If youโre considering a trip to Japan at some point, thereโs a good chance you might be tempted to buy a knife or two. Japanese cooking knives are legendary, and for many professional chefs around the world, they are the only knives theyโll use.
Thatโs why when I found myself in Tokyo recently, picking up a knife I could take home was top of my agenda. Iโd done a bit of research into Japanese knives before touching down in Tokyo, but when I arrived on the famed Kappabashi Street (home to more than 160 kitchenware shops) and started talking to the shopkeepers, I realised just how many available options there are, and how much I still didnโt know.
So to save you some time and confusion around exactly which knife you should buy on your next trip to Japan, I wanted to pull together a bit of a cheat sheet that should make your decision-making a little easier. From the different kinds of steel and handles to choose from to the shape of the blade and the best ways to care for your knife, Iโll walk you through it all, as well as share the knives that I ended up buying at the end.
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The Best Japanese Knives For Home Cooking
For most of us who arenโt professional chefs needing to slice and dice whole tuna, two kinds of Japanese knives are widely accepted as being ideal for general home cooking: the Gyuto and the Santoku.
Gyuto
The Gyuto traces its origins back to the late 1800s, when French and German chefsโ knives started to be imported into Japan, and Japanese knife-makers started to replicate the multi-purpose design.
Santoku
The Santokuโs origins are more wholly Japanese, with a design based on the Nakiri knife that was created for cutting vegetables, but slightly adapted to be more general-purpose, which is reflected in its name that translates to โthree usesโ: cutting meat, fish, and vegetables.
If youโre cooking at home and want a single knife that can basically do it all, both the Gyuto and the Santoku will do the job just fine. The differences between the two are minor, but the Gyuto typically has a longer blade, and slightly more curve to its cutting edge, and a sharper tip.
If youโve already got a great all-purpose cooking knife at home, two other practical Japanese knives include the Kiritsuke and the Petty knife.
Kiritsuke
If youโve already got a great all-purpose cooking knife at home, another slightly more specific option is the Kiritsuke. The Kiritsuke is effectively a more specialised version of a Gyuto, meaning it remains a general-purpose chefโs knife, but its blade is thinner and its angled tip makes it ideal for intricate cuts.
Petty Knife
The Petty knife is an all-rounder with a shorter blade, making it perfect for any jobs that a Gyuto or Santoku are too long for, such as peeling and trimming vegetables, slicing fruit, and even small boning tasks.
If all you had in your kitchen were a Gyuto and a Petty knife, youโd be covered for almost any home cooking task you can think of.
Steel
Once youโve decided on the kind of knife you want (and your budget!), the biggest decision youโll have left is what kind of steel you want your blade to be made from. There are lots of options when it comes to steel, but the three main kinds of steel are:
- Carbon steel
- Stainless steel
- Powder steel
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel is a popular choice for anyone happy to spend a little more time and effort in maintaining their knives, with traditional carbon steels including Shirogami (White Steel) and Aogami (Blue Steel). White Steel is known for its extreme sharpness and the purity of its alloy, while Blue Steel has a slightly more complex alloy that makes it hold a sharper edge for longer.
Carbon steel knives are known for their hardness, promising excellent sharpness and edge retention, but the trade-offs are a blade thatโs more prone to chipping, and the high carbon content means itโs likely to develop a patina or even rust if itโs not cleaned quickly after use.
Stainless Steel
Most, if not all, of the knives you already own will have stainless steel blades, which are popular thanks to higher chromium content that protects the blade from oxidising and stops it from rusting. Stainless steel blades wonโt hold a sharp edge as long as carbon steel, but their slightly lower hardness rating means theyโre less likely to chip and are easier to sharpen.
Common kinds of stainless steel youโre likely to find when knife shopping in Japan are VG10, AUS10, and Ginsan, which are all high-quality stainless steel alloys.
Powder Steel
If you want one of the best kitchen knives money can buy, a powder steel blade is what you need to look for. Powder steel combines the best of carbon and stainless steels, resulting in a blade thatโs extremely hard, sharp, and holds its edge, while also being solidly corrosion-resistant. The most commonly used powder steels are ZDP-189, Super Gold 2/R2, and HAP40.
