If you want to buy Japanese knives, you should do your research to ensure you buy the right knives. There are different types of Japanese kitchen knives designed for different purposes. If you choose the right knife for the wrong purpose, you will end up with a knife that doesn’t meet your needs.
What is the best Japanese kitchen knife for me?
The best knife is the knife that works well for you. When choosing knives, you should know what you plan to use the knife for. Home cooks and professional chefs have different needs. Professional chefs use their knives up to 50 hours a week while home chefs will only use them for about 20 minutes a day to prepare dinner.
With this in mind, you do not need to invest in a heavy-duty knife that has better edge retention than experienced chefs use. These are traditional Japanese slicers and they can feature a single bevel blade. Single bevel knives can easily achieve a super sharp edge, perfect for clean cuts such as filleting fish for preparing perfect sushi sashimi.
If you are a home cook, kitchen knives that are easy to sharpen and well-balanced should be considered. Holding the kitchen knife to see if it feels right for you is crucial. If you are purchasing your knife online, you need to look for stores that permit you to test the knife with no risk before buying it. Japanese knives come with different handles and the shape of the blade is an important factor to consider.
Most handles are made with right-handed users in mind. For that, you can choose a D-shaped, octagonal or oval handle. If you are left-handed and the above shapes do not fit you, you can order a custom-made handle. You should also consider your budget, sharpening, length, and application.
Budget
What is the maximum amount you want to spend on a long-lasting and high-quality knife? If you do not have enough money to spend on an extremely expensive high-end knife, you should consider a cheaper knife.
Steel type
Do you want to buy a knife made of carbon steel or stainless steel? It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each steel type before buying a knife.
Sharpening
Have you ever sharpened a knife or are you able to sharpen a kitchen knife at home? If not, you should consider if you can learn how to sharpen a knife before buying. If you don’t learn how to sharpen a knife, you will be paying someone to do it for you.
Length
You should choose the length of your knife depending on your experience and what you feel comfortable with. The length of the knife should also depend on how you intend to use the knife.
Application
If you want to buy Japanese knives, you should have specific jobs in mind that you want to use the knife for. For example, boning, chopping herbs, and filleting fish. You should choose a knife that was designed for your application.
