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It takes many layers of steel and copper and a revolutionary Norwegian wood to create every TOG knife, but the most important ingredient might just be the one you can’t see: 800 years of Japanese blade-making knowhow.
Founded by product designer Bert Beagley-Brown, TOG is a premium knife brand that was born in England but whose heart is in Japan, specifically in a place so strongly associated with swords and knives that it’s known as ‘the city of blades’. Not only is Seki where Beagley-Brown first discovered the history and artistry of blade making, but it’s where each of TOG’s spectacularly sharp precision blades is made. The design, though, is tailored to the needs of British cooks, and the result is a collection of knives that are as effective to use as they are pleasurable to look at.
And when you do exactly that for the first time, you’ll notice two things: the hair’s-breadth layers of copper – the metal’s antimicrobial properties make TOG blades the most hygenic you’ll find – and the etched wooden handle, made from a hardy modified wood called Kebony maple. Look again and you’ll see the laser-etched TOG logo and individual reference number, the clever little-finger ‘scoop’ in the handle, and the contours and graining that mark your knife out as different to any other.
Each blade is beautiful and purposeful in its own right, but purchase a set and you’ll elevate your chopping game to pro levels
The Bristol-based brand’s range features takes on classic Japanese blade shapes, from the compact and versatile petty and paring knives to the chef’s all-rounder, the santoku, and the flat-ended nakiri – new to the range, and perfect for chopping vegetables. Each one is beautiful and purposeful in its own right, but purchase a set and you won’t just make a hefty saving, you’ll elevate your chopping game to pro levels. Little wonder several Michelin-starred chefs are fans.
There’s a range of accessories, too, including a ceramic honing rod and wooden chopping boards, handmade in Warwickshire from British cherry and American black maple, with bold stripes that echo the copper layers in TOG blades.
Like every other aspect of TOG’s knives and accessories, those layers are distinctive, meticulously crafted and serve a genuine purpose. They’re a testament to British design and Japanese craftsmanship, and of how TOG has brought the two together to create the finest knives in the world.
For more information, see togknives.com
