[2025] Japanese knives vs. Western knives: which one to choose? Explaining the features and how to choose

I am Okudaira, the owner of "Japanese Kitchen Knife TOKU''.
We want to sell knives made in our hometown of Sakai, Osaka, so we purchase and sell knives made in Sakai from a knife manufacturer in Sakai.
We don't just sell knives, we visit a number of blacksmiths and bladesmiths in Sakai to help our customers understand knives, experience the actual work, and hear from the craftsmen. I'm here. In addition to Sakai, we also visit Seki in Gifu, Tsubame-Sanjo in Niigata, Tanegashima in Kagoshima and Katsushika in Tokyo, in an effort to deepen our understanding of the characteristics and commitment of each.

Japanese Knives vs Western Knives: Which is Better?

What criteria do you use when selecting a knife?
Sharpness? Rust-proof?
When talking to customers who come into the store, they often say that they want knives that are sharp and don't rust.
In reality, steel knives are sharper, and stainless steel knives are less likely to rust.
Most steel knives are Japanese knives, while most stainless steel knives are Western knives.

■What are the criteria for choosing knives by professionals?
The criteria for choosing knives differ between professional chefs and household chefs.
Professional chefs place great importance on knives that are sharp and stay sharp for a long time.
In particular, chefs who cook Japanese cuisine choose Japanese knives that are sharp. They often choose knives made of steel. They also tend to choose harder steel, such as blue paper steel, rather than white paper steel. This is because harder steel keeps its sharpness for a long time.
However, because steel rusts easily, it is not suitable for cutting citrus ingredients, so even professional chefs use stainless steel chef's knives when cutting citrus ingredients, and they use different knives depending on the ingredient. Of course, when it comes to stainless steel knives, there is a tendency to choose hard steel materials, just like with steel. The most commonly chosen steel materials are VG10 , Ginsan, and SG2 .

■How do I choose a household knife?
What criteria should you look for when choosing a kitchen knife for home use?
When making recommendations, I check what you usually cut. I recommend choosing a knife based on the size of the ingredients you often cut, such as meat, fish, and vegetables. The most common household knife is the Santoku knife, but there are a variety of blade lengths, so I use the size of the ingredients you often cut as a guide to determine the length. For example, if you often cut a whole head of cabbage, you should choose a 180mm knife, and if you often cut small items such as potatoes, you should choose a 150mm knife.
Also, if you are using it for home use, your budget is a big factor when choosing a knife. The price of a knife varies depending on the type of steel and the manufacturing method, so choosing the type of steel according to your budget is one option. Generally, softer steels tend to be cheaper and harder steels more expensive, so when it comes to stainless steel knives, those labeled molybdenum or AUS are relatively cheap, while those made of cobalt, coreless, or SG2 steels are more expensive.

■ Criteria for choosing a knife
What are some criteria to consider when choosing a knife?
Steel or stainless steel : Steel has a sharper edge than stainless steel
Type of steel : The harder the steel, the longer it will stay sharp.
Blade length : Adjust to the size of the ingredients you will be cutting
Budget : Harder steel is more expensive
With the above in mind, we recommend that you choose the best knife based on ease of holding, weight, and balance.

■ It's important to actually touch and check
The best way to buy a knife is to actually try out the weight, balance, and grip. At Sakaitoku Knives, we ask our customers to actually hold the knives and check them out. If there is a product you are interested in, please feel free to ask our staff.

Let's go to a knife store!
Sakaitoku Knife Shop opened a store in Asakusa, Tokyo on April 5th. The store is located on the 6th floor of a building right outside the north exit of Tobu Asakusa Station. It is also about a 3- minute walk from Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.
We also hold sharpening classes and sharpening experiences, so please feel free to stop by if you are in the area.
Access to Sakaitoku Asakusa Knife Store
Sakaitoku Knife Shop also has channels on YouTube , Facebook and Instagram .
If you are unsure which knife to choose, please consult Sakaitoku Knives. We also post tips on how to choose and sharpen knives on social media and YouTube .

Sakaitoku Knife - YouTube
Sakaitoku Knives • Instagram