Global Knives

“Global knives – The automatic choice of the Roux brothers”

What is so special about Japanese knives?

Global knives follow in the tradition of knife making in Japan which dates back to the medieval Samurai tradition of swordsmiths. These swordsmiths took great care to produce blades with superb sharpness and strength. Japanese cooking fundamentally depends on the superb presentaion of very fresh ingredients: fish, meat and vegetables, razor sharp knives are essential to produce elegant sushi and sashimi dishes.

Today, this extra degree of sharpness is achieved with the use of special materials and the complex treatments that the steel receives. Japanese knives achieve this functional excellence and are at the same time objects of art and beauty. They are a valuble and long term investment for the serious cook.

History of Global Knives

Global knives were first designed in 1985 by Komin Yamada whose brief was to develop a knife range that would be really innovative and with a fresh design approach. The knives would use the best of modern design and technology. Komin was not limited by tight budgets, so he was given free rein to develop the “ultimate knife” range. He has produced a range that will satisfy both the professional and serious home cook. Global knives will meet the toughest demands placed upon them.

Global knives have developed their range to now include more than 50 different types and models of knife. A knife absolutely correct for each task. Global knives are chosen today by numerous highly ranked professional chefs around the world. They are regularly featured on TV by celebrity chefs.

Features and benefits of Global Knives

Global knives are manufactured from the finest grade of stainless steel. The blades are comprised of Cromova 18 stainless steel. This is ice hardened to Rockwell C56-58, it then will hold a razor sharp edge longer than any othr type of steel. It is also resistant to corrosion.

All Global Knives are carefully weighted and balanced to feel really good in the hand. Global knives will complement the best skills in both professional and home cooks alike.

Care of Global Knives

Good quality knives are worth looking after. They can provide a lifetime of use.

Global knives, like any high quality knives, should not be placed in a dishwasher, they should be washed by hand.

Global knives cannot be sharpened using sharpening steels. this is due to the super hardness of the steel used in the manufacture of global knives.

Pull-through and electric sharpeners that are designed for conventional knives are also not suitable for use with Global knives. This is because conventional knives are ground at an angle of 20 degrees whereas Global knives are designed and ground at a 10 to 15 degree angle. Armorica has a large selection of sharpeners suitable for Global knives. These range from ceramic and diamond steels through to various grades of whetstones and specially designed electric sharpeners. Please see our Global Accessories section and our Accessories and Sharpeners section. And of course, if you would like any advice or help in choosing a suitable sharpener, please contact us (or call in our shop!) and you can speak with one of our knowledgeable team.

Sharpening Global Knives

Global knives come with an extremely sharp edge, the Cromova steel from which they are made ensures that this sharp edge will be maintained longer than with most other high quality knives. This does not mean that Global knives never need sharpening – all quality knives benefit from correct and regular sharpening. Because of the super hard steel used in their manufacture, Global Steels need to be treated somewhat differently from other knives. Only use methods of sharpening that have been recommended by Global and their agents. The types of sharpeners recommended include Whetstones, Ceramic and diamond sharpening “steels” and pull-through water sharpeners (see our global accessories section for product details).

Whetstones: Water and Ceramic

There are various types and grades available. Usually a medium grade is used, but if a blade is unusually blunt or damaged then a rougher grade may be required. There are differences between water and ceramic whetstones. A water whetstone should be soaked for 10-15 minutes to allow it to absorb sufficient moisture before use. A ceramic whetstone does not need to be soaked. A ceramic whetstone is harder than a water one, it will therefore sharpen your knives more quickly. A ceramic whetstone will last longer and will not develop epressions or grooves as easily as a waterstone.

Using Whetstones

These instructions apply to any type of whetstone you may use.

1. Wet the stone

2. Hold the knife to be sharpened so that the blade makes an angle of 10-15 degrees with the stone. Push the blade backwards and frorwards along the stone in smooth steady strokes to maintain the angle as constantly as possible, this is most important. The sound the knife makes as it is being sharpened will be a guide to whether you are maintaining the angle satisfactorily. If the sound remains the same with each stroke, then the angle is being maintained.

3. Repeat on the other side of the blade (assuming you are sharpening a knife with a blade that is sharpened on both sides). Keep sharpening until there are no burrs on either side and the knife is sharp.

4. During the sharpening process an amount of wet powder will be produced. Do not wipe or clear this residue because this aids the sharpening process.

5. After sharpening wash the knife in hot water and dry it with a towel or similar.

Sharpening Guide Rails

See these here Global Sharpening Guide Rails These help to achieve and maintain the correct angle between knife blade and whetstone, and make the whole process more consistent. The guide rail simply clips onto the back or non-sharpened edge of the blade. It automatically tilts the blade onto the whetstone at the correct angle for sharpening. Take care to ensure that a piece of plastic or polythene is placed between the guide rail and the edge of the knife blade to avoid any scratching of the steel. There are two guide rails supplied in each pack: one for smaller knives and one for larger.

Ceramic and Diamond Sharpening “Steels” or Rods

Using a whetstone is the best way to sharpen global knives and achieve the optimum sharpness. It is time – consuming though, and many global knife users also use a sharpening “Steel” or rod in-between whetstpne sharpening sessions – a sort of “top-up” sharpening. For this purpose you may use the Global Ceramic sharpener -G25 or the Global Diamond sharpener – G38. They are both available from Armorica. These sharpeners are made from two of the hardest materials on Earth. They may be used on all good quality knives as well as Global. The d8iamond sharpener is the harder of the two and will work more quickly than the ceramic (cutting down the number of strokes required). Both are very suitable for sharpening your Global knives.

Another sharpener that is both quick to use and effective is the Minosharp water sharpener
Minosharp Water Sharpener which is recommended for Global knives.

Storing Global Knives

To keep your Global Knives in pristine condition we recommend a Global knife block, Global magnetic knife rack or a Global chef wallet. The main aim is to keep the knives from contacting each other and avoiding contact damage.

Cleaning

Like any high quality knives do NOT place them in a dishwasher. Always wash by hand in warm soapy water and dry by hand on a towel.

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