What makes Japanese knives different from Western knives?

Japanese knives are typically forged from harder steel, allowing them to be thinner and hold a much sharper edge (often a 12-15 degree angle) than heavier Western knives. This results in precision, effortless cuts, and less fatigue during food prep.

What is the best Japanese knife for a beginner?

For a first Japanese knife, we highly recommend either a 210mm Gyuto (the Japanese equivalent of a chef's knife) or a 165mm Santoku. If you want easy maintenance, choose a stainless steel option like VG-10 or SG2 rather than high-carbon steel.

Do Japanese knives rust?

It depends on the steel. Traditional high-carbon steels (like Aogami or Shirogami) will rust if left wet and require wiping down immediately after use. However, we offer hundreds of stainless steel and stainless-clad Japanese knives that are highly resistant to rust and very easy to maintain.

How do you sharpen a Japanese kitchen knife?

Japanese knives should be sharpened by hand using water whetstones. You should never use a pull-through sharpener or a standard honing steel on a high-end Japanese blade, as the hard steel can easily chip. We also recommend regular stropping to maintain the edge between whetstone sessions.

Japanese Knives - Shop All

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Reverse side of Makoto Kurosaki Samidorizuki 165mm santoku with stainless-clad blade

Makoto Kurosaki Samidorizuki SG-STRIX Santoku 165mm

€349,00 EUR

Reverse side of Yoshimi Kato V-Tsuchime SG2 240mm K-tip gyuto

Yoshimi Kato SG2 V-Tsuchime Kiritsuke Gyuto 240mm – Ebony Handle

€429,00 EUR

Yoshimi Kato Hyo SG2 Ko-Bunka 130mm – Ebony & White TruStone Handle

€349,00 EUR

Yu Kurosaki Kokusen Aogami Super Bunka 170mm – Ebony & Buffalo Horn Handle

€265,00 EUR

Yu Kurosaki Kokusen AS Gyuto 210mm — blade finish detail

Yu Kurosaki Kokusen AS Gyuto 210mm with Ebony and Buffalo Horn Handle

€309,00 EUR

Teruyasu Fujiwara White #1 Nashiji Gyuto 180mm, front angled view

Teruyasu Fujiwara White #1 Nashiji Gyuto 180mm with Magnolia Handle

€204,05 EUR

Masutani VG-1 Nashiji Gyuto 180mm, angled blade and handle view

Masutani VG-1 Nashiji Gyuto 180mm with Brown Western Handle

€122,03 EUR

Yu Kurosaki Kokusen AS Nakiri 155mm with Rosewood Octagon Handle

€281,99 EUR

Nigara VG-XEOS Polished Tsuchime Nakiri 165mm

From €374,28 EUR

Nigara VG-XEOS polished tsuchime santoku 170mm, angled view showing hammered Damascus blade and red custom handle.

Nigara VG XEOS Polished Tsuchime 170mm Santoku

From €327,11 EUR

White Skull Prisma custom Japanese wa handle, 143mm

Skull Prisma Handle

€148,68 EUR

Prisma Knife custom wa handle — Emerald Tide green resin and natural wood

Prisma Mountains and Forest

€148,68 EUR

Prisma Colour Madness

From €123,04 EUR

Tokushu rosewood wa handle with black horn ferrule, 135mm

Tokushu Rosewood & Ebony Wa Handle – 135mm

€29,74 EUR

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Takeshi Saji VG-10W Gold Damascus Gyuto 180 mm, angled blade and cow bone handle detail.

Takeshi Saji VG-10W Gold Damascus Gyuto 180 mm with Cow Bone Western Handle

€716,77 EUR

Takeshi Saji VG-10 Gold Damascus Petty 90 mm, maker mark and handle detail.

Takeshi Saji VG-10 Gold Damascus Petty 90 mm with Cow Bone Western Handle

€409,15 EUR

Imai Aogami Super Kurouchi Gyuto 210mm blade detail showing the stainless cladding line and polished cutting edge

Imai Stainless Clad Aogami Super Kurouchi Gyuto 210mm with Sanjo Walnut Handle

€275,84 EUR

Masutani Kokuryu VG10 Damascus Tsuchime Santoku 170mm – angled blade view

Masutani Hamono VG10 Kokuryu Damascus Tsuchime Santoku Knife 170mm – Scotch Western Handle

€117,93 EUR

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Sakamoto-Ginsan No. 3 Damascus Gyuto 210mm, angled full-knife view showing the Damascus blade and custom wa handle. #handle_amboyna burl & blonde buffalo horn

Sakamoto-Ginsan #3 Damascus Gyuto 210mm

From €255,33 EUR

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kuro Tsuchime Petty displayed with leather sheath

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kuro Tsuchime Petty 150mm with Burnt Wood Handle

From €76,86 EUR

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kuro Tsuchime Petty with mono ebony handle and fitted wooden saya

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kurouchi Petty 150mm with Mono Ebony Handle

From €76,86 EUR

Fitted wooden saya for Dao Vua V3 Kuro Tsuchime Santoku 165mm

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kurouchi Santoku 165mm - Mono ebony Handle

