Japanese chef knives are an investment and you need to ensure that you get the right knife for your needs when buying one. When you purchase Japanese kitchen knives, you are purchasing something you will use for the rest of your life if you choose a knife that is made of quality materials and take good care of it.

Know the style of the kitchen knife to buy

You should start with a Santoku or a Gyuto as your first purchase if you are looking for an all-around knife. A Santoku or a Gyuto knife is a great starting point when purchasing a Japanese kitchen knife because these are multi-purpose kitchen knives. Santoku knives are around 160mm to 180mm while Gyuto knives range from around 180mm to 300mm long with a sweet spot of around 210mm that is both efficient on large pieces of vegetables and meat but nimble enough for intricate work. It is not too small or too big and so is the knife you will use daily. It will do most of your kitchen jobs.

After you have got a good all-rounder, you should look to expand your collection of Japanese kitchen knives with a small petty knife. If you are cooking a lot of vegetables then you will need to invest in a Nakiri knife.

How sharp is the knife steel?

When choosing Japanese knives, it is important to consider the sharpness of the knife. Japanese kitchen knives are typically framed for their edge retention and sharpness thanks to the hard steel used to make the knife and the smaller sharpening angle of the knife of around 15% to 16% which creates a great cutting edge. Most Japanese kitchen knives are finished by hand on smooth whetstones to create an edge that is of standard and consistency that is astonishing. If you want to see how good an edge is, you should check YouTube videos that compare Japanese kitchen knives with western knives.

Looks

The appearance of a knife should be the last thing you should consider when buying a knife but that being said, a beautiful knife is a treat. You should feel free to pick a pretty knife as long as it meets your needs.

Ease of care

No knife should be kept in the dishwasher. You should wipe your knife clean and dry it to store it properly after each use. When it comes to protecting and storing your knife, you should use a magnetic knife rack. If you are travelling and want to keep your knife somewhere safe in a drawer, you should use a blade guard or a knife roll.

Handles

Handles play an important role in Japanese chef knives. The Japanese WA handles are lightweight handles and this makes it easy to use your knife. This is a design that has been here for over a century. It is combined with a half tang and this makes the knife feel lighter and nimble in your hand. On the other hand, western handles are the styles most people are familiar with. they are full tang and sturdy.