Global knives were launched in 1985 and have rapidly gone on to be one of the leading premium knife brands in the World. A young Japanese designer called Komin Yamada was tasked with redeveloping traditional Japanese kitchen knives using all the technology and design know-how then available. These Japanese knives have been largely responsible for many people changing the way they view kitchen knives as they introduced a lightness of touch and handle design that's unlike any competing product.

In many ways, Global knives, although not traditionally Japanese, broke through into Western markets first. This has allowed other high-quality brands like Shun and Tojiro to follow. You can see examples of these knives at the Cooks&Kitchens website. In fact, the santoku shape (a Japanese chef's knife) now outsells Western-style cook's knives in most of the major markets.

Global use Japanese Cromova 18 steel to create a high carbon, stain resistant knife that retains its edge for longer. Ice tempering and controlled hardening allows Global to achieve hardness's of 56-58 Rockwell C, several points above most competitors.

In addition, every Global knife is individually finished to ensure perfect balance. Further information on the individual knives is available on the Global section of the Cooks&Kitchens website

As the company has grown, so has the range of kitchen knives. Global now offer well over 60 different blades, including cook's knives, paring knives, santoku knives and a full range of filleting and boning knives.

One important point to note for users of European knife brands like Wusthof and Henckels is that Global knives, like most Japanese knives, are sharpened to an angle of 15 degrees from the vertical. This compares with 20 degrees for European brands and explains why Japanese knives feel sharper when cutting, although they are less ?controlled.

Also note that Global's should not be sharpened with metal steels. Only use ceramic or diamond sharpening tools such as whetstones or diamond steels. This is actually true of all quality Japanese knives.

Whilst the weight and balance of Global knives are not to everyone's liking, they should be a serious option for those interested in using professional quality kitchen knives.