From €97,37 EUR

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kuro Tsuchime Santoku with burnt wood handle in leather sheath

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kuro Tsuchime Santoku - Burnt Wood Handle

From €97,37 EUR

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kurouchi Sujihiki 270mm with mono ebony handle and fitted wooden saya

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kurouchi Sujihiki 270mm - Mono Ebony Handle

From €117,88 EUR

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kuro Tsuchime Sujihiki 270mm

From €117,88 EUR

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kurouchi Gyuto 210mm

From €97,37 EUR

Dao Vua V3 52100 Kuro Tsuchime Gyuto 210mm

From €107,62 EUR

Hatsukokoro Ryuhyo SG2 Black Damascus Gyuto 210mm with Walnut Handle

€245,07 EUR

Kokugei Blue #1 kurouchi gyuto 210mm with mono ebony handle, angled full view

HATSUKOKORO Kokugei Blue #1 Steel Kurouchi Gyuto 210mm with Mono Ebony Handle

€183,54 EUR

Hatsukokoro Ryuhyo SG2 Damascus Migaki Gyuto 210mm

From €224,56 EUR

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Hatsukokoro Kurogane Blue #2 Kurouchi Bunka 190mm with Mono Ebony Handle

€132,28 EUR

Hatsukokoro Ginga ATS-34 Nickel Damascus Gyuto 210mm

From €306,60 EUR

Hatsukokoro Kaijin Blue #2 Stainless Clad Santoku 180mm with Mono Olive Wood Handle

€173,30 EUR

Hatsukokoro Ryuhyo SG2 Damascus Migaki Bunka 180mm

From €193,81 EUR

Angled view of the Hatsukokoro Kokugei Blue #1 Santoku showing its kurouchi finish and polished cutting edge.

Hatsukokoro Kokugei Blue #1 Kurouchi Santoku 165mm with Mono Ebony Handle

€142,54 EUR

Hatsukokoro Ginga ATS-34 Nickel Damascus Santoku 180mm

From €286,09 EUR

Hatsukokoro Ginrei Silver 3 Nashiji Kiritsuke Petty 125mm with mono olive wood handle, full knife angled view

Hatsukokoro Ginrei Silver #3 Nashiji Kiritsuke Petty 125mm – Mono Olive Wood Handle

€132,28 EUR

Hatsukokoro Ryuhyo SG2 black Damascus petty 150mm with walnut handle, full knife angled view

Hatsukokoro Ryuhyo SG2 Damascus Black Coating Petty 150mm – Walnut Handle

€169,19 EUR

Tokushu Knife Stainless Clad Blue #2 Nashiji Gyuto 210mm - Custom Wa Handles

From €142,54 EUR

Tokushu Knife Blue No. 2 Nashiji Santoku 165 mm with cypress and buffalo horn wa handle, hero view

Tokushu Knife Stainless Clad Blue #2 Nashiji Santoku 165 mm - Custom Wa Handle

From €132,28 EUR

Tokushu Knife stainless clad Blue No. 2 Nashiji Nakiri 165mm — rosewood and ebony handle, angled front view #handle_rosewood & ebony

Tokushu Knife Stainless Clad Blue #2 Nashiji Nakiri 165mm - Custom Wa Handle

From €132,28 EUR

Tokushu Knife Blue No. 2 Nashiji Hiraki 165 mm with Amboyna and buffalo horn wa handle, main view #handle_amboyna & buffalo horn

Tokushu Knife Stainless Clad Blue #2 Nashiji Hiraki 165 mm - Custom Wa Handle

From €122,03 EUR

Tokushu Knife stainless clad Blue No. 2 Nashiji 105 mm with rosewood and buffalo horn wa handle, main view #handle_rosewood & buffalo horn

Tokushu Knife Stainless Clad Blue #2 Nashiji 105mm - Custom Wa Handle

From €101,52 EUR

Tokushu Knife stainless clad Blue No. 2 Nashiji petty 135 mm with rosewood and buffalo horn handle A, main view #handle_rosewood & buffalo horn a

Tokushu Knife Stainless Clad Blue #2 Nashiji Petty 135mm - Custom Wa Handles

From €111,77 EUR

Tokushu Knife Hammertone SLD Petty 135mm, rosewood & buffalo horn, engraved side full knife #handle_rosewood & buffalo horn

Tokushu Knife Hammertone SLD Petty 135mm – Custom Wa Handle

From €122,03 EUR

Yoshimi Kato SG2 Minamo Santoku 165 mm, Mono Ebony & Buffalo Horn, main view #handle_mono ebony & buffalo horn

Yoshimi Kato SG2 Minamo Santoku 165 mm - Custom Wa Handle

From €296,35 EUR

Nigara STRIX Petty 125 mm with Mono Ebony & Horn handle, main view #handle_mono ebony & horn

Nigara STRIX Petty 125 mm - Mono Ebony & Horn

€302,50 EUR

Nigara VG10 Gyuto 210mm, Amboyna & Horn Contrast No. 1, main view #handle_amboyna & horn contrast no. 1

Nigara VG10 Gyuto 210mm - Custom Handle

From €225,59 EUR