Why Investing in Japanese Knives Is a Good Idea?

When shopping for a knife, you may discover that Japanese chef knives are on the more expensive side of the spectrum. The knife may not be the first pick for most people, but for those who want to improve the quality of their cuisine, it can make all the difference. A sushi chef utilizing the greatest Japanese sushi knife can produce higher quality cuts to make the best sushi, just as having the right knife may make duties easier. Although Japanese knives are pricey, there is a reason why many professionals choose to purchase them. In this post, we’ll go through the specifics and explain why purchasing a Japanese knife may be worthwhile. For additional info, you can visit www.knifeista.com.

Harder steel is used in Japanese blades than in western-style knives. They do so by employing steel that has a substantially higher carbon content than western steels. Carbon content in a high-quality western-style knife is typically approximately 0.5 percent. Japanese knives, on the other hand, typically have a carbon concentration of 1% or higher, making the steel substantially harder. What is the significance of this? There are two main reasons for this: it changes the angle that the blade can tolerate and it improves edge retention. Let’s have a look at each of them now.

Unlike other knives, which are manufactured entirely of one metal, Japanese knives are created by combining two metals, steel and iron, throughout the manufacturing process. The iron is first heated in a furnace that reaches temperatures of up to 1000 degrees Celsius. The steel is then placed on top of the iron to continue the process. It combines the greatest attributes of two metals by mixing the firm steel and the soft iron. Because of this approach, Japanese knives have the unique ability to be both resistant to break and sharp to cut.

This is crucial to comprehending why Japanese knives are so razor-sharp. Because of the stronger steel, Japanese knives wear down much more slowly; this is known as ‘edge retention.’ Technically, a western-style knife could be sharpened to between 8 and 12 degrees, much like a Japanese knife. However, because the steel isn’t tough enough to hold such a small angle, it would quickly wear down and potentially chip. High-carbon Japanese blades, on the other hand, can endure these angles. Japanese knives that are merely sharpened to 15-16 degrees, like western-style knives, will nevertheless be sharper since the angle will be retained for much longer. Blades created by the Japanese knifemaker ‘Shun,’ for example, are honed to 16 degrees, which is comparable to western-style knives, but their strong steel will keep that 16-degree angle for much longer, so they will still be sharper.

In the hearth, the blade is heated to around 1200 degrees Celsius when forging. The blade is next pounded to get its rough shape, which will be done several times. During this procedure, a special welding glue is applied to the top of the blade, which melts at high temperatures, and the blade is stricken to increase the steel quality and provide an amazing quality of a stronger blade with a longer-lasting edge.