Japanese kitchen knife is very much popular all over the world. Japan’s reputation for creating high-quality blades can be found back in the samurai era .when the famed katana swords were the stuff of legends. But when swords were outlawed at the end of the 19th century, blacksmiths turned their talents to make knives of exceptional hardness and durability. And the tradition has continued ever since. Now Japanese knives are some of the best knives available in the world. Choosing a Japanese knife one must notice some qualities
Let us see what need to consider before choosing a Japanese kitchen knife
Steel Type
At first, you have to notice the steel type. Most of the Japanese kitchen made of stainless steel. Japanese knife has a lot higher of carbon content. Because of that carbon content, the knife tends to be a lot harder. As they are harder they are capable of holding more acute angles and the edges are capable of holding that way.
So choosing the best knife for you, you have to know the type of the steel. There are many kinds of steel are using a Japanese knife. VG 10, VG 1, Japanese Blue steel 1, Blue steel 2 are the commonly used Japanese steel. Specific steel is being used in Specific purpose knife like blue steel is not stainless steel but it has very high edge retention. In the basis of steel type there are also have specific maintenance procedures. Generally, we found Japanese Deba knives use Blue steel material. So choosing Japanese steel is really important when you are choosing a Japanese knife.
Cost
Product price actually matters in both buyer and seller. Japanese knives cost on average $150 But also have some good Japanese knife at 100 Dolar. You can find Knives that are less and more of than that. But if you’re willing to spend $150 or more on your knife, you can find good quality Japanese chef’s knives that will last for a very long time. Besides that, there is also some good Chinese Manufacturer like Dalstrong, Zelite infinity who make Japanese knife in China absolutely with Japanese Materials. You will find these knife a few lower in price.
Size
Choosing the size of the Japanese kitchen knife is very important. The most preferred Japanese chef’s knives are around 8-to 8.5-inch in size for use in daily kitchen tasks, but you will find other lengths available too. If you want to cut large size vegetable like pumpkin or cauliflower you will need a knife like 8.5 to 9.5 inches. There some knives actually large in size by default like Sushi Knife or Yanagiba Knife. if you have smaller hands, you might prefer a smaller blade in order to choose the right one for you. You can’t really know until you try it. But it’s recommended for you to start out with an 8-inch blade.
Weight
Thin and lightweight knives are preferable to use. The good knives are around 200 grams.
Handle
The handles of the Japanese kitchen knife are often wooden made which won’t become slippery when wet. Plastic made handle with a lot of features are also getting popularity nowadays. So you should choose a perfect handle in order to choose the right knife for you.
Design
Some of the knives are really well designed. Along with the greater diversity of design functions, some of the knives describe stunning aesthetic styling. Composite blade technology turned these common kitchen tools into works of art. Though it’s not that important a designed knife looks cool as well while you are working in a kitchen.
Bevel
Commonly Japanese knives now come with dual edges. But some custom knife like Deba or sushi come with single Bevel edge. This will be an issue for left-handed people. But there also some knife available for left-handed people. You just need to ask for it. For others need to be sure that the cutting edge faces the right direction for you.
That was basic things need to know before choosing a Japanese kitchen Knife. Hopefully, this article is going to help you. Happy Kitchen! Cheers!
