Are Japanese knives worth the money?
There are many styles of kitchen knives that come from different countries around the world. The most common kitchen knives I have encountered during my years of knife sharpening in Raleigh, NC are from German, Chinese, and Japanese knife companies. During the knife sharpening process, I have to repair a lot of knives before I can sharpen them. Each style of knife usually requires its own type of repair.
German kitchen knives such as Henckels and Wusthof usually require the bolsters to be ground down so the blade can make even contact on a cutting board. If this is not done, the heel of the blade won’t make full contact. Japanese kitchen knives such as Shun and Global knives are usually not bolstered so, they don’t have that problem like German knives. However, these knives are very hard and somewhat brittle. They can be easily chipped along the edge, break a tip if dropped, or worse if mishandled. Chinese kitchen knives may be a copy of any style, German or Japanese. The only true Chinese-style kitchen knife you will encounter will be the Chinese Cleaver. This cleaver is made thinner and lighter in weight than most meat cleavers for multi-use.
Japanese kitchen knives are more visually appealing and artistic than German knives. These knives are typically more lightweight and made from high-carbon steel, high-carbon stainless, and Damascus steel. Beautiful to the eye, cuts like a dream, and it will stay sharp for a long time. The only problem is, a really good quality Japanese knife will cost you a pretty penny! I’ve seen prices as low as $25 for knock-off brands and thousands for the best Japanese kitchen knives you can buy. Expensive knives seem to hold good value for resale and can last for generations if treated well. I am a knifemaker for Out There Edge Knives and Sharpening Service and I would buy an authentic, straight-from-Japan kitchen knife made by a master blacksmith in addition to the ones I make myself. So, the answer is yes, in my opinion, they are worth it. How much you spend, it just depends on your budget.
