{"id":105,"date":"2026-08-09T16:29:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T13:29:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/?page_id=105"},"modified":"2026-08-12T14:12:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T11:12:00","slug":"105-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/","title":{"rendered":"Hikari Chef Knives – High-Performance Kitchen Knives"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HIKARI CHEF KNIVES<\/p>\n

Hikari Chef Knives: High-Performance Kitchen Knives<\/h1>\n

Years of working with exceptional Japanese knives led us to build a knife around maximum performance.<\/p>\n

BTN brings together extreme-edge-retention CPM S90V, refined cutting geometry, premium materials and meticulous workmanship. Every part of the knife was developed around the same goal: exceptional cutting performance, edge life, balance, fit and finish.<\/p>\n

\nView BTN Knives<\/a>
\nWhy S90V?<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\"BTN\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Shiro Kamo, Saji, Nigara, Myojin, Sukenari & more<\/strong>Years of experience with some of Japan’s most respected kitchen-knife makers<\/span><\/div>\n
Advanced knife steels<\/strong>Experience with SG2, ZDP-189, HAP40, STRIX, M390, S90V and more<\/span><\/div>\n
Sharpening & evaluation experience<\/strong>Years of sharpening and evaluating high-performance knives on Japanese waterstones<\/span><\/div>\n
BTN developed by Hikari<\/strong>Steel, geometry, construction, balance, handles and finishing developed around performance<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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THE CURRENT COLLECTION<\/p>\n

BTN S90V Kitchen Knives<\/h2>\n

Gyuto, Bunka, Nakiri and Petty knives built around high-performance steel, refined geometry, premium materials and careful finishing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hikari BTN S90V MCJH Bunka 180mm<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\n\t$<\/span>670.00<\/bdi><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>
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Hikari BTN S90V MCJH Gyuto 210mm<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\n\t$<\/span>695.00<\/bdi><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>
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Hikari BTN S90V MCJH Gyuto 240mm<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\n\t$<\/span>745.00<\/bdi><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>
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Hikari BTN S90V MCJH Nakiri 165mm<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\n\t$<\/span>670.00<\/bdi><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>
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Hikari BTN S90V MCJH Petty 135mm<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\n\t$<\/span>500.00<\/bdi><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>
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Hikari BTN S90V MCWH Gyuto 210mm<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\n\t$<\/span>775.00<\/bdi><\/span> –<\/span> $<\/span>795.00<\/bdi><\/span>Price range: $775.00 through $795.00<\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>
View Details<\/a><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nView All BTN Knives<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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OUR BACKGROUND<\/p>\n

We know the benchmark<\/h2>\n

Hikari Chef Knives specializes in high-end Japanese kitchen knives. Our catalog includes work from makers and brands such as Shiro Kamo, Takeshi Saji, Nigara Hamono, Naohito Myojin, Sukenari, Tetsuhiro, Satake, Ogata Shungo, Katsuto Tanaka, Seki Kanetsugu, Suncraft and Zanmai<\/strong>, among many others.<\/p>\n

Working with such a wide range of knives gave us years of direct experience with different steels, profiles, grinds, hardness levels, construction methods and sharpening characteristics. It also gave us a very high benchmark for how a serious kitchen knife should cut, feel and perform.<\/p>\n

That experience is also what made BTN such a natural fit for us. The goal behind the knives is clear: bring together exceptional steel, geometry, materials, workmanship and finishing in a truly exceptional kitchen knife.<\/p>\n

More about Hikari Chef Knives<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Hikari
Hikari Chef Knives with Katsuto Tanaka and the Matsubara Knives team during our 2025 visit to Japan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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THE BTN PROJECT<\/p>\n

The goal: build the best-performing kitchen knife<\/h2>\n

Performance was the starting point for every decision. Steel, heat treatment, blade profile, geometry, grind, balance, construction, handle materials and fit and finish were developed as parts of one complete knife.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n01<\/span><\/p>\n

Start with a proven profile<\/h3>\n

For the Gyuto, we started with the side profile – the two-dimensional outline – of Shiro Kamo’s three-layer SG2 Gyuto, one of the best all-purpose chef-knife profiles we have worked with. Its proportions, tip position and board contact gave us an excellent foundation on which to build the BTN design.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n