Unsurprisingly, the benefits of powder steel come with a price to match, with the steel both difficult to source and correctly forge. If youโre happy to spend some extra, however, a powder steel blade is one you should enjoy using for a lifetime.
Handles
Japanese Handle
Japanese knife handles are typically made from natural materials such as wood or bone and are more lightweight in your hand, thanks to the โtangโ of the knife (the part of the blade that extends into the handle) not extending the full length of the handle. Japanese handles are less durable and more prone to moisture damage, but theyโre also easier to replace than their Western equivalents.
Western Handle
A Western-style knife handle is easy to spot because youโll see two or three rivets securing the plastic or wooden parts of the handle to the bladeโs tang. Western handles are heavier because of the larger tang and harder to repair if damaged, but theyโre more durable and easier to maintain.
Caring For Your Knife
Now that youโve decided on your ideal Japanese chefโs knife, the next thing to consider is its maintenance.
Cleaning
Thereโs not much point in owning a nice knife if you let the blade dull or the handle get damaged, so the first thing to remember is always hand-wash and dry your Japanese knives. No dishwashers, please.
Ideally, youโll want to clean your knife with a damp cloth or sponge (no abrasive scourers) as soon as you finish using it, especially if itโs got a carbon steel blade. Even if your blade is stainless steel, you should still promptly clean it and always make sure to dry the blade immediately after washing.
Cutting
The best surface for cutting with a Japanese knife is a wooden board. A plastic chopping board isnโt the end of the world, but it does increase the likelihood of chipping your knife if you accidentally turn the blade while itโs against the softer plastic surface.
Additionally, to keep the blade sharp for as long as possible and to avoid chipping it, you shouldnโt use a Japanese knife to cut bones, stone fruits, or any other hard objects.
Sharpening
The subject of sharpening your knife is one that probably deserves its own article, but in short, you should also buy a whetstone or two to maintain its edge. A 1000-grit whetstone is a good place to start, with a finer-grit whetstone ideal for polishing the edge.
Youโll need to soak your whetstone in water for 20 to 30 minutes before sharpening your knife, and itโs a good idea to practice sharpening on a regular kitchen knife to find the right angle of sharpening. There are countless videos on YouTube showcasing the best ways to sharpen a kitchen knife, so I suggest watching a few before getting started.
Itโll be a bit intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, sharpening is another way to enjoy your Japanese knife.
Storage
Nothing will make a blade lose its edge faster than banging against the other knives in the cutlery drawer, so ideally, you want to store it in the box it came in. Alternatively, you can get a wooden or leather sheath to keep the blade protected.
If youโve got a carbon steel blade, a wipe down with a few drops of Camellia Oil will protect it from oxidising between uses.
The Japanese Knives I Decided To Buy
After visiting a dozen or so different knife stores, chatting with the various shopkeepers to better understand the different options in front of me, I decided to bite the bullet at Union Commerce Cutlery, located on a side street off the main Kappabashi strip. The range on offer was good, the prices seemed fair compared to other shops, and the woman who assisted me in the final decision was extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
The knives I bought were a Kiritsuke and a Petty knife, as well as a 1000-grit sharpening stone and a flattening stone (which you use to even out the sharpening stone after use. I chose the Petty knife because I think itโs a great all-around knife that can do pretty much anything you need it to, and ended up on the Kiritsuke as I already own a decent Gyuto.
Both knives have VG10 steel blades, some patterning across their surface, and the Kiritsuke has a Japanese wooden handle to keep it lightweight, while the Western handle of the Petty knife fitted my hand well. Both knives, the two sharpening stones, and a wooden sheath for the Kiritsuke rang the register up to about $300, which is significantly cheaper than youโre likely to find in Australia.
For reference, B.H. Magazine Editor James Want recently purchased a Nigara Gyuto and a Tijoro Petty with a single stone from Australian retailer Knives and Stones and paid almost $500, so thereโs plenty of value to be found shopping in Tokyo.
If you enjoyed this guide to buying your first Japanese chefโs knife, youโll want to read our other guides to becoming a great home-cook:
