo Anryu back in 1873. He joined the family business in 1959 while he was still quite young with basic education.

His father, Katsutoshi Anryu taught him the art of forging knives traditionally and soon Karsushinge became a well-known certified knife artisan.

His integrity and work earned him great respect and trust and was soon elected as the chairperson of the Takefu Knife Village Co-op. This is an association of the Echizen’s best knife makers in Japan.

In 2015, he was awarded with the medal of honourable work for traditional crafts. Currently, he is working with the fifth generation, his nephew named Takumi Ikeda.

Knives made by the hand of the great Katsushige bear his name on the hand chiselled of the knife. These are one of the highest quality knives you will find in the world.

Anryu Katsushige Knife Features

The knives forged by Katsushige Anryu serve multiple purposes. You can find different knives for different purposes that are designed keeping the modern needs of the chef and the traditional ways of knife making. The Bunka and Santuko is an all-purpose knife with high quality and a sharpness designed to satisfy anyone holding it.

The Gyuto is a professional chef knife that makes their cooking a breeze. Nakiri knife is designed to cut vegetables in order to keep them crisp and thin. Petty is a utility knife, which can be used every day for smaller tasks. Sujihiki is a slicer and does justice to its name by slicing meat like butter.

The Best 5 Anryu Katsushige Knives

Katsushige knives are quite popular around the world and for good reason too. Keeping Japanese traditions alive and using modern technology to forge kitchen knives is an art only generations can carry forward. Here are the most highly recommended products.

1.     Katsushige Anryu 3 Layer Cladding Blue Super Core Hammered Japanese Chef’s Nakiri Knife 156mm

This knife has a Blue Super steel Core which means that the outer steel is stain resistant however, the core is not. The blade is double edged with a length of 165mm and the handle is made from Shitan Rosewood. You can use a sharpening stone to maintain the sharpness of the blade and do not put this in a dishwasher. Hand wash the knife using warm water and dry with a clean towel.

2.     Katsushige Anryu 3 Layer Cladding Blue Super Core Hammered Japanese Chef’s Gyuto Knife 210mm

This Gyuto chef knife is also made from Blue Super steel core with a double-edged blade. The length of this blade is 210mm and the handle created using Shitan Rosewood. The thickness of the blade is 2.5mm and the height is 44mm. The length of the rosewood handle is a comfortable 127mm making it very comfortable to work with. This knife weighs 177g so you can work for longer hours.

3.     Katsushige Anryu 3 Layer Cladding Blue Super Core Hammered Japanese Chef’s Santoku Knife 165mm

The Santoku knife is a 165mm double-edged knife perfect for using every day for general work in the kitchen. It is comfortable to hold with rosewood handle and a stain resistant outer steel of the blade. The overall look of this knife is beautiful with remains of forging clearly visible on the upper side of the blade.

4.     Katsushige Anryu 3 Layer Cladding Blue Super Core Hammered Japanese Chef’s Bunka Knife 165mm

This Japanese Bunka knife is in high demand by most chefs around the world. The super core makes this knife reliable and durable for a long time. All you need to do is maintain it using a sharpening stone and cleaning it after every use with warm water. The blade is 165mm and this is an all-purpose knife.

5.     Katsushige Anryu 3 Layer Cladding Blue Super Core Hammered Japanese Chef’s Petty-Utility Knife 150mm

As the name suggests, this is a great knife for new cooks and an every household item. If you are looking for a simple knife that lasts you a long time, the petty-knife is what you should invest in. the 150mm blade length makes it very comfortable to make salads – be it vegetables or fruits.

Note: cutting frozen meat and vegetables is not recommended.

Anryu Katsushige Knife Reviews

If we talk about the real users of the Katsushige Anryu knife, the users are thrilled to use them. According to one user, she says that she keeps making excuses to use it. The handle feels very comfortable to hold making chopping, slicing and cutting a breeze.

Most reviews praise the craftsmanship of this knife as it is highly durable. One user understands that knives made by Japanese swordsmiths are different from those made in factories. The way it feels in the hand is absolutely wonderful. Another satisfied customer got what he wanted when he ordered the petty knife. It has made his life easier when cooking. He puts an effort in keeping the knife new by cleaning it immediately after use and applying a little vegetable oil on the blade to prevent rust. Although the blade is made from blue steel, the blade does not rust. However, the core is prone to staining and applying oil can prevent that from happening.

Where is The Best Place to Buy Anryu Katsushige Knives

You can purchase the Katsushige Anryu knife from Japanese knives websites such as Seisuke Knife. They are easily available on Amazon as well. Due to the high demand of these Japanese knives, most are out of stock but you can leave your email address and get notified once they are back in stock. It usually takes 3 days for the knives to be restocked.

Summary

Using a Katsushige Anryu kitchen knife can make your cooking fun and easy.

The traditional knives from the house of Anryu will last you for a long time. This one-time investment is a great addition to your kitchen utensils with high quality and durability.

The varies options you have from the Anryu collection dates back to the 1980’s and the traditions are being followed to date.