Japanese knives are sharper but need more care to remain that way. It's a razor and a work of art. I am much more comfortable hacking through things with a chinatown cleaver or a European chef's knife and would never do that with a comparatively brittle Japanese knife. I learned that it matters what you need to make Japanese knifes are good for like sushi or very fast and light and sharp but not great for like big meats and they need to not be put under alot of pressure. They're are too many other factors to consider for Japanese knives before a relevant recommendation can be made. Eventually, it becomes clear how deft such a large knife can be. Wüsthof have this fantastic Classic 6pc that ticks every box, maybe even more so than Zwilling because their steel is well above the average for the price tag. Chef knives with 8-inch blades come with a multitude of user benefits. German knives have thicker blades that are heavier and more durable. Technically speaking they're British, based just outside of Milton Keynes. Check out Zknives.com for a lot of Japanese knife reviews. In closing it really is a "you do you" affair. I have a hand made 10" Japanese chef knife that cost 20 times my F. Dick. I would much rather have a full complement of stones and an economically priced Forschner than a comparatively expensive Japanese knife and no stones. A place for all things chef knives. If you’re not convinced German-style knives like Wusthof and Zwilling are right for you, check out our recent articles, Shun vs. Wusthof, Cutco vs. Wusthof, Wusthof vs. - Next is something that's a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing. Did get a Tojiro (freebie) for a friend a couple years ago and after a few hours thinning and sharpening it didn't suck. Failing that, if you have a chef or a home cook in your circle of friends or in your family I'd prod the older people for their take. Every single knife they have is of course useful, but their bread knives are not as good as their pastry knives (Which are never included in medium sized sets). Very often people are confused by the words sharpen and hone. But for the German knives, do not get one with a full bolster, that is a hard no. Their 4pc student set is not as cost efficient as some of its European counterparts, but the knives are solid. The sharpest edges do not stay the sharpest forever and once you get used to extreme sharpness you'll miss it when it slowly wears away. Personall I use German (Wusthoff as suggested earlier) because I know I'm not making fine, delicate, fancy restaurant-level cuts on fish. — but the ones we're talking about when we compare German knives to Japanese knives are western-style knives that are made in Japan I appreciate your time and words. Press J to jump to the feed. At the same time they aren't quite Japanese and they aren't quite German which gives them weird characteristics that don't amount to anything special. In this episode of 'Price Points', Epicurious challenges knife expert Geoff Feder to guess which knife is more expensive. Kai are a very old blade maker out of Seki city, and it shows with some of their work. Will you be sharing your knives with a significant other? They require far less sharpening than any of my Japanese knives, but that is down to the blade profile and metal chemistry. Then get some stones and learn how to properly sharpen these knives and spend what you would have spent on a huge set on other goodies. I am more wary with my Japanese knives when taking apart birds or dealing with bones in general. And I'll add that I don't have much experience with entry level nakiri. Japanese knives are generally lighter and sharper than their German counterparts. They rarely need sharpening (note I said sharpening here, not honing) and will stand up better to the blunders and abuse that are more common with less experienced chefs or the average home cook. Press J to jump to the feed. - Whilst not German I would be remiss if I did not mention a Victorinox set. Would not do that again. They will not suffer mis-use very well and will chip instead of roll. Shen. The knife is well weighted and comes sharpened at a lower angle to provide a more precise, sharp edge. But I always use my F. Dick. I started with a set of Henckel's that I hated. Most Western-style knives sport more defined handle ergonomics as well (more details here). It is better to scrape food with the back of the knife than with the cutting edge if you want to use the side of the knife to sweep food. My girl has one and after sharpening, she's lucky if it still has an edge a week later. Most chef’s knives you’ll find come in two styles: German, and a double-edged Japanese take on German knives (which are called gyuto). http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/smurfe/Food/IMG_2015.jpg, http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/smurfe/Food/IMG_1907.jpg, http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/smurfe/Food/IMG_1864.jpg, http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/smurfe/Food/IMG_2161.jpg, http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/smurfe/Food/IMG_2049.jpg, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the AskCulinary community. It holds an edge very well for a knife at this price, and makes a great first step into the world of Japanese knives. That said they definitely put a lot of focus on the fact that their knives are made from Japanese steel, and overwhelmingly their designs are of Asian origins. Just not a fan. All in all I find myself reaching for my European Victorinox Forschner knives most of the time. 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