Which Japanese Knife Should I Get First? WATCH BEFORE YOU BUY

It's time to choose your first Japanese kitchen knife! The world of handmade knives can be super confusing, especially to home cooks who are beginners in the world of fine Japanese cutlery. Today, former chef Chris is going to summarize the major knife shapes: santoku, gyuto, nakiri, and petty, and help you find the right one. Then, he'll discuss types of knife steel, finishes, Japanese handles v.s. western handles, and more!

Knives in the video:

Or visit Knifewear stores in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, or Vancouver.

Join our community:

What shape is best for me? 0:00
Japanese handle v.s. western handle 3:52
Stainless steel or carbon steel? 5:53
Make sure it's pretty! 7:23

Which Japanese Knife Should I Get First? WATCH BEFORE YOU BUY

[drd]

Well, I bought all of them after owning most of their shapes made by Victorinox, except the sheepsfoot Santoku. Buying knives can be like falling down the proverbial rabbit hole: you’ll buy more than you “need.” So far, my most used knife has been my Santoku, but today I packed it away and brought out my Bunka, just to see if I liked it better. Whatever kitchen knife you choose, love the one that you’re glad you buyed!

[eBirdy]

Buyers remorse LOL.. Which japanese knife should I get first? The answer to your question Lordy is Yes..

[EMPERORSPROTECTION-TERRALIFE]

In my opinion the best knives for proper use are a carbon steel/stainless steel laminate. Carbon steel middle layered between 2 layers of stainless.

[SOCMMOB]

This is a great video, and I appreciate you demeanor and presentation. I've had a Shun chefs knife (Ken Onion) for better than a decade and want to add some more Japanese blades to my arsenal. This is some good info.

[KompletterGeist]

A petty is a great option for somebody getting into these knives imo.
I own big and expensive knives but my 80 bucks iron clad petty is probably my most used tool in the kitchen. Just a dumb reach and also works with smaller cutting boards!

[GuitarsAndSynths]

Great overview and looking at buying my first high end Japanese kitchen knives. I cook mostly Asian and Mexican food so lots of chopping vegetables and cutting up mostly boneless chicken, pork and beef into small cubes or strips. What Japanese knives would you recommend for these tasks?

[PrzemekBech]

Based on what I learned from CATRA tests and other enthusiasts carbon steel actually does not have good age retention. There is misconception that higher hardness means better edge retention which is not true. So carbon steel is good for someone who wants to make their knife super sharp and likes to sharpen often.

[AustinT_]

So I recently bought three different knives from Amazon because I was trying to save some money and I have been disappointed in all of them. The first two marketed themselves as Japanese knives but it would seem that they were actually made in China. They were extremely heavy and using them actually made my wrist hurt. The third knife is a western style knife that looks amazing and it's super sharp, but I am beginning to realize that I'm not a fan of the western style.

I'm ready to purchase a new knife and I'd love to spend a little bit more to get something I actually enjoy using, but I am REALLY struggling with buyers remorse. Can someone point me in the right direction?

[kgcoffee]

Nice content! I had a Bunka, the next one is Petty for sure!

[philliphart]

Great video. I think always remember that if you like a knife but wished it was a little shorter/longer, heavier/lighter, flatter/curved, there’s a lot of differences between makers and you can probably find what you want. For example, I use a short gyuto.

[JEEROFUKU]

Great tutorial indeed! Long time ago I bought a the carbon steel Kiritsuke with traditional Japanese handle ( I’m a long time ethical vegan ) as my universal kitchen knife. Very high maintenance, but super sharp and visually pleasing^^
Cheers!

[TheGreatAmphibian]

Just buy a 150mm petty in a basic carbon steel. Most of the time you don’t need anything else if you’re cooking at home and the carbon steel is easy to sharpen.

[chew]

Thanks for pointing out the for a type of knife and the one has in handling it. I made the mistake of getting the traditional 3 knife set recommended by everyone and never use the chef's knife as it's too unwieldy for me. Too heavy, long and awkward feeling for me. From what I've learned so far, a nigiri, santoku and petty would pretty much be all I'd ever need.

[bcirocz]

Hardly ever use a pairing knife, any old cheap thing will do for me. Chefs knife all day

[azn_]

1:57 is that 210 or 240 mm? Which size would you recommend if you're coming from a 20 cm (8") German chef's knife? The 20 cm never felt too big. (That's what she said)

[jarrodhales]

Buyers remose for me = 165 MM teruyasu fujiwara maboroshi nakiri and 165mm hitohira futana AS bunka. No matter how hard I try to like these knives, I will always hate them.

[Imelldarisky]

I use honesuki daily.. I'm happy with that. But i get confused what should i buy next.. Nikiri allready in my list, cause i cut onion allot in small size.

gyuto vs santoko still.. i don't understand.. would anyone tell me simple idea ???

[jaypark]

Great video. I am going to go Fukuoka soon and expecting to buy my first japanese knife.

[hermes]

01:28: looks like the santoku I just bought a few hours ago at KAMATA. They sell oyster 'knives' in small and large at what appears to be at cost. The santoku fits my hand perfectly. The paring knife I got across the street at KIWAMI doesn't feel as good in the hand (slippery oval wood rather than octagonal, which is what I wanted) but the blade sold me. It cut better than similar ones there that had chunkier handles. The Nakiri at KOUJIN, also on Shinbori street was on sale (later I observed it had initials carved on it - but for 40% off, who cares?) Now to buy a petty knife (this one in carbon steel, as an experiment), and my veggie and bivalve beginner set is done.

My big question is this: outer market at Tsukiji (Fish Market) or Kappanbashi (cutlery and kitchen supplies street)? At first I thought the selection looked low-end, but I think I was wrong, just they are very simple-looking and the area is full of foreign tourists. Doesn't mean the knives are low grade. Or does it?

[Sword-of-Christ-Ministries]

what was that music playing in the background?