The great match: Western knife VS Japanese knife

You've decided to buy some kitchen knives, but you don't know how to choose? It's quite simple: there are countless brands, origins, styles and ranges to choose from... How do you cope with such a vast choice, especially when you're a novice? We've decided to help! After all, we're the cutting specialists (there's a reason we call ourselves the Cutting Team, after all...).

You may already have heard some generalities about the world of cutlery, which may have steered you towards a previous choice, or on the contrary, scared you and made you hesitate even more.

To help you see things more clearly, we're going to list 2 main types of knives: Western-style knives, and Japanese knives, which differ in several respects and could be just what you're looking for. After this match-up, you'll be able to decide which is best for you!

The Western-style knife:

Well-known brands in the cutlery world include Wusthof, much appreciated by professionals, Victorinox, which makes high-performance butcher's knives, and Sabatier, which makes stylish, high-performance Made in France knives! In the meantime, here are a few general characteristics that can be applied to Western knives. Of course, we shouldn't generalize, and each one will have its own particularities! But there are a few distinctive features common to all these knives:

Blade:

Made of stainless steel, its main composition is X50CrMoV15. In brief, this corresponds to the following details:

X: stands for stainless steel, which is the basis of all steel composition.

Cr: these letters stand for Chromium, which will increase the stainless capacity of a blade (thus reinforcing the X).

Mo: for Molybdenum, which promotes strength and corrosion resistance.

V: for Vanadium, which also increases blade strength and slows wear. It is often combined with molybdenum.

- 50 corresponds to Carbon content, i.e. 0.5%.

- 15 stands for Chromium content, equivalent to 15%.

The cutting properties and ease of sharpening of this type of steel are very good, and its hardness generally ranges from 55 to 58 HRC on the Rockwell scale.

Sharpening angle :

This is generally between 17° and 20° per side of the blade. This corresponds to the part of the blade contiguous to the edge, the part that allows you to push the knife into your food. To sharpen such knives, you can turn to a sharpening gun, or a manual knife sharpener. Also, Western knives have a convex, or "U"-shaped cutting edge, because it's rather rounded when you look at it very closely.

Handle:

This is often made of polymer: ABS, polypropylene...These materials have the advantage of being ultra-resistant and easy to wash. Western handles are also often reinforced with rivets, for ideal support and balance.

Design:

Western knives have no particular design. They are often designed to be ergonomic and efficient, but the final look is not the main feature. Of course, some Western knives are visually sophisticated, but the design remains fairly simple.

The Japanese knife:

Blade:

Japanese steel is of the highest quality. It comes in several families, depending on its alloy. The best-known is VG10, which is used in both factory-produced and handcrafted knives. This shows just how well suited it is to any style of cutting. It is a carbon-concentrated stainless steel, with a carbon content of 1%, as opposed to the 0.5% of Western blades. This makes them even more robust (their HRC is around 60, and can reach 63). The result is a sharper, sharper knife. It will also hold its cutting edge longer (but will also take slightly longer to sharpen once it needs it). Also, carbon steel, while stainless, is slightly more susceptible to corrosion. You should therefore wipe each washed blade immediately, and not leave the knife within reach of moisture, at the risk of stains appearing on the cutting surface.

Japanese knives can be sharpened with adapted manual and electric sharpeners, but the stone remains the main tool for restoring their youthfulness.

One of the special features of Japanese blades is their damascus finish. A damascened blade has a steel core (as seen above, for example, with VG10) and a succession of layers of steel on top of this core. The layers alternate between hard and soft steel, to bring the perfect blend of softness and hardness to the blade that benefits from them. In fact, the layers can vary in number: 32, 64... Also, this is what creates the "wave" patterns on the cutting surface. This process adds originality to your knife, as well as being technically advantageous!

The cutting edge :

Japanese knives can have a one-sided cutting edge. However, this is not the case for all knives! Many Japanese manufacturers have adapted their production to Western needs, creating blades with a "straight" cutting edge.

The beveled edge is the result of sharpening the blade "halfway", i.e. on one side only. Why is this? Because the symmetrical blade (sharpened on 2 sides) penetrates the cut food thanks to 2 lateral pressures, pulling apart the fibers of the food. With the asymmetrical edge, the knife penetrates the food in a more delicate, bevelled way, and this technique is designed to enable the product to retain all its flavour (since the food is not attacked). The Japanese created this type of blade because it is better suited to their style of cutting. The disadvantage of this type of cutting edge is that you need to choose the right knife for your preferred hand! In fact, most asymmetrical blades are suitable for right-handers. Left-handers beware: check compatibility before you buy!

Of course, you need to bear in mind that this type of blade enables you to carry out a certain type of culinary work, highly adapted to so-called Japanese cuts (woks, sushi, sashimi...).

Sharpening angle :

Japanese knives have a steeper sharpening angle than Western knives. This angle is generally around 15°. The V-groove allows you to cut with ease, but watch your fingers! Also, this particular type of cutting edge is a little more difficult to restore, and you need to be careful not to remove too much material when sharpening.

Handle:

The handles of these special knives feature the finest materials. They are often made from high-quality woods, such asHonoki (equivalent to European Magnolia), chestnut, birch...These species are visually incredible, and ensure a knife with an excellent finish. Also, some of them are interlocking and non-cemented. This means they can be replaced when damaged, as is common practice in professional kitchens in Japan.

Otherwise, the Japanese also use ultra-robust composite materials to create the handles of their knives. We come across Pakkawood, a mixture of compressed wood and resin strips. The knife has an attractive wood-like appearance, yet is highly resistant to moisture, impact...

The Japanese also use micarta (a blend of resin and linen), which is ultra-resistant over time.

Japanese knives do not generally feature rivets, but models adapted to Western cutting often do.

It's also worth noting that some traditional Japanese handles feature a "D" shape, supposedly more ergonomic for gripping. In fact, instead of being round, or oval, and above all symmetrical, the Japanese handle will have a rounded side, and a pointed side, to fit perfectly into your hand. Once again, this parameter should be taken into account whether you are left- or right-handed.

Design:

Everyone agrees that Japanese knives have a very special, very attractive design. The finishes are extremely precise, the combination of materials worked, the final shape... Everything is worked on the Japanese side, for an exceptional rendering! The damascus or hammering of the blades is another example of Japanese cutlery expertise.