Beginner's Guide to Buying Japanese Chefs Knives | 2021 Updated Guide

As soon as you make the transition from generally cooking to taking it seriously, you'll start to look harder at Japanese-style knives, which are widely regarded as some of the sharpest and best-balanced kitchen knives you can buy.

There are many traditional Japanese chef knives, all with a different history, cutting purpose and use, so it can be genuinely difficult knowing where to start.

Buying a Japanese chef knife is not as simple as picking up an all-purpose Western chef's knife. There are a few key factors that should drive your decision, especially if this is your first one.

Japanese knife-making has a long craft tradition, and much of the metalworking knowledge behind today's kitchen blades grew out of the same swordsmithing lineage that produced the katana. That is heritage rather than manufacture — a modern kitchen knife is a precision-made tool, not a sword — but the design thinking behind the thin blade and the keen edge angle really does come from there.

So in this buyer's guide we'll give you the rundown of what to look for in a Japanese-style chef's knife, and how to make sure your first purchase is one you'll still be using in ten years' time.

How to choose your first Japanese knife in 5 steps

Work through these in order. Each one narrows the field, and by step five you will usually be down to two or three knives.

1. Pick the shape first. Not the brand, not the steel — the shape. A 7" santoku or an 8" gyuto will handle almost everything a home cook does. Buy one good all-rounder rather than a block of mediocre knives; here is why a single knife beats a set for most people, and our shortlist of the best Japanese knives for beginners in the UK.
2. Then the steel. Look for VG10 or AUS-10 — both are high-carbon stainless steels. They take a very fine edge and, unlike traditional carbon steel, they will not rust on you in an ordinary kitchen.
3. Then the hardness. Around 58–62 HRC is the sweet spot for a first knife: hard enough to hold a keen edge for months, not so hard that the edge chips if you catch a bone.
4. Then the handle. Pakkawood or moulded resin on a full tang is the practical choice in a British kitchen — it does not absorb water, so it will not swell, crack or work loose at the sink.
5. Then the budget. £65–£100 buys a genuine VG10 blade that will last years. Below about £30 a Damascus pattern is usually decoration rather than construction. We break the numbers down in how much to spend on a Japanese knife in the UK.

What makes a Japanese-style knife different

Most of what people call a "Japanese knife" is the product of years of accumulated metalworking knowledge, much of it refined in the making of the katana. That inheritance shows up in three concrete ways: a harder steel, a thinner blade, and a keener edge angle than the European norm.

Japanese blacksmiths and artisans have a long-standing reputation for fine knife-making, and the combination of that tradition with modern steel technology is what put Japanese-style chef knives where they are today. Whether they are "the best" comes down to individual preference — plenty of excellent chefs prefer a German knife — but very few people argue about how well they cut.

Below we've listed the factors that make a Japanese-style knife a distinctive, high-quality item, and that you most need to understand before you buy. One thing worth being straight about while you read: the knives we sell are made with Japanese VG10 and AUS-10 steel. They are high-carbon stainless, double-bevel, ground at roughly 15° per side — and they are not forged in Japan. Japanese here describes the style, steel and geometry, which is why we call them Japanese-steel knives.

Different Types of Japanese Chef Knives

There is a range of Japanese chef knives with different purposes and uses. Below are the most popular, commonly found in both Japanese and Western kitchens. The first three are double-bevel all-rounders; the last three are traditional single-bevel specialist tools, which we do not stock.

Santoku

Gyuto

Nakiri

Usuba

Yanagiba

Deba

Three sensible first knives

If you want a shortlist rather than a shape lesson, start here. All three are Japanese VG10 steel, double-bevel, and sharpen on an ordinary whetstone.

Material of the blade

Blade material is where Japanese-style knives separate themselves. Traditionally a Japanese blade is laminated: a hard steel core that forms the cutting edge, wrapped in a softer outer layer that adds toughness and makes the blade easier to forge and to work.

At the very top end you'll find honyaki knives, forged from a single piece of high-carbon steel. Far more common is kasumi construction — a hard steel cutting core forge-welded to a soft iron cladding. (You will occasionally see this misspelled "konsumi", and described as a blend of carbon steel and stainless steel. Both are wrong: the term is kasumi, and the pairing is hard steel plus soft iron.)

That layered construction is what allows Japanese-style knives to be thinner and lighter while still holding a keener edge. Those are the characteristics behind the precise, very thin cuts that Japanese cuisine is known for.

The part that matters most for a first purchase. Traditional carbon-steel blades are superb, but they will rust if you leave them wet, and they need careful drying and the occasional wipe of oil. The knives we sell are not carbon steel in that sense. They are high-carbon stainless — Japanese VG10 and AUS-10 — hardened to roughly 58–62 HRC. They take a very fine edge and they do not rust in normal kitchen use. Wash by hand, dry them, keep them out of the dishwasher, and pay a little attention to the knife's environment (don't leave one soaking in a full sink) and they will look after themselves.

Bevel: how many sides, and at what angle

This is the most misunderstood thing about Japanese knives, and it is worth being precise, because bevel count and bevel shape are two different questions.

Bevel count. A single-bevel knife is ground on one side only; the other side is flat or slightly hollowed. Single-bevel knives are traditional and excellent, but they are specialist tools — the yanagiba for slicing sashimi, the usuba for decorative vegetable work, the deba for breaking down fish. They are also handed, and they take practice to sharpen. The vast majority of Japanese-style kitchen knives sold today, including every knife we stock, are double bevel — ground on both sides, and used exactly the way a European knife is used in the hand.

