Difference Between G,GS,GSF& GF Series

There are four series of Global knives. They are G, GS, GF and GSF. For all practical purposes, the only difference among the series is that the G and GS knives are lighter in weight than the GF and GSF knives. The lighter weight knives are more characteristically Japanese and Global is best known for its lighter weight knives. One should decide for him or herself which knives best suit him or her.

Furthermore, The G Series has a traditional handle as the GS have the triangular handle. The GF Series are very similar to the G Series in size, however the GF Series are heavier than the traditional G series. This GF Series is recommended for people who like the wieght of a traditional German Knife.

What Should I Buy to Sharpen My Knives?

What should I buy to sharpen my Global Knives? You should make your decision based on what you are comfortable using on a regular basis. I will go through the positives and negatives of a few options.

-G-38 Diamond Sharpening Steel

The G-38 Diamond Sharpening Steel is great to sharpen your knives with a few strokes. It is quick way to maintain your knives edge; however, using a sharpening steel takes practice to be efficient and if you are not consistent with the angle of the stroke you may accomplish little with this device. Recommended for Chef's or advanced cooks.

-G-45 Ceramic Sharpening Rod

The G-45 Ceramic Sharpening Rod will sharpen your knives with a few more strokes than the G-38 Diamond Sharpening Steel and is great to maintain your knives edge; however, like the G-38 it takes practice to be efficient. Ceramic rod is fragile and needs to be handled with care. This item is recommended for Chef's or advanced cooks that do not need to travel with their knives.

-MS5 Sharpening Stones

The MS5 Sharpening stones are available in three different coarses. The Sharpening stones will make quick work of any sharpening task no matter how dull. This product is ideal a major sharpening. They can be used with a light machine oil, water, or dry. For best results I use a light machine oil that you can find in most hardware stores. You can purchase guides to insure that you are sharpening at the same angle every time. On the down side they are not as easy to store and transport as the G-38 and the G-45 and are not ideal for maintaining knives.

-220 MinoSharp

The 220 MinoSharp is ideal for maintaining the edge of your knife and is easiest to operate without any practice or technique. You may need to complete more strokes than with the above products but will sharpen old knives like new. The edge that you create with the MinoSharp will not last as long as the above products but is great for anyone who uses a knife.

-440 MinoSharp Plus

The 440 MinoSharp Plus is ideal for maintaining the edge of your knife and is as easy as the 220 MinoSharp; however with larger sharpening wheels the 440 MinoSharp Plus will create a larger and longer lasting edge. Recommended for anyone.

Global's Insistance on Excellence

The concept behind the development of the GLOBAL series was to bring together Italian design aesthetics, German durability, and Japanese precision. With an insistence that these three elements be melded without compromise among any one of them, development began in 1978 with a two-pronged approach focusing on design and technology.
YOSHIKIN, since its establishment, has been developing and accumulating various know-how and ideas through the manufacture of tableware products. These activities led us to one conclusion that to take maximum advantage of the potential beauty inherent in the material-beauty of color and beauty of modeling which each material possesses latently-is the culmination of designing. From this view point, the concept "a knife made of a single piece of stainless steel from the point of the blade to the butt of the handle" without including foreign material, was perfected. We requested industrial designer Komin Yamada to design a new knife based on the above concept, which gave birth to GLOBAL knife.
Heat-treatment and sub-zero treatmentAfter stamping the stainless steel blank into the shape of the blade, it is heat-treated at about 1000 degrees centigrade. After that, it undergoes the rapid cooling at minus 80 degrees centigrade. This "sub-zero treatment" increases the hardness of the blade, and the enhanced uniformity of the stainless steel's crystalline structure leads to the improved cutting qualities. After this "sub-zero treatment," the knife is once again passed to another heat treatment that takes about four hours. This tempering process makes the knife stronger, and tenacious.
Edge formationThe GLOBAL knife edge has a convex cross-sectional shape. From the ridge to the point of the blade, the edge is not a straight line, but rather forms a gradual curve. This makes the edge more effective for cutting, and the cut foods separate from the blade easily. After much trial and error, this shape was chosen as the best in terms of the excellence of cutting qualities and overall ease of use.Furthermore, as for the GLOBAL-PRO series (Japanese domestic market), veteran craftsmen use wet grinding stones to polish, by hand, the edges to an ultimate level of keenness.

Information taken from Yoshikin at http://yoshikin.co.jp/

Global Warranty Information

Limited Lifetime Warranty for Stainless Steel Products

Sointu USA (the exclusive legitamate U.S. distributor) guarantees any stainless steel product that it sells to be free from defect in material, construction or workmanship for the life of the product under normal use and following the care instructions. This excludes damage caused by misuse or accident. This warranty extends only to the product's original purchaser. Chips in the knife blades, broken knife tips, discolorations from food and rust spots are not covered. Knife chips and broken knife tips can often be repaired by re-sharpening. If you have a claim please fill out the warranty form and follow instructions

Warranty Claim Form

Global Professional Knives - Counterfiet or Real?

Global Professional Knives - Counterfiet or Real? Well, The answer is both. A line of Global Knives called Global PRO or Global Professional are made in the Yoshikin Metal Industry Co. in Japan but due to limited production they are only sold in Japan. If you are not buying Global Proffessional Knives from the Yoshikin Store in in Tokyo, there is a 99.9 percent chance they are counterfiet. The picture is a screen shot of the yoshikin website where the price in in Yen and there is a bold red label that states "SOLD EXCLUSIVLY IN JAPAN" Buyer Beware

What To Do With Your Old Knives

What to do with your old knives when you buy some Globals (you need google video player to play video)

Watch Out for Counterfeit Global Knives

It is known that Global knives have been reproduced and copied. These counterfeit items have been offered to professional chefs and the general public. For peace of mind it is best to purchase your Global Knives & Accessories through an authorized stockist - they will be able to offer you not only genuine, expert advice but also the genuine product.If you are a professional chef you may be familiar with the typical scenario…a knock on the back door or someone asking you to spare a few minutes to see what is in the boot of the car. Whatever the approach, the story is the same. “Genuine knives at a discount ! Direct from the manufacturer ! Surplus stock…but be quick, cash only”. Well, the knives are bound to be cheap as they were probably made in a Chinese factory and the edge will only last a short time, despite the logo on the blade. In fact, it is normally the case that the knives are so inferior that they do not even justify the ‘bargain’ price paid for them.In another example, you may have visited a trade fair or exhibition and been approached by someone offering the deal of a lifetime. The story is that “I’m an exhibitor and its time to pack up. We have items out of their packaging/can’t be bothered to transport the knives back to the warehouse…interested in these ? For cash, of course.” But of course, they are fake knives, made in the same type of factory as the first example and made of inferior materials.Yoshikin, the manufacturers of Global, have also found many examples of counterfeit. The products may be cheaper but for good reason...they are vastly inferior, incorporating cheap steel, poor manufacturing standards and blades that will not hold an edge for more than a couple of uses. These illegal reproductions are often offered as a collection of knives in a black knife roll or case...so beware ! Recently, there have been a number of warnings published on this subject and now some auction dealers split these knife collections to sell them as individual items.It should be noted that Global is an EU registered trademark, despite the fact that some counterfeit products have duplicated this protected trademark. Other reproductions may be labelled with 'Global Chef' or 'Global Professional', which have no association with Global Knives although every effort has been made to pass the reproduction off as a genuine product.