Japanese knives - is it worth it?

First of all, when I speak of Japanese knives I am not referring to Shun or Global, yes they are made in Japan, they are mass produced and are good quality, there are better knives of course, much better. The higher end Henckels and Wusthof now are very nice knives and then there is the MAC brand which is awesome.
The Japanese knives I refer to are the ones that are hand made in Japan and carry names like Masakage and Moritaka and there are many many more. These knives all come in various levels of quality as well but generally speaking, these are the Japanese knives I am talking about.

Is it worth it to go online and purchase a Moritaka or Masakage, will you really see a difference?

Moritaka  Gyuto

If you are looking for the pinnacle in slicing performance, the ultimate edge with regard to sharpness, you will not be disappointed.  However, this come with a price and to avoid any surprises you need to educate yourself prior to making a purchase.

hand made knife chipped. 

These knives a so good mainly due to the steel used, (full carbon in some and blend of carbon and other alloys), and the quality of workmanship behind the forging of the knife. These are made by men who are truly masters, they are the kings of knives and edges and it is privilege to own such a knife.  The techniques used make the difference, these knives are made from chunks of molten steel and hammered and forged into what we covet as knife owners.

What makes them so cool besides the fact that someone made them and besides the fact that owning one is like owing a work of art, what really makes them shine is the extreme edges they capable of taking and holding.

Again though.....there is a price.

Since they are very very hard, they are prone to chipping if not handled properly, you need to be aware of it and not twist the knife while it is embedded in something hard.  If you respect the edge it will reward you with a cutting experience like no other.  (damage like the edge nicked above is easy to repair though, it doesn't mean the knife is no longer any good, far from it)

Also, since the content of carbon in the knife is very high the blades will rust if left to air dry. So don't do that, use them and dry them and be aware that even with the utmost care the blade itself will change in appearance and form a Patina which most chefs like, in fact they love it.

This is a knife though, it isn't a decoration, use it and don't fret about little scratches here and there.

What makes the knife so incredibly effective is the fact that it it extremely thin so slicing is greatly enhanced by the geometry of the blade but also, since the steel at the edge is so hard,  it can be sharpened at a ridiculously acute angle, 10-12 degrees per side. (Your Grohmann is sharpened at approx 20 deg per side and maybe a little more)

So should you buy one of these knives?

Unless you have a plan to keep it sharp, DON'T BOTHER.

In my opinion letting one of these knives get dull is a discredit to the maker.

The really cool thing about them is that they are easy to sharpen, now the single bevel knives do require a special technique but otherwise, they sharpen quickly and take an absolutely astonishingly sharp edge.

When you buy a new care you know that it needs an oil change in a few months so when you a new knife, any knife you know or should know and should have been made aware upon purchase that you need to get it sharpened.  The thing about knives is that, unlike  car, you (I) can keep the knife as sharp and even sharper than it was new, in 20 years from now that knife can still be made to slice like a dream. You just need to plan for that and that's where I come in or you for that matter.


Chef's who own these knives are sharpen them themselves are aware that they own something special, you can too, it's just a matter of keeping it special.

Don't neglect your edges, it is easy and inexpensive to keep them in pristine condition.

I'm consumed with this stuff, let me take care of these things for you.


Peter