Many people have heard that Japanese knivesare extremely sharp, and once they think about owning a knife they want one. But when it comes to actually choosing, there are hundreds of Japanese brands and dozens of models within each brand. So how do you choose? Today we have three simple pointers for picking the Japanese knife that suits you.
1. Go for a Japanese brand that is made in Japan Everyone knows Japanese knives are outstanding. Some say German knives are outstanding too — and as far as I know, some German brands contract Japanese knife factories to make knives for them, while I have never heard of a Japanese brand contracting a German maker. What I do hear all the time is Japanese knife brands having production done in China, for cost reasons. From what I have handled, Japanese-brand knives made in China are not bad at all — but compared on price, spending a little more gets you a Japanese knife actually made in Japan, packed with quality, and I think that is far better value. Today many Japanese knife brands have both Japan-made and China-made lines, and you can tell from the packaging, which states clearly whether it was made in Japan. The Japanese authorities take this very seriously: if it says Made in Japan, there is no doubt about it. When production is in China, though, some Japanese brands choose not to print Made in China on the packaging at all. The safest course is to look for Made in Japan. That said, traditional Japanese knives such as Deba, Yanagiba, Usuba and so on may come in a plain cardboard box with only the brand name in Japanese on a single label and no country of origin at all; for those you have to ask someone who knows, which is not complicated.
2. Choose a brand with a good reputation, from a region that specialises in that type of knife Every knife brand has built its reputation over a long time, and that reputation comes from a great many users over many years passing the word along that this brand is good in this way and that brand is good in that way. I would not recommend hunting for a bargain masterpiece on your own among brands nobody has heard of — unless your budget is unlimited and you want to be a pioneer, which is another matter entirely. Among the established brands alone there is more than enough to find one good knife. Each region has its own specialisation, so if you know which type of knife you want, I think you should go straight to the region known for it. Here is a rough guide.
Traditional Japanese knives with a single bevel, such as Deba, Yanagiba and Usuba: the famous production centre is the city of Sakai (堺市) in Osaka Prefecture (大阪). A well-known brand is Sakai Takayuki.
Western-style Japanese knives such as Gyuto, Santoku and Sujihiki: the famous production centre is the city of Seki (関市) in Gifu Prefecture (岐阜市). Well-known brands include Misono and Masahiro.
Good-quality Japanese knives at an economical price: the famous production centre is Tsubame-Sanjo (燕三条) in Niigata Prefecture (新潟). A well-known brand is Tojiro (藤次郎). Prices are lower because Tsubame-Sanjo is not an old knife-making centre like Sakai or Seki — it has been making knives for little more than a hundred years, so it cannot charge the prices of long-established brands. But because the quality is good, it has been very well received by customers.
3. Choose the right model and steel for what you need This step is simple but important. Pick the type of knife that matches the job: a Gyuto for general work, a Deba for breaking down fish, a Yanagiba for slicing sashimi, and so on. Steels divide simply into two groups, carbon steel and stainless. The difference is that carbon steel takes a keener edge but rusts easily, while stainless resists rust better, is easier to care for and is tougher. Quality then rises with price.
Finally, the easiest route of all is to buy from someone with real expertise in Japanese knives, who can help you choose a knife that suits you, matches your purpose and gives the best value for your money. In the next article I will go into more detail on the types of knives and the kinds of steel
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Thank you for reading. See you again in the next article.