<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Hocho Insight</title><description>Honest Japanese kitchen knife reviews, written from Japan. We explain the steels, the makers, and the sharpening in plain English so you can buy the real thing with confidence.</description><link>https://hochoinsight.com/</link><item><title>The Best Japanese Chef Knives (Gyuto) in 2026: Five Knives Actually Worth Buying</title><link>https://hochoinsight.com/blog/best-japanese-chef-knives/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://hochoinsight.com/blog/best-japanese-chef-knives/</guid><description>Shun, Tojiro, MAC, Global, and Kai compared honestly from Japan: steels, construction, who each knife suits, and which &quot;Japanese&quot; knives to walk past.</description><pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Gyuto vs. Santoku: Which Japanese Knife Should You Buy First?</title><link>https://hochoinsight.com/blog/gyuto-vs-santoku/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://hochoinsight.com/blog/gyuto-vs-santoku/</guid><description>Japan&apos;s two everyday knives compared honestly: blade shape, cutting motion, board space, and which one fits how you actually cook — with a pick for each.</description><pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Sharpen a Japanese Knife with a Whetstone (One Stone Is Enough)</title><link>https://hochoinsight.com/blog/how-to-sharpen-japanese-knife/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://hochoinsight.com/blog/how-to-sharpen-japanese-knife/</guid><description>The beginner-friendly whetstone method: which single stone to buy, the 15-degree angle trick, raising a burr, and the mistakes that eat Japanese edges.</description><pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Care for a Japanese Knife So It Lasts Decades (5 Rules, 2 Minutes a Day)</title><link>https://hochoinsight.com/blog/japanese-knife-care/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://hochoinsight.com/blog/japanese-knife-care/</guid><description>The five care rules that decide whether a Japanese knife lasts three years or thirty: washing, drying, storage, what never to cut, and fixing rust spots.</description><pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Japanese Knife Steels, Explained Simply: VG-10, Carbon, and What &quot;Damascus&quot; Really Means</title><link>https://hochoinsight.com/blog/japanese-knife-steels/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://hochoinsight.com/blog/japanese-knife-steels/</guid><description>VG-10, VG-MAX, White and Blue carbon steel, SG2, and the truth about Damascus patterns — what the names on a Japanese knife actually tell you, in plain English.</description><pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>