Pick up a good Japanese chef's knife after years of using a heavy Western one and the difference is obvious. The blade is thinner, the edge is sharper and the whole knife feels lighter in the hand. Onions slice instead of crunch, and tomatoes give way without squashing.
This guide explains what makes Japanese kitchen knives different, where they come from and which five chef's knives are worth buying, from an all-steel design icon to a handmade birch-handled showpiece.
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What makes Japanese knives different
Most Japanese chef's knives share three traits. First, the steel is usually harder than on a typical Western knife, which lets it take and hold a finer edge. MAC, for example, says its blades sit between 57 and 61 on the Rockwell C hardness scale (HRC). Second, the blades are thinner, which helps them glide through food. Third, the edge angle is more acute. MAC describes its edge as a hybrid between the traditional single-bevel Japanese edge and the Western double-bevel edge, at roughly 15 degrees per side.
Many of the best blades are also built in layers. A very hard core steel forms the cutting edge, and softer stainless steel is wrapped around it for toughness and rust resistance. When those outer layers are folded and etched to show a wavy pattern, it is called Damascus.
You will also see two common shapes. The gyuto is the Japanese take on a Western chef's knife, with a pointed tip and a gentle curve for rocking cuts. The santoku is shorter, with a flatter edge and a rounded tip, and it suits push cuts and chopping vegetables. If you only buy one knife, a gyuto of about 8 inches (21 centimeters) is the most useful size.
Where they come from
Two towns make a huge share of Japan's kitchen knives. Seki, in Gifu Prefecture, has a blade-making tradition that Shun says goes back more than 800 years. Tsubame-Sanjo, in Niigata Prefecture, is a metalworking center where makers like Tojiro and Yoshikin, the company behind Global, are based. Each of the five knives below comes from one of the two.
Five Japanese chef's knives worth buying
1. Shun Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife
Shun belongs to the Kai Group, which traces its roots to 1908, when Saijiro Endo set up shop in Seki. According to Shun's history, the brand reached North America in 2002. Classic is the original Shun line and has more blade shapes than any other series. It uses Shun's own VG-MAX steel with a Damascus finish and an ebony-colored Pakkawood handle, a durable wood and resin composite. It is a very safe first pick.
2. Global G-2 Chef's Knife
Global is the knife that looks like nothing else. Its maker, Yoshida Metal Industry, known as Yoshikin, was founded in Tsubame in 1954. In 1983 it introduced Global, an all-stainless knife where the blade and handle form one seamless piece. Yoshikin's history notes that Global later won Japan's Good Design award and, in 2002, its Long Life Design award. The G-2 cook knife has a 20 centimeter blade and is light, nimble and easy to keep clean. An all-steel handle feels very different from wood or resin, so hold one if you can.
3. Tojiro DP Gyuto
Tojiro began in 1953 as a farm machinery maker and moved into kitchen knives soon after. Its DP line won a Good Design award from Japan's trade ministry in 1980 and a Long Life Design award in 1996, according to Tojiro's history. Its current Tojiro Classic series, which carries those same awards, has a VG10 (V Gold 10) steel core clad in 13-chrome stainless steel, a laminated handle held by three rivets and a bolster. Tojiro says every edge is finished by hand. It is the best value of the five.
4. MAC Professional MTH-80
MAC has been making knives in Seki since 1964 and says it has sold more than 25 million of them. The MTH-80 is its most popular model. It has a thin 2.5 millimeter blade just under 8 inches long, weighs 6.5 ounces and has dimples along the side to stop sticky foods like potatoes clinging to the steel. MAC says its blades are hand-ground and sharpened on water-cooled stones. It is the most balanced all-rounder here.
5. Miyabi Birchwood SG2 Chef's Knife
Miyabi is the Japanese knife brand of Germany's Zwilling, and its knives are handcrafted in Seki. The Birchwood SG2 has a core of SG2 (Super Gold 2) micro-carbide steel, wrapped in 101 layers of Damascus, ice-hardened for extra hardness and fitted with a Karelian birch handle. Miyabi says each knife takes more than 100 steps and 42 days to make. It is the splurge, and it looks the part.
How to choose
If you want one knife that does everything and you are new to Japanese blades, start with the Shun Classic or the MAC. If you care about value most, buy the Tojiro. If you love modern design and easy cleaning, choose the Global. If you want an heirloom, go for the Miyabi.
How to care for them
Hard, thin Japanese edges are sharp but less forgiving than soft Western steel. Wash them by hand and dry them straight away. Use a wood or soft plastic cutting board, never glass or stone. Avoid twisting the blade through bones or frozen food, and do not use the edge to scrape food across the board. Keep the edge in shape with a ceramic rod or a whetstone rather than a coarse pull-through sharpener.
A good knife pairs well with other kitchen tools built to last, like the gear in our pour-over coffee guide or the Alessi 9093 kettle. If you appreciate Japanese craft in other forms, see our Japanese denim guide, and for a different kind of blade, the Buck 110 Folding Hunter.
Where to buy
Each maker sells through its own site or lists authorized dealers there. You can also pick up the Shun Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife, the Global G-2 8-inch Chef's Knife, the Tojiro DP Gyuto 9.4-inch, the MAC Professional MTH-80 and the Miyabi Birchwood SG2 8-inch Chef's Knife. Check current pricing before you order. More in our buying guides hub.
