How to Choose a Kitchen Knife Beyond Performance | Steel, Handles, Design & Craftsmen

Last time,

“Are expensive knives really better knives?”

was the question we discussed.

• Sharpness
• Hardness
• Edge retention
• Specifications

When you start thinking about these factors, you eventually run into one problem.

Performance alone is not enough to decide.

This time, we’ll go beyond that.

When you start researching kitchen knives,

• VG10
• SG2
• Ginsan (Silver #3)
• White #2
• White #1
• Blue #2
• Blue #1
• Aogami Super

you’ll come across all kinds of steel names.

And the more you research, the more questions start to appear:

“Is SG2 better than VG10?”

“Does White #1 cut better than White #2?”

“Aogami Super sounds powerful just from the name.”

That’s often where the discussion ends up.

I understand the feeling.

When steels have names and numbers, it’s only natural to want to rank them.

However,

Steel is an important factor in a knife’s performance, but the steel is not the knife itself.

Even with the same SG2 steel, differences in heat treatment, hardness, blade thickness, grinding, and edge geometry can completely change how the knife feels in use.

Even with the same White #1 steel, the character of the knife changes depending on who made it and how.

So steel should be seen as

not the answer to choosing a knife, but a clue for understanding its character.

I think that makes it easier to understand.

“I want SG2.”

There’s nothing wrong with that.

But take a moment to think about why you want it.

“I want something rust-resistant with good edge retention.”

If that need comes first, SG2 may then appear as one of the candidates.

I think this order makes it much easier to find a knife that truly suits you.

When we focus too much on the blade, it’s easy to forget that a knife also has a handle.

Knife handles can broadly be divided into two types:

• Wa handle
• Western handle

These are the two main categories.

In general, wa handles tend to be relatively light, while Western handles tend to be heavier.

And this difference in weight affects the overall feel of a knife more than you might expect.

Even with a similar blade, a light wa handle makes the blade feel more forward-heavy, while a heavier handle shifts the balance closer to your hand.

In other words,

change the handle, and you change the balance of the entire knife.

That’s the point.

How a handle feels in your hand is also difficult to explain with numbers.

Some people prefer octagonal handles, while others find Western handles more comfortable.

• Some prefer thicker handles
• Some prefer thinner handles
• Some prefer lighter handles
• Some prefer heavier handles

There is a lot of personal preference involved here.

“A more expensive handle is easier to hold.”

It’s not that simple.

If you have the chance, try holding and comparing different knives in person.

A knife that was your first choice from photos may feel completely different once you hold it.

“Huh?”

That happens.

On the other hand, you may pick up a knife you had never even considered and instantly think,

“This is it.”

That happens.

So far, we’ve been thinking about all of this quite seriously.

So now let’s compare every performance metric and choose the most rational knife.

…is what I’d like to say, but

it’s okay to choose by appearance.

In fact, I think appearance is quite important.

• Damascus
• Kurouchi finish
• Mirror polish
• Tsuchime finish
• Blackened finish
• Lacquered handles
• Natural wood

Kitchen knives come in an incredible variety of designs and finishes.

“Is it bad to choose a knife just because I like how it looks?”

We’re sometimes asked this, but if you already have several candidates that meet your practical needs,

there is absolutely nothing wrong with making the final choice based on the design you like.

It’s a tool you may use every day.

Having a knife you really like in your kitchen can make you think,

“I want to use this one today.”

And that matters.

Cooking becomes a little more enjoyable.

I think that is a perfectly valid kind of value for a tool.

Especially as knives become more expensive, more of their value comes from things that performance alone cannot explain.

• Craftsman
• Pattern
• Finish
• Rarity

Among all of that,

“I just like this one.”

That feeling is more important than you might think.

And finally,

“Who made this knife?”

That is another world of knife selection.

In Japanese knife making, a single knife is not always completed by one person alone.

• The blacksmith who forges the blade
• The sharpener who shapes and grinds the blade
• The craftsman who makes the handle

Different specialists may be responsible for each stage of the process.

At first, someone may simply think,

“I want Blue #1.”

Then, over time,

it becomes,

“I want Blue #1 made by this blacksmith.”

And then,

if you go even further,

“I want this particular blacksmith and sharpener combination.”

That’s where you end up.

If you’ve reached this point, you’re definitely enjoying the world of knives.

• Same steel
• Same size
• Similar shape

And yet, different makers can give those knives completely different personalities.

Learning to recognize those differences is part of what makes Japanese knives so interesting.

Of course, you don’t need to memorize every craftsman’s name before buying your first knife.

“So that’s another way to choose.”

That is more than enough.

And if one day you find yourself waiting months for a knife with no clear restock date,

welcome.

Over these three articles, we’ve talked about many different ways to choose a kitchen knife.

That’s quite a list.

But you don’t need to understand every one of these things perfectly before buying a knife.

What you really need at the beginning is simply:

That’s enough.

• You can prioritize performance above all else
• You can prioritize ease of maintenance
• You can choose a craftsman you like
• You can simply fall in love with the way a knife looks

In the end,

“I want to use this.”

I think being able to feel that way is extremely important.

And for anyone who thinks,

“I’ve read all of this, but I still don’t really get it.”

If that’s you,

just come visit us.

Even if all you can tell us is your intended use and budget, we can figure it out together.

Helping someone start from zero and find a knife that suits them

is also part of a knife shop’s job.

Buy your first knife and use it for a while.

Then you may start thinking:

• “Next time, I want something a little longer.”
• “I’d like to try carbon steel.”
• “Next time, I want to choose by craftsman.”

Little by little, you begin to understand your own preferences.

Your first knife does not have to settle everything perfectly.

A kitchen knife is a tool.

But if you’re going to choose one,

choose a tool that makes you a little happy every time you use it.

We’d be happy if we can help you find that knife.

And ultimately,

“If I’m buying a knife, I’ll check Miura Knives first.”

If these three articles leave you thinking that, then writing them was well worth it.

See you in the next article.