Two Fundamental Differences between Japanese and Western Knives

A Japanese chef knife, which is offered here in Hattori Israel, together with a Western chef knife, are undoubtedly both very high quality knives. After pointing it out, let us delve into the specifics in order to find out which knife has higher quality, and what it depends on. The first criteria that has to be taken into account is the steel, which is the heart of every knife. The Europeans assume that the user will use the knife carelessly (for example: will not hesitate to throw it into a sink full of water). Thus, in order to prevent the appearance of rust on the knife, they make their knives from a much softer steel than the Japanese. The immediate consequence of this is lack of sharpness, since the harder the steel, the sharper the knife.The Japanese, on the other hand, do not compromise on the sharpness of their knives no matter what, and consequently manufacture them from a much harder steel, and therefore their knives’ sharpness is on the highest level. The different Japanese chef knives we offer here, at Hattori Israel, are the best illustration of that.

The second criteria to be taken into account is the angle to which blade is sharpened. The Europeans, once again due to their fear of user’s “abuse”, make their knives with a much more obtuse angle than the Japanese. This reduces the level of professional performance of the knife, since the knife is sharper and its performance is much better when the angle is acuter. The Europeans focus on maximizing their profits and reducing complaints, while the Japanese focus on quality only.

The main conclusion that derives from the two differences mentioned above is that a Japanese chef knife is twice as sharper than the Western chef knife. If quality is more important to you than all the rest, we invite you to swing by Hattori Israel in order to prove to yourself how a real chef knife should cut. Warning: once you try it, you will never go back to using a western knife.