Japanese kitchen knives are well recognized all around the world for their extreme durability and sturdy design.
Starting from heating and hammering the blade metal, sharpening the edge, and finally polishing it, it’s a long living heritage that the Japanese have adopted very smoothly and become the master of it.
They are quite unique in their production method and require much technical and expert level of hands, so these knives are more expensive than the other chef’s knives.
In this article, we are going to discuss the reason behind the high expenses of Japanese chef’s knives. Here are the reasons why Japanese chef’s knives are so expensive :
The 6 Main Reasons Japanese Knives Are So Expensive:
1. Handmade with Pride and Dignity
The Takamura brand is one of the most demanded knife brands all around the world, with a long period of waiting list.
The reason is that one family makes this brand’s knives. It required them years of study and practice to become masters in knife manufacturing.
This is the prime reason that every single knife is unique regarding its design and characteristics.
These handmade knives are tough and sharp, made with high quality materials.
The manufacturers hammer them into perfect shape and sharpen them with a unique method, so they come out with a great piece of the tool with a sharp edge.
They can slice any vegetable paper thin.
Japanese knives are well known for their durability and excellent design.
The inside of these knives is made of hard steel, while the outer portion is made of softer ones. The same technic is used to make Japan’s most famous sword.
The metal is heated in an electric oven, and then they are hammered. In the final part of the procedure, the metal is polished to give it a gorgeous and shiny surface.
2. Incredible Longevity
Japanese knives last over decades. Some people use the knives owned by their fathers or even grandfathers.
They can be used in restaurants for years and decades without getting a simple bit of dullness. Moreover, these knives don’t lose their sharpness for many years.
Even though it depends on how you use it, their sharpness may last four or five years with fair use. Then you might need to re-sharpen them to make it work for another long run.
That is a reason behind the high price tag of Japanese knives.
3. Light and Sharp
As we mentioned earlier, these knives can cut materials into paper-thin slices. That proves the sharpness of the blades.
Another most important thing about these knives is that they are extremely lightweight. These knives are made uniquely, including a Japanese exclusive sharpening process using natural rough rock or grindstone.
These knives are used by some of the world’s best chefs for their extremely lightweight features. France, Italy, and Japan are the top three places where these knives are supremely adored.
The Takamura knives might not be affordable for the kitchen users. Still, they are happily owned by some expensive and wealthy restaurants for commercial use, so the chefs can benefit from them.
The blades of Takamura knives are made of powdered steel, a material known for its strength and durability. The inside is made from this hard steel, with softer iron inside and outside.
4. Beautiful and Aesthetic Design
Many Japanese knife makers are true artists, and yes, when you buy one of their knives, you are buying a piece of art and something collectible as much as you are buying a tool.
This is a quality that most of the knife manufacturing companies would compromise. But whether the knife is excellent with the feature quality but the look and design are bad.
Most of the consumers will hesitate to own it. However, this is one of the reasons why Japanese knives are expensive.
So if you are looking for a knife that has both quality and aesthetic design, you might want to get one of these Japanese Knives.
Japanese knives are very reliable options for you. You must search for a trustworthy and certified seller selling western-style knives with elegant handles. In this case, they are the best of both world.
5. Hard and Sturdy
A lot of people are investing money on Japanese knives because of their hard and sturdy structure. These Japanese best quality knives are made using high end quality steel.
Many Japanese knife manufacturing companies produce Japanese knives with high carbon fiber steel that are extremely demandable and handy.
In that case, if you really intend to invest money in Japanese knives, then these knives get maximum benefit without question.
Moreover, the sturdy design of these knives also ensure the longevity of the knives that means you don’t have to worry about getting your knife destroyed or getting dull soon or purchasing a new one.
6. Best Choice
Japanese knives contain best edge retention. The sharpness of the blade is undoubtedly the best among all the knives available in the market.
The most amazing thing about these knives is they can be sharpened any time between 8 to 10 degrees. These Japanese knives can easily be retained in overall angle for much longer.
Most Expensive Japanese knife
“Nenohi Honyaki Dentokougeishi Sakimaru Takobiki” is presently considered as the most expensive Japanese knife.
It is also included in the top list of the world’s most expensive knives. However, this knife has got all the great features and a great combination of efficiency.
The ultra sharp edge, aesthetic design, strong and sturdy structure make the knife an expensive piece of material for your kitchen.
Japanese Knives Brands
- Takamura Knives.
- Tsukiji Masamoto.
- Nenox.
- Haku Knives.
- Sukenari.
- Yoshimi Kato.
- Sakai Takayuki.
- Kurosaki.
Japanese Knives Prices
The price of the knives varies depending on the quality and the efficiency of the knives. Starting from the most expensive brand, Takamura, to the lowest priced ones are based on their quality.
The knives with a more aesthetic look and design cost more. The sharper and stronger the knife blade is, the more costly it gets.
Japanese knives are always expensive. However, some fake Japanese knives are also available on the market that you can easily get at a low price. Don’t you dare to fall into their trap.
An average quality Japanese knife can cost you $400-$500 where the well enough knives are more than $900. The lowest range will be $100. You can’t expect a good knife under $100. However, the most expensive Japanese Knives can cost you more than $6000.
Takamura Knife
Takamura knives are our first recommendation to you. They are made of high quality German metal with a combined Japanese and German technique.
These traditional knives are highly popular for their sturdy design and extreme durability.
Sukehira Hirata Knives
Sukehira Hirata Knives is another highly recommended brand. They have been making knives for 100 years.
Not only are their knives well designed and high in quality but also they are extremely affordable and long-lasting. These knives also come in modern style.
Shun Knives
Our last recommendation is Shun. Even though these knives are a bit expensive, they contain extremely good functionalities and great design.
These knives are popular among the foreigners. Shun knife brand is well known in every part of the world.
FAQ
Do Chefs Prefer Japanese Knives?
Most of the amateur chef’s don’t use Japanese knives because of their high price tag. Moreover, the ordinary restaurants also use other knife brands. Only the highly professional chef’s and wealthy and reputed restaurants use expensive Japanese knives for professional and commercial use.
Are Japanese Knives Worth It?
Japanese knives are the best of all other knife brands for their unique design and great efficiency. They are highly built by the manufacturers. They are filled with pride and heritage, which resembles the historical values of ancient Japan. One should invest money in a good Japanese knife if one can afford Japanese knives. They are really worthy of being your kitchen guide.
Hi, my name is Taras Kulakov and I’m a knife enthusiast. I have been collecting knives for over 30 years and I’ve owned literally thousands of different models over that time. My goal with this site is to share some of what I’ve learned about knives. You can find more info about Taras Kulakov here.
