Going to Tokyo tomorrow. I would like to find a good set of Japanese cooking knives.  Which ones should I be on the look out for?

Western or Japanese handle and what budget?

There is a 5 block long shopping warehouse in Osaka that has thousands. I'm happy with my Shun knives, but there are better...and more expensive. Below are a drop in the bucket that I saw in Osaka.

Kitchen Knife Forum
There's lots of info there, but it would take lomger to wade through than you have.  It's hard to make a recommendation, not knowing what's available

Before you go Jap, why not Cutco?

We have several MAC knives that we just got re-sharpened and they are the bomb.  Ours are all Original Series but I would be checking out their newer styles as well if I needed to replace them.

https://www.macknife.com/collections/original-series

Well, I have to go lol.  With the exchange rate i can save some money buying there.  My Boss saved a grand on a Louis Vatan purse 2 weeks ago.  I would say 400 to 500$ budget.

Cutco are garbage knives.. pretty sure that was a joke post..


With a budget of 500 or so, look up some of the sword makers. You might be able to get a Tamahagane knife from one of the great sword makers. Many make kitchen knives for most of their income as swords are usually special orders and pretty expensive, usually around 10k and take a lot of time.

Make sure it's dishwasher safe.

I’m lusting over the Masamoto KS and Miyabi Birchwoods. Don’t know which one I’ll end up with but it’ll be one or the other.

You monster.

I live in Tokyo and I buy my kitchen tools on Kappabashi Kitchen Tools Street

For knives I like this place. Tokuzo  Their prices are reasonable and their selection runs from very basic to rather nice.

There are a ton of knife shops in Kappabashi, you can easily spend a day going from one to the next.

I’ve been very happy with these. Attached File


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Korean made. Andrew Meers, MS

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Hey!   My employer used to make the 440C stainless for cutco knives,
I think we last made any about four years ago,   Tricky grade, could be brittle as glass if critical temps were missed.


There used to be a company called Japan Woodworker and they carried lots of Japanese chef knives too, but they got bought out I think by woodcraft, and they don't carry any of that stuff anymore.
There was also a company called hida tools - they sold high edn craftsman made Japanese hand tools, and knives
https://hidatool.com/list/c/cutlery-and-kitchen

You should look into https://japanesechefsknife.com/ and https://www.chefknivestogo.com/  Both are excellent suppliers of Japanese knives and acessories.

https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-skrama-240-carbon-steel/30189

All ya need.

A good 210-240mm gyuto and petty knife can be had for that amount. That does about 95% of my kitchen work.

I much prefer the Japanese wa handles and also prefer carbon steel over SS knives.

They require extra care but the hardness keeps them sharp for a long time and I enjoy the work of maintaining a knife (drying it after using, oiling the handle, touching up on whetstones occasionally)

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You really have to read up on the differences between Japanese and Western knives.  Know the difference between carbon (shirogami, aogami, etc.) and stainless (vg10, sg2, etc.) steels, single bevels (traditional Japanese knives like debas and yanagibas) vs. double bevels (Western style gyuto, santoku, bunka, etc.).  Do you sharpen your kitchen knives yourself?  Lots of Japanese whetstones to choose from over there, both synthetic and natural.    

If you're the type that doesn't sharpen knives yourself, keep to Western style knives made from stainless steels.  Lots of choices for those, from off the shelf to full custom artisan knives.  Obviously, in the end the knives are tools.  Buy the ones that best fit how you prep and cook, or you will end up with expensive kitchen decorations.

Actually, I want to get into Japanese kitchen knives too. Good knives make food prep almost fun. But I'm guessing you first need to become proficient at the use of water stones. Correct?

I learned as I went. I got two Japanese stones and practiced on some crappy knives first. Pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

Be careful what you wish for.  It can be yet another expensive hobby.  

I would say learning how to sharpen knives yourself is a prerequisite.  It sucks bringing your $300 knives to a sharpener every 6 months at $25 per just to keep them popping.  When you don't, your $300 knives are no different than $3 Walmart knives.  

You don't really need dozens of stones (guilty), nor do you need the expensive ones (guilty).  One medium grit (1k), plus a fine grit (5k-6K) are necessary.  A coarse stone (250-400) is nice for new knives, but I'd put money into a diamond leveling plate for the other two stones and a leather strop before buying a coarse stone.  Shapton Pro is my latest favorite line, but Naniwa Chosera, Suehiro, King, etc., all make nice synthetic stones.  

Lots of videos on YT on how to.  As mentioned, pratice on a cheapy knife first.  Focus on a consistent hold (muscle memory) more than an exact 16.345 degree hold.  Consistency is key, as is the patience and attention to detail of an old hand.  It's not hard, just takes practice.  

Oh, and don't buy knife SETS.  Buy individual knives and make your own set.  Try different makers.  As mentioned, a gyuto and petty are a good start.  A nakiri or santoku would definitely be on the list as well.  That should cover 90%+ of kitchen needs.  

Good luck, and have fun!

I use shapton pro stones. They only require surface water and no soaking. They perform really well. Think I have a 1k,2k,5k, and 8k as I don't have mt 15k anymore. I also have a dmt xxc or xc I use to flatten my stones.

Would trigger heart attacks in the UK.

This will be my next knife.




https://www.chefknivestogo.com/masamoto-chef-knife.html

I just have a 2 shapton stone set in 1k and 5k.

One of the other reasons I love many Japanese knives is that they are still handmade.

There's some "cool factor" in picking up a knife that wasn't just punched out of sheet metal in a factory, but rather hammered and shaped by a human.



This is the guy that made my petty knife.