\n02<\/span><\/p>\n

Push the cutting geometry further<\/h3>\n

From that outline, we developed the blade around cutting performance. Thickness, grind, food release, balance and edge geometry were refined through prototypes, testing and repeated feedback. BTN can use different grinds and constructions, with each version developed around the same performance-first philosophy.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n

\n03<\/span><\/p>\n

Finish it like a premium knife<\/h3>\n

Performance does not stop at the cutting edge. Handle materials, balance, transitions, polishing, fit and finish and the small details of each knife received the same attention. Several rounds of prototypes and revisions helped turn the original concept into the knives we produce today.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\n\"BTN\n<\/div>\n
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CPM S90V<\/p>\n

Extreme edge retention at the heart of BTN<\/h2>\n

CPM S90V is exceptionally rare in kitchen knives. Its very high vanadium content gives it extraordinary wear resistance and places it near the top of modern stainless knife steels for abrasive edge retention.<\/p>\n

Independent comparative testing rates S90V above premium steels such as ZDP-189, M390, SG2 and MagnaCut for edge retention. It also retains a stronger toughness balance than several steels at the extreme wear-resistance end, including ZDP-189, S125V and M398.<\/p>\n

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Higher edge retention<\/strong>Than ZDP-189, HAP40, SG2 and VG10<\/span><\/div>\n
Higher toughness<\/strong>Than ZDP-189, S110V and S125V<\/span><\/div>\n
Easy to sharpen<\/strong>Regular Japanese waterstones work well<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In our own sharpening experience, BTN S90V at around 62 HRC responds readily to regular Japanese waterstones. Material removal is straightforward and, in practical sharpening, we have found it comparable to SG2 and substantially easier than the hard, glassy feel of ZDP-189.<\/p>\n

Explore our complete CPM S90V steel guide<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\n\"BTN\n<\/div>\n
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THE COMPLETE KNIFE<\/p>\n

More than a steel name<\/h2>\n

S90V is a major part of BTN, but the performance comes from the complete knife: steel, heat treatment, geometry, construction, balance, handles, finishing and the attention given to each piece.<\/p>\n

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High-performance steel<\/h3>\n

CPM S90V provides the exceptional wear resistance and edge retention at the core of the current BTN range.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n

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Cutting-focused geometry<\/h3>\n

Profiles, thickness and grinds are developed around smooth cutting, effective food release and confident control at the board.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n

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Premium materials and finish<\/h3>\n

Handles, blade finishing, transitions and assembly are treated as integral parts of the knife rather than secondary details.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n

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Repeated refinement<\/h3>\n

BTN has gone through multiple cycles of prototypes, testing and revision, with changes made wherever they produced a better finished knife.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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HANDMADE PRODUCTION<\/p>\n

Small-batch workmanship with attention to every knife<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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BTN knives are handmade in Vietnam in a small workshop led by Nam. Production is deliberately small-scale, allowing close attention to blade geometry, grinding, finishing, handle fit and the details that separate a good knife from an exceptional one.<\/p>\n

The workshop has the equipment and experience to work with demanding steels such as CPM S90V and to execute the thin, precise geometry required for high-performance kitchen knives. Each knife goes through extensive hand work rather than being produced as a high-volume factory product.<\/p>\n

We have worked closely with the workshop through prototypes, testing and revisions, and have also visited the production firsthand. The result is a knife made with the level of care, precision and finish we expect from a premium product.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\nEngineering, knifemaking and advanced steels<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nam studied engineering in Hanoi before establishing his knifemaking workshop. His experience includes kitchen knives, folding knives, advanced steels and technically demanding blade work.<\/p>\n

That technical background, combined with skilled hand grinding and small-batch production, is what makes the workshop particularly well suited to producing the BTN knives we offer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

\n

HIKARI CHEF KNIVES<\/p>\n

BTN is built around one goal: exceptional performance in every part of the knife.<\/h2>\n
\nExplore BTN Knives<\/a>
\nExplore CPM S90V<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HIKARI CHEF KNIVES Hikari Chef Knives: High-Performance Kitchen Knives Years of working with exceptional Japanese knives led us to build a knife around maximum performance. BTN brings together extreme-edge-retention CPM S90V, refined cutting geometry, premium materials and meticulous workmanship. Every part of the knife was developed around the same goal: exceptional cutting performance, edge life, […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":200,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-105","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":234,"href":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105\/revisions\/234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.japanese-knives.co.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}