What are the 10 best brands of Japanese knives?
They can be found in many kitchens, becoming an indispensable accessory through their efficiency and unique design… Available in a multitude of ranges, the Japanese knife seduces both design lovers and those who appreciate ancestral stories through unique pieces, when all of them do not fail to highlight an absolutely unique manufacturing quality!
Nowadays, the various Japanese knife manufacturers enjoy a reputation that is no longer to be denied. Indeed, their indisputable know-how allows them to be the leaders in the manufacture of kitchen knives. In addition to their excellent handling and exceptional sharpness, they have the particularity of having an extraordinary lifespan. However, due to the multitude of offers, the choice of a Japanese knife can quickly become complicated.
1) Tojiro knives
This is the number 1 brand in Japan, initially oriented towards the manufacture of cutting tools designed for agriculture, the brand has gradually moved towards the manufacture of top-of-the-range kitchen knives with the objective of becoming one of the most present brands in the world’s kitchens. This goal has been achieved, as today many star chefs use these Japanese knives with their formidable cutting power. The Tojiro brand produces various ranges of kitchen knives, including the famous DP Series designed by or for professionals in the gastronomy industry. You will also find the Tojiro Zen and Shippu ranges for knives with a traditional Japanese style, while the Senkou and Flash ranges are more oriented and thought for their ergonomics and their very beautiful design. The Tojiro brand is an expert in the processing and use of VG 10 steel and offers blades with a hardness of around 61 HCR (+/-1) which provides an exceptional cut. In addition, it is important to note that the blades are hand sharpened on fine-grained lapidary by recognised professionals. The range of kitchen knives offered by the Tojiro brand is impressive due to its plurality in terms of uses and high quality finishes. Since 2011, Tojiro has launched a range of handmade Japanese knives called « Hand-Made by Tojiro », blades forged by the best craftsmen of the factory and endowed with breathtaking cutting qualities.
Tojiro knives:
2) Kai knives
Kai is probably the world’s largest manufacturer of cutting tools, the best known range of Japanese knives is offered in France under the Shun Classic brand. The Kai group offers a wide range of tools in a variety of fields, such as hairdressing (Kasho), leisure (Kershaw) and surgery, which accounts for a very large part of its business. In the USA, the Japanese knives of the Kai brand are ranked number 1 in terms of knives for the kitchen. The Kai brand has been able to establish itself firmly among private individuals thanks to its attractive designs and impressive cutting quality. With a perfect mastery of the traditional Japanese knife-making technique, Kai strives to produce ever more efficient kitchen knives with a single objective: to be the best. In addition, since 2011, the brand has been offering a range of handmade Japanese knives, in limited and numbered series whose price is commensurate with their quality.
Kai knives:
3) The Chroma brand
Chroma is an American brand, which specialises in the manufacture of Japanese kitchen knives adapted to a « western » kitchen. Even if the brand does not manufacture the knives it offers, it has surrounded itself with the best craftsmen with extremely precise specifications for all the ranges it presents. It is the Haiku range that is very popular with consumers, due to its lightness and its very « Japanese » style that Western cooks love. The Type 301 range offers designer products with an impressive cutting quality. The Kasumi Master-Piece kitchen knives are appreciated for their finesse and cutting quality. Of course, the Chroma brand also produces a range of handmade Japanese knives (Haiku), whose blades are forged in Aogami steel, making them a range of knives with a raw appearance whose aesthetic authenticity is much sought after by purists. Finally, the Haiku Itamae range represents all the brand’s know-how in making traditional Japanese knives forged by master craftsmen.
The best-selling knives of the Chroma brand available on this site:
www.ankorstore.com/chroma-france
4) The Jaku brand
The specificity of the Jaku brand is to offer kitchen knives that combine quality and an attractive price! With Jaku, it is therefore possible to have an excellent knife for a very affordable price. As the price of Japanese knives is generally rather high, the Jaku brand offers high-performance entry-level products. The Jaku Tradition range is the most represented, offering stainless steel blades with a traditional handle, all at very affordable prices.
Jaku knives available on this site:
5) The Kyocera brand
Kyocera is the inventor of the ceramic blade, and for more than 25 years, the brand has been offering a wide range of original, high-performance kitchen knives suitable for all kinds of customers. In France, the Kyocera brand offers a range of ceramic knives with a white blade, the handle of which is sometimes available in playful colours and designs. It also manufactures a range of knives with black blades whose technical performance is much appreciated by cooking enthusiasts. As for the HIP range, it combines handcrafted production with a pleasant appearance dedicated to lovers of forged Japanese knives.
Kyocera website:
6) The Kasumi brand
The Kasumi knife is a concentrate of efficiency accompanied by a very elegant design, made in the town of Seki, the Kasumi brand is the image of Japanese know-how: durable and efficient. The brand offers a wide range of Japanese knives in different ranges, always with the aim of offering a wide variety of uses. The Kasumi Masterpiece range offers high quality handmade pieces, made by professional craftsmen. You can also go for a Kasumi knife set to save money and get equipped as soon as possible.
Best selling Kasumi knives on Amazon:
7) The Global brand
The Global brand kitchen knives are a reference in the world of gastronomy and are suitable for both professionals and private individuals who are keen on Japanese knives. Each Global brand knife has a particular design, combined with a very sharp blade and a steel handle that is easy to grip. Unlike other Japanese knives available on the market, Global brand knives offer a resolutely modern aesthetic with a refined and refined design. The GS range offers knives with a short blade counterbalanced by a hollow tapered handle for example. The brand offers a whole range of knives that can be easily adapted to western cooking with the cutting performance of traditional Japanese knives, all in a very elegant design.
Best sellers of Global knives:
8) The Yaxell brand
In 1932, the Yaxell brand began manufacturing kitchen knives in the Japanese tradition. Innovation, strict specifications and top quality steel are the foundations of this brand of Japanese knives. There are many followers of this brand throughout the world who make exceptional blades in the manner of the master blacksmiths who have made the reputation of Seka, a city known for more than 8 centuries for its know-how in the manufacture of Japanese knives. The brand offers more than 8 ranges of magnificent knives, which will meet the expectations of both amateurs and professionals. From Deba to Nakiri and Santoku, make your choice.
Most popular knives of the brand Yaxell :
9) The Kanetsune Seki brand
The Kanetsune Seki brand Japanese knives are proposed in different ranges, each one more practical than the other. Moreover, the quality/price ratio is very interesting, which offers a great opportunity to equip yourself with Japanese made knives at an affordable price. Kanetsune offers you the most commonly used knife ranges in the kitchen, for both Asian and Western recipes, such as the santoku knifethe Japanese chef’s knife. The steel used to make the blades is both hard and sharp, but still easy to handle. The Kanetsune brand offers a choice of hammered or damascus. Its intuitive grip thanks to its riveted handle offers a real pleasure to hold.
The Top of Kanetsune Seki knives :
10) The Yoshikin Bunmei brand
The Japanese knives of the Yoshikim bunmei brand will offer you traditional Japanese quality combined with an elegant and refined design. The single-sided bevelled blades provide exceptional sharpness for all your meat and vegetable cuts, combined with unprecedented finesse. The wooden handle and the high quality stainless steel blade with molybdenum and vanadium make these knives a high quality piece of equipment for your kitchen. The brand obviously offers a whole range of Japanese knives that are more or less affordable depending on the criteria you are looking for, but which all offer the ancestral Japanese quality!
The Top Yoshikin Bunmei knives :
There are many other brands of quality Japanese knives, but it was necessary to make a list that was brief enough to be retained. This article gives you a base of excellent brands. As a complement to this article, don’t hesitate to read our guide to defining a budget for your Japanese knife.
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