Bevel angle. This is where the real difference lies, and it is the number that actually matters: a Japanese-style double-bevel knife is typically ground at about 15° per side, against roughly 20° per side on a European knife. A narrower angle means a thinner, keener edge that needs far less force to start a cut. It is also a little more delicate, which is why you should sharpen back to that same 15° rather than dragging the blade through a carbide pull-through — there is more on this in our guide to the correct Japanese knife sharpening angle.

Bevel shape is a separate matter again: a flat "V" grind versus a rounded convex grind. A V grind is easier to reproduce on a whetstone; a convex grind is slightly more robust behind the edge. Neither has anything to do with how many sides the blade is ground on, and the two ideas are often wrongly run together.

Handle

Traditional Japanese kitchen knives often use a light wooden handle — Ho wood is the classic choice — fitted onto a partial tang. It is a very light, blade-forward arrangement, and it is designed to be re-handled when it eventually wears out.

Our own knives are built differently, and for a British kitchen we think it is the better arrangement: pakkawood or moulded resin handles on a full tang. Pakkawood is resin-impregnated laminated wood: it has the look and grain of timber but does not absorb water, so it will not swell, crack or work loose at the sink. A full tang runs the entire length of the handle, which brings the balance point back towards the bolster and makes the knife feel solid rather than blade-heavy.

Whichever handle you end up with, the rules are the same: no dishwasher, and no leaving it to soak. Sustained heat and prolonged moisture are what damage handles, wood or resin.

Size

The right size depends on the type of knife, what you cut and your own preference. Most beginners are best served by a multi-purpose blade in the 7–8" range — a 7" santoku or an 8" gyuto — while 10" knives are more of a professional-kitchen tool. If you're torn, we go through it properly in what size Japanese chef knife you should first buy.

Maintenance

Japanese-style knives ask for a little more care than a supermarket knife — but not for the reason this page used to give. Because our blades are stainless, everyday rust is not the worry. What you are protecting is the thin, hard, finely ground edge.

That means they should not go in a dishwasher (here is why you shouldn't put knives in the dishwasher), should not be left soaking, and should not be left with moisture or food residue on the blade. Wash by hand and dry immediately after use. Keep them off glass, stone and ceramic boards, and store them on a rack or in a block rather than loose in a drawer.

Difference Between Japanese and Western Chef Knives

There are a few key differences between Japanese-style and Western knives worth setting out plainly, because they explain most of the characteristics listed above.

Steel and hardness. Western knives are usually made from a softer stainless steel, hardened to around 54–56 HRC. Japanese-style knives use a harder steel — ours are VG10 and AUS-10 at roughly 58–62 HRC. Both are stainless; the difference is hardness, not rust resistance. A harder blade holds its edge considerably longer, at the cost of being slightly less forgiving if you abuse it.

Edge angle. A European knife is typically ground at about 20° per side, a Japanese-style knife at about 15°. That is the main reason a Japanese-style blade feels so much keener, and why it slides through a tomato skin instead of squashing it.

Bevel count. Traditional single-bevel Japanese knives exist — the yanagiba, usuba and deba — but they are specialist tools. Both modern Japanese-style chef knives and Western chef knives are double bevel, so switching between them requires no new technique.

Weight and geometry. Western knives tend to be thicker, heavier and more curved, suiting a rocking cut. Japanese-style knives are thinner and flatter, suiting a push or pull cut. Neither is better in the abstract: plenty of master chefs prefer a French or German knife, plenty prefer a Japanese-style one, and it comes down to how you cook.

FAQ

What is the best Japanese knife for a beginner?

One good all-rounder rather than a cheap set: a 7 inch santoku or an 8 inch gyuto. Both handle most everyday prep, and buying one quality knife teaches you more than five mediocre ones.

Do Japanese knives rust?

Traditional carbon-steel blades can rust and need careful drying. The knives we sell are high-carbon stainless steel, VG10 and AUS-10, so they do not rust in normal kitchen use. Wash by hand, dry them and keep them out of the dishwasher and they will stay clean.

Are Japanese knives single bevel or double bevel?

The vast majority of Japanese-style kitchen knives sold today, including every knife we stock, are double bevel and sharpened at roughly 15 degrees per side. Single-bevel knives such as the yanagiba, usuba and deba are specialist tools for sashimi, vegetable and fish work.

How much should I spend on my first Japanese knife?

Around 65 to 100 pounds buys a genuine VG10 blade that will last years. Below about 30 pounds a Damascus pattern is usually decoration rather than construction. Above roughly 150 pounds you are largely paying for finish and rarity rather than a better cut.

Are Japanese knives made in Japan?

Not necessarily. Japanese refers to the style, steel and geometry as much as the country of manufacture. Our knives are made with Japanese VG10 and AUS-10 steel but are not forged in Japan, which is why we call them Japanese-steel knives.

How do I look after a Japanese knife?

Hand wash and dry it, keep it off glass, stone and ceramic boards, store it on a rack or in its scabbard rather than loose in a drawer, and sharpen it on a whetstone at about 15 degrees per side instead of a carbide pull-through sharpener.

Final Thoughts

There are quite a few factors that go into a Japanese-style chef's knife, but there is no need to feel overwhelmed by them. Get the shape right, buy a genuine VG10 or AUS-10 blade at 58–62 HRC, and store it sensibly, and you will have a knife that stays sharp for years.

If you are buying your first one, the Haruta 7" Santoku at £89.99 is the easiest recommendation we can make — or browse the full single knives range if you want to compare shapes. Add a whetstone to keep the edge where it should be, and that is genuinely all you need to start.

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