Global knives were first imported to the United States by Sointu USA in 1989. Sointu was the original importer and exclusive US distributor for 23 years.

Global knives are manufactured by Yoshikin in Niigata, Japan. They were designed in 1985 by Komin Yamada. When Komin Yamada was commissioned for the job his mandate was to develop a range of knives that was truly new and revolutionary, using the best materials available and the latest manufacturing techniques.

Global knives are unique because of their edge and the way they are balanced. The most important feature of any knife is its edge, and the Global edge is truly its signature. The majority of the Global knives are sharpened or ground on both sides of the blade like western style knives. However, their edges are ground straight to a point rather than beveled resulting in a dramatically sharper knife which stays sharper longer. The edge is so large and prominent that it is easily seen with the naked eye and extends a quarter inch or more up from the tip of the knife.

To balance their knives, Global uses a hollow handle which is then filled with just the right amount of sand to create the correct balance. Global uses this method rather than using a full tang and a bolster to balance their knives for two reasons. First, it is a far more precise than using a tang and a bolster. Second, Asian knives typically do not have bolsters, since they only serve as a hindrance to cutting and sharpening.

Global knives are made from the finest high carbon stainless steel available for producing professional quality kitchen knives. Yoshikin uses its own proprietary stainless steel which it calls CROMOVA 18 Stainless Steel. This steel is hard enough for Global knives to keep their edge for a long time, but soft enough so that it is not too difficult to sharpen the knives. The CRO in CROMOVA 18 stands for chromium and the 18 is the percentage of chromium in the steel. This high percentage of chromium contributes to Global's good stain resistance.