What makes Japanese chefs knives more expensive than German knives?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “german chefs knife“
About Olivi45
Written by: Olivi45
Published on:
What makes Japanese chefs knives more expensive than German knives?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “german chefs knife“
About Olivi45
Couple of reasons.
Japanese knives use steel with higher carbon content. So they hold a sharpen edge, and hold it for longer, however, they are harder to sharpen then German knives. High carbon stainless steel are more expensive because of the higher alloy content as well.
In the case of damascus knives, what User-12508833327645606378 said in his answer is also true. Producing damascus knives requires more labour.
Depending on the type and brand of knives we are talking about, some knifes requires more manual labour. There is a huge difference in price between hand forged knifes vs stamped knives, for example. For Japanese knife brands, Global, for example, is stamped, making them cheaper than other brands.
Amazon Basics 14-Piece Kitchen Knife Block Set, High-Carbon
German knives are factory made. Some Japanese knives are also factory made, (Shun, Global) but the majority of high quality Japanese knives are all hand made by experienced blade smiths. A lot of the production of these high end knives are done by farmers/blacksmiths during the winter when they are unable to farm. Traditionally, this time was when the Samurai swords were produced. Many of the techniques were passed down from father to son over many generations, with some families dating back 700 years. Samurai swords, being somewhat out of fashion in today’s world, the descendants of these craftsman turned to knife making to keep the income stream flowing. Lucky for us the result is some of the best examples of knife making available today.
So, to answer the question, Japanese knives are more expensive because each of them is hand made by an experienced craftsman. No two are exactly alike. The level of dedication to the production process and the history involved creates a premium product that garners premium prices.
Wanbasion Black Stainless Steel Knife Set, Sharp Kitchen